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City staff briefs committee on MRC facility reopening, funding and waste processing changes
Summary
Public Works presented an extended update on the Municipal Recycling Center (MRC) and the reopening and retrofit of the MWS facility, addressing ownership, funding sources, tipping fees, technology changes and contingency concerns; staff said Innovative (90% owner) is funding upgrades and no municipal funds have been diverted to the reopening.
City staff provided a detailed update to the Infrastructure Committee on the Municipal Recycling Center (MRC) and the reopening and retrofit of the municipal solid waste (MWS) facility in Hamden.
Public Works Director Aaron Huthery summarized the MRC’s structure and recent changes: the MRC represents 15 member communities, is overseen by a nine‑member board and currently employs one executive director. Huthery said combined waste volume for member communities is about 100,000 tons annually and noted Innovative now holds 90% ownership in the facility and is paying for the retrofit work. "Innovative is paying for 100% of the investment in the anaerobic digesters," Huthery said.
Huthery answered committee questions on contingency planning, funding, and oversight. He said municipalities have not funded the $22 million investment in reopening and that money issued earlier by the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) was given to the facility's prior owners or bondholders, not to MRC or Innovative. "Taxpayer money was not diverted from municipal budgets to help pay to keep that facility open," Huthery said.
On technology, staff described how the prior Fiberite plan emphasized fiber processing and briquettes, but that model did not prove commercially viable. Innovative is re‑configuring the plant to increase front‑end sorting efficiency and to expand anaerobic digestion to produce renewable natural gas, which staff said will be injected into the adjacent pipeline. Huthery said sorting technology has advanced and that the new configuration is modeled on successful facilities in Toronto and Italy.
Huthery addressed common questions: tipping fee revenues fund MRC operations and facility maintenance; MRC financials are reviewed by board directors and subject to CPA audits; Innovative has not received FAME funds and has financed reopening through private backers. He acknowledged that some recyclable plastics will still go to landfill and that he did not have an exact percentage for that fraction: "I don't have that number," he said.
Committee members asked about disposal costs and local pickup contracts. Huthery explained the city's competitive pickup contract and transition to 96‑gallon containers reduced costs and helped stabilize volumes after nearby towns changed to pay‑per‑bag systems. He said the MRC negotiates tipping fees based on larger combined volumes, which reduces per‑community rates. Huthery concluded staff will continue quarterly updates and offered facility tours when scheduling permits.
No committee action was taken; the session was an informational update.
