Lewiston reviews condo classifications and solid-waste costs as downtown converts to more owned units

Public Works staff and Deputy Director Megan Bates briefed the Lewiston City Council on condominium properties and city solid-waste collection policy at a workshop, laying out how Chapter 62 treats condominiums, what properties currently receive city curbside service, and rough annual cost comparisons between private dumpsters and the city’s apartment/curbside program.

Megan Bates displayed maps and photos of multiple condominium locations across the city — Westview Drive (8 units), Ledge's Court (32 units, private drive), Foliage Arbor Lane (33 units), Mount View Terrace (16 units), a garden-style complex at 191–193 Russell (16 units), a downtown property at 403–409 Lisbon Street (renovated 1902 building) and 250–274 Blake Street (12 units). Bates recited ordinance text identifying commercial activity and said city collection practice currently treats some condos as eligible for the multifamily curbside program.

Bates described program costs and rules. Chapter 62 allows the city’s "multiunit apartment curbside collection" program for properties constructed prior to May 6, 2003. Participation requires a one-time $100 application fee and an annual $170 per-unit fee. Bates said the city “is costing the city $2.50 per unit to cover the cost of this program,” and presented private-dumpster annual estimates from haulers: a 4-yard dumpster servicing 3–4 units at roughly $2,100 per year, a 6-yard for 4–6 units at about $2,600–$3,000 per year, and an 8-yard for 7–8 units at about $3,400–$4,000 per year. By contrast, Bates said the city program range is roughly $510 to $1,400 per year for 3–8 units (figures presented as comparative estimates).

Bates and other staff emphasized operational constraints: some condominium sites sit on private drives or lack adequate room for dumpsters; the city contract with Casella was negotiated as a per‑unit price that covers curbside trash and recycling for residential units. The city is proposing FY26 budget line items that would increase collection costs from about $700,000 in FY25 to a proposed $2,060,000 in FY26 for solid-waste collection citywide, and estimated recycling cost around $950,000 in FY26. Bates said adding the mapped inventory of about 223 units to city service would increase costs in the tens of thousands of dollars and that staff could return with updated fee schedules and options.

Councilors framed the discussion as an equity and policy question rather than a purely operational one. Councilor Harriman argued that individually owned condominiums should be treated like single-family homes for service parity: "If I own a single family, but I don't live in it and I rent it to somebody... It seems to me in this whole procedure that condos… it seems like a basic fairness issue. If I own a single family and I my taxes are paying for the for the trash collection… If I own a condo, it seems like it should be the same way." Councilor Nagy urged standard service quality across haulers and suggested the city define service standards so private haulers meet the same expectations as Casella; Councilor Nejean and others said they supported including some condos on the city program but emphasized the need to update fees so the city does not subsidize services.

Other councilors raised operational specifics: Councilor Glantz asked about school-bus parking for field trips and conditional weekday-designated spaces; Councilor Roy proposed treating individually owned condo units similarly to single-family homes in the ordinance and offered to draft specific ordinance language. City staff said changes to fee schedules are made through the city’s solid-waste policy and coordinated with finance during the budget process.

There were no formal votes or ordinance changes at the workshop. Staff committed to return with cost scenarios and fee schedules for council consideration and to explore how expanding the program might interact with the existing Casella contract and with private haulers.