Buckfield launches commercial hauler permits; swap-shop grant reaches $10,000

At the May 19 Select Board meeting, town staff reported the town office has begun issuing commercial hauler permits under a new policy designed to limit outside contractors from dropping large quantities of nonlocal commercial debris at the transfer station.

Town staff said the permit costs $200 per year and must be renewed each June; if a hauler temporarily changes trucks they must notify the office, and operators using multiple vehicles must obtain a permit for each vehicle. The permit covers household waste and limited bulky items but does not allow contractors to dispose of renovation or large commercial loads under the household rate. "If you are being paid to bring in someone else's household waste, you need a commercial hauler permit," a town staff member said.

Staff identified the two haulers currently eligible in Buckfield as Grassfed Lawn Care and Dependable Trash Service and said the pass/sticker design change makes enforcement easier. The staff also described a recent transfer-station funding update: the town received a $10,000 grant from the Maine Community Foundation toward the swap shop; combined with earlier fundraising (excluding GoFundMe totals) the project now has about $22,000 and staff continue to gather construction quotes.

Officials said the swap-shop committee still has room for volunteers and that additional grant work (a joint CRP grant) is in progress. No formal enforcement actions or permit revocations were reported at the meeting.

Next steps: staff will continue permit issuance, collect applications, and seek quotes for the swap-shop structure.