CHINA: Broadband costs big unknown at this point

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by Mary Grow

After two more hours April 27 revising their explanatory document for China Community Broadband, China Broadband Committee (CBC) members presented it to the selectboard at a joint virtual meeting April 29.

The ensuing two-hour discussion focused on costs and on what service customers could expect.

Costs are a big unknown at this point, presenters said. The plan includes estimates, but they are only estimates, for two main reasons:

  • Costs for construction materials are likely to change, up or down or both, by the time work starts, and the amount of construction work – for example, the number of new poles needed – is unknown until contracts are signed.
  • The number of users who sign up for the new service, the “take rate,” determines monthly income, which needs to cover repayment of the proposed construction bond plus operating costs. CBC consultants have prepared scenarios based on different take rates without knowing which is closest to accurate.

Consultants Mark Van Loan and John Dougherty, of Mission Broadband, had three tables showing financial results with three different take rates, from 1,005 to 2,270 customers, resulting in three different fees per household, from around $85 per month to around $50 per month. These prices will vary with costs and with whether and by how much seasonal residents are billed differently from year-round residents.

Mark Ouellette, President of Machias-based Axiom Technologies, with whom CBC members are negotiating to provide service, said he usually gets high take rates as his company moves into new towns, including towns like China with existing providers.

In China, CBC members estimate that Spectrum Community Solutions serves about two-thirds of households; Consolidated Communications serves about 20 percent; and about five percent have no internet connection.

Another factor influencing costs to customers, CBC member Tod Detre said, is that the committee’s current plan is to offer only one level of service, which he calls gig over gig. The phrase means one gigabit per second can be uploaded to the net and one gigabit per second can be downloaded.

Selectman Wayne Chadwick doubted most people need that fast service. Detre agreed, and said the committee plan could be amended to offer as options lower service levels at lower monthly fees, if China residents prefer.

Assuming selectmen authorize CBC members to continue, a next step is to start a comprehensive community outreach program to determine how many households want what level of service.

Prompt sign-ups would provide useful information, but committee members and consultants realize that some residents will wait to see whether selectmen present the construction bond at the November 2 elections and voters approve it.

Service would be established if a minimum number of users sign up. Another issue concerning selectmen was whether people who sign up later would be charged a fee. Again, the answer is to be determined; one possibility would be to schedule future open enrollment windows during which fees could be lowered or eliminated because multiple houses would be connected while trucks and workers were in town.

Town Manager Becky Hapgood suggested selectmen discuss whether to continue to support the CBC’s work at their May 10 meeting. If they do support the committee, next steps include:

  • The community outreach program, envisioned as including email, social media, meetings, printed materials and probably other methods;
  • At the June 8 town business meeting, voter action on the Second Amendment to China’s Tax Increment Financing document, which adds broadband service to approvable TIF projects and provides funding to continue working with Mission Broadband;
  • Selectmen’s request for authorization to issue a bond and a Nov. 2 voter decision on the bond.

The amount of the bond is undetermined because construction costs are undetermined. Committee members suggest an “up to” figure – currently estimated at $6.5 million – so selectmen are not obligated to borrow more than is needed.

When Chadwick asked Ouellette why Axiom didn’t borrow the money, Ouellette replied that towns get a much lower interest rate than private companies.

The CBC plan would have Axiom build the fiber optic infrastructure, using a contractor, provide service, take care of billing and maintain the system. The town would own the system and could change providers should Axiom prove unsatisfactory.

A contract between Axiom and town officials, to be signed if the bond issue is approved and nothing has impaired the company’s relationship with the town, would spell out details selectmen asked about, like the contract length, construction schedule, how often Axiom would pay China its share of revenue and whether the local on-call repair person would work for Axiom or for China.

The CBC’s goal is to provide a town-owned broadband system offering all residents high-quality service that is easy to update as technology changes, at a price that will cover costs and, after the bond is paid off, generate extra revenue.

The document CBC members presented to selectmen April 29, titled “Community Broadband Project – Declaration of Intent” is posted under the Broadband Committee in the list of officials, boards and committee on the China website, www.china.govoffice.com.

China Middle School honor roll

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photo source: JMG.org

GRADE 8

High honors: Carter Brockway, Ashlee Camillo, Lauren Cowing, Lillian Crommett, Kalli Duvall, Clara French, Serena Hotham, Parker Hunter, Abigail McDonough, Shannon McDonough, Noah Pelletier, Justin Reed, Laney Robitaille, Avery Ross, Carlee Sanborn, Aislynn Savage, Parker Studholme and Dalorice Vires.

Honors: Haileigh Allen, Jayda Bickford, Keenan Clark, Dylan Cooley, Lucas Farrington, Brooke Lee, Jackson Levesque, Sadie Pierce, Kyle Scott and Larissa Steeves.

GRADE 7

High honors: London Catle, Madeline Clement-Cargill, Clkaire Davis, Sylvia Davis, April Dutilly, Faith Given, Kasen Kelley, Bayley Nickles, Ruby Pearson, Elijah Pelkey, Desirae Proctor, Christian Salvadori, Jaelyn Seamon, Madelynn Spencer and Abigial Studholme.

Honors: Brock Bowden, MacKenzie Chasem, Gavin Clark, Colby Hardy, Willow Haschalk, Easton Houghton, Laylah Leach, Nathaniel Levesque, Hayden Little, Aurora Littrell, Jeremy McKay, Jack Murray, Michael Richardson, Benjamin Severy, Nichala Small, Kayla Stred, Phoebe Taylor, Kamryn Turner and Alexander Walker.

GRADE 6

High honors: Isaac Audette, Khloe Clark, Connor Crommett, Logan Dow, Nolan Dow, Bella Dutilly, Isabella Farrington, Danica Ferris, Scott Fitts, Kaylee Grierson, Johanna Jacobs, Peyton Kibbin, Kate McGlew, Annie Miragliuolo, Natalie Peaslee, Bryson Pettengill, Caylee Putek, Jessika Shaw, Gabriel Studholme and Sabrina Sutdholme.

Honors: Delia Bailey, Mason Carrillo, Landen DeCosta, Kelsie Dunn, James Goodwin, Connor Hardesty, Chase Hester, Wyatt Michaud, Hadleigh Morin, Haile Pierce, Dylan Proctor, Mason Reed-Prosser, Julianna Ripley, Dylan Saucier, Blake Spry, Colby Spry and Matthew Vernesoni.

GRADE 5

High honors: Dawson Baker, Mackenzie Bowden, Jackson Bryant, Trevor French, Tyler Gagnon, Landon Larochelle, Bella Lefferts, Lainey McFarland, Ava Miragliuolo, Liam Ross, Maxine Spencer, Amelia Spry, Ethan Studholme, Dalton Stufflebeam, Kallie Turner and Brian Walker.

Honors: Alexxander Catassi, Dante Farrell, Myla Gower, Madison Levesque, Mason Mattingly, Alexander Mayo, Clara Monroe, Nolan Pierce, Reed Pilsbury, Keegan Sears, Braelyn Waters and Leah Watson.

China meeting generates questions on town committees funding

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by Mary Grow

China selectmen held April 26 public hearings on two pieces of the June 8 town business meeting warrant, the amendment to the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Program that is Art. 16 and the warrant as a whole. While the first drew no public comments, several people zoomed in to discuss other articles.

Tiffany Glidden and Fred Glidden both had questions about the funding for town boards and committees in Art. 5.

To the general question about why voters should allocate $1,000 to most committees, Selectboard Chairman Ronald Breton and Town Manager Becky Hapgood replied that since committee members were volunteers, they should have opportunities for training, workshops and other related activities. Some boards also need to pay for secretarial services.

To the specific question about funding for a proposed building in the Town Forest behind China Primary School, they said the committee that oversees the forest requested it. At a selectboard meeting earlier in the year, Anita Smith and Elaine Philbrook described the building as partly for storage, mostly for a classroom for nature education for children and adults.

Fred Glidden suggested using the nearby school building instead, and Tiffany Glidden would have preferred the building funds as a separate article. She feared inclusion of the building money might lead voters to reject the entire article.

Should voters reject that or any other spending article for 2021-22, Art. 26 (if it is approved) provides one remedy, Hapgood said. Art. 26 says if any proposed 2021-22 expenditure article is not approved, the amount appropriated in the current fiscal year shall become the budget for next year.

If an expenditure is not approved, selectmen can call a new vote to fund the same purpose. But, Hapgood said, organizing a new vote takes more than two months, with public notice requirements, ballot printing and the rest of the preparations. With town meeting on June 8 and the new fiscal year beginning July 1, there is not time for a revote before money is needed.

Each Glidden also questioned an item in Art. 4, administration and related costs. Fred Glidden wanted to know about building maintenance and plans. Hapgood detailed some of the needed repairs in the town office complex and said that the planned addition to the town office building was to provide secure storage for documents the state requires towns to keep.

Tiffany Glidden asked why town employees are slated for a three percent raise when many private-sector employees have had wages or hours reduced or have lost jobs entirely. Selectmen gave her two replies. Wayne Chadwick and Blane Casey, both contractors, said finding and keeping employees is not easy at present – it took five months to fill a public works position, Hapgood interjected. Janet Preston added the selectmen’s intention to show appreciation to staff members.

Copies of the town business meeting warrant are in the 2020 town report, now available at the town office and many other public locations in town, and on the website, china.govoffice.com. The complete TIF Second Amendment is on the website and is posted with warrant copies in local post offices.

Voters will decide questions by written ballot, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the former portable classroom behind the town office. Absentee ballots will be available beginning May 10.

Breton expressed appreciation for the interest people showed at the hearing, but wished they had offered suggestions earlier, before it was too late to change the warrant. Selectmen started town meeting preparations last fall and discussed articles at most meetings in January and February; anyone can watch the meetings on line.

Breton invited more questions. Residents may submit them by email, telephone or mail for discussion at future selectmen’s meetings. The next two meetings are scheduled for 6:30 p.m., on Monday, May 10, and Monday, May 24.

The April 26 hearing was followed by a brief selectmen’s meeting, at which selectmen approved, after discussion, Hapgood’s request to take up to $10,000 from the selectmen’s discretionary fund to cover assessing costs, as needed. The manager explained that due to Covid-19, field work scheduled to be done and paid for in the 2019-20 fiscal year was postponed to July 2020, leaving too little money in the current 2020-21 budget to cover the remainder of this year’s work.

China Broadband Committee goal explained in document

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Provide reliable, high-speed broadband service to all China residents

by Mary Grow

China Broadband Committee (CBC) members spent most of a two-hour April 22 meeting wordsmithing the document they plan to share with selectmen on April 29, with assistance from consultants James Dougherty and Mark Van Loan, from Mission Broadband, and Selectboard Chairman Ronald Breton.

The document is to explain what the CBC has been doing and what committee members would like the selectboard to do to further its goal.

The goal is to provide reliable, high-speed broadband service to all China residents at an affordable price. Committee members have been negotiating with Machias-based Axiom Technologies to achieve the goal.

Their proposal is that Axiom will oversee construction of a fiberoptic network in China that the town will own. Axiom will also, under contract, be the service provider for China residents, running the network and taking care of maintenance, repairs, billing and customer service.

Project construction costs are now estimated at between $4.25 million and $5.5 million, depending on how many houses are connected. How many houses are connected depends to a great extent on how many people sign up as customers.

Paying for the project comes in at least two parts – committee members hope three parts. They intend to ask selectmen to issue a 20-year bond to provide up-front money for construction; customers’ monthly fees will repay the bond and pay for Axiom’s services; and federal grants might cover up to 10% of the cost, depending on how the government authorizes money to be used.

Since their April 15 meeting, committee members had worked individually on a shared on-line document that they reviewed and clarified as they discussed it together, with Selectman Breton’s questions suggesting some of the changes.

They decided to meet again at 4 p.m., Tuesday, April 27, to make final adjustments. The time was chosen to avoid a China Planning Board meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. April 27. Breton said if the selectmen have the document Wednesday morning, April 28, they should be ready to talk about it by 7 p.m., Thursday, April 29.

China School Forest work day set for May 8

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A couple of the work projects needed at the forest. (photo courtesy of Anita Smith)

A work day has been scheduled at the China School Forest on Saturday, May 8, from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., and will be rain or shine. They will meet at the China Primary School bus circle. People can come for as long as they want. There are many different tasks for all skill levels, from sweeping outdoor classroom spaces, repairing wooden structures, cutting fallen trees to clear trails, hauling branches and more.

(photo courtesy of Anita Smith)

If people have sturdy rakes, shovels, chainsaws, handsaws and power drills with batteries, please bring them. The tasks are spread out around the forest, so social distancing needs can be met.

The trails are getting a lot of use and it would be great to have the community work together to keep them in good shape.

Anita Smith can be messaged at chinaschoolsforest@gmail.com if people have questions or to have their name added to the volunteer list.

“Sadly, we’ve had some more issues with (minor) vandalism and some graffiti, so trail cameras have been added to help monitor the area,” said Smith. If visitors see damage, they can contact the town office but since volunteers care for the space, it may take time to find someone to help make repairs.

Tasks include:

  • Repair broken boards on bridge and compass table (bring power drill and hand saw). Repair arbor at the Gathering Place (bring power drill).
  • Cut fallen trees to clear North Loop trail (volunteers need to bring chainsaws). Clean branches and leaves off trails (bring sturdy rakes).
  • Sweep outdoor classroom areas of pine needles and small branches (we have brooms).
  • Remove old boards with nails and take to transfer station (need steel-plate boots, truck and heavy gloves).
  • Dig small plunge pool to divert water from flooding the trail (bring shovels).
  • Cut felled trees into firewood for community (bring chainsaw). Restack cord of wood at Wood Measurement area.
  • Build a simple lean-to at the Geology station (let us know asap, so we can discuss the plan and order materials). Move cut log stools to outdoor classroom areas (needs an ATV and wagon).
  • Smooth ruts in trails (bring shovels andsturdy rakes).
  • Build simple bog bridge over wet area on trail. (bring hammers).
  • Chip branches into wood chips (bring wood chippers).
  • Polyseal wood animal cut-outs (we have materials for this).

Erskine cereal box challenge nets 3,544 boxes for local food pantries

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The Erskine gym with 3,544 cereal boxes set up like dominos. (photo by Blais Photography)

Responding to a challenge issued by the Jobs for Maine Graduates (JMG) students of Cony High School, in Augusta, to their peers at Erskine Academy, in South China, the school exceeded the 1,000 box challenge, raising 3,544 boxes of cereal for its local food pantries.

Given only two weeks (one while the school was operating fully remote), Erskine’s goal of 1,334 boxes of cereal (one more than Cony High’s recorded total) was more than doubled. On Monday, April 5, cereal boxes were lined up to create a domino-effect spiral beginning at the headmaster’s desk, running through the school and to the gym. The live-streamed release event took over nine minutes from start to finish.

Immediately following the domino event, students and staff delivered the cereal to food pantries in China, Vassalboro, Chelsea, Whitefield, Jefferson, Windsor, and Palermo, the sending communities to Erskine Academy. The school then challenged two JMG program schools, Skowhegan Area HighSchool and Mt. View High School, in Thorndike, to keep the charitable momentum going with their cereal drives.

Though led by Erskine’s students and faculty, the campaign became a broader community event supported substantially by families, area middle schools, alumni, and many area businesses and organizations.

(photo by Blais Photography)

About this accomplishment, Headmaster Michael McQuarrie says, “The Cereal Box Challenge was for a great cause and was presented to us at a time when we need each other, especially when it comes to being nourished — body, heart, and spirit. We thank Cony High’s JMG students for inspiring the Erskine community with a little friendly competition, and through it, Erskine’s values of stewardship, leadership, and relationships were evident. The work ethic, inspiration, and idealism of our young people are humbling and heartening.”

Known for its philanthropic spirit, in 2016, Erskine was a WGME13/Fox23’s School Spirit Champion for having raised nearly 85,000 pounds of food for distribution by Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine. In 2018, Erskine repeated its efforts to win the School Spirit Tournament of Champions, raising a record 196,696 pounds of food. “We engaged with our rural Central Maine communities to provide a critical community service — fighting hunger in Maine,” said McQuarrie.

Erskine Academy is profoundly grateful to its friends for supporting this effort, including: BAC-40 Maple Products, B&B Septic Service, Chadwick’s Craft Spirits, Central Church, Oxley Express 3/31, PyroCity Maine, Roddy’s Redemption, Whitfield Lyons Club, JMG Corp, South China Hannaford, Tobey’s Market, and these area middle schools — Whitefield, Vassalboro, Palermo, Jefferson, and China.

China planners express frustration with virtual meetings

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by Mary Grow

China Planning Board members held a short virtual meeting April 13, at which they expressed their frustration with virtual meetings and, they hope, resolved one of the annoying issues.

The agenda called for continued discussion of the two draft ordinances board members are working on, a shoreland stabilization ordinance and a solar ordinance. The former is intended to describe what lakeshore residents can and cannot do to prevent erosion into the lake. The latter is to provide specific regulations for future solar developments, so board members won’t need to continue adapting other ordinance provisions.

The documents are on a site that members can theoretically share, but not everyone has been able to access it. Several are also unhappy with reading documents and changes on line; they want paper copies.

Codes Officer Jaime Hanson said he would immediately see about having copies made at the town office for board members to pick up.

This offer led to the next question, from board member Toni Wall: when can we go back to in-person meetings?

Hanson said he would ask the town manager.

With Scott Rollins, one of the two computer-savvy board members, absent, the four who were connected briefly discussed the shoreland stabilization ordinance, referring back to their March 23 meeting (see The Town Line, April 1, p. 3). Chairman Randall Downer again advocated reviewing Maine and New Hampshire documents that he thinks contain helpful ideas.

An important issue is where China Lake (and Three Mile Pond and other water bodies) get their water from – inflowing streams and their sources, direct rainfall and rainfall run-off, underwater springs. No one knew of a map of springs in China Lake.

Hanson reported issuing an increasing number of building and plumbing permits. China is seeing “a lot of real estate action, too,” he said.

The next regular China Planning Board member is scheduled for Tuesday evening, April 27, and is unlikely to be in person.

China emergency group works on updating document

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by Mary Grow

At a short April 15 meeting, members of China’s Emergency Preparedness Committee continued discussion of the two documents they’re updating this year.

The Emergency Action Municipal Operations Plan is in near-final form. It gives information and instructions in case of an emergency in a town building, including the town office complex, the transfer station and the public works garage.

It covers such things as fires, explosions or chemical spills or leaks; bomb threats; robberies or acts of violence; and medical emergencies.

The second document, 44 pages long, is called the Emergency Checklist Plan and applies to an emergency affecting all or part of the town and/or surrounding towns. It covers three categories of emergencies:

• Natural hazards, like ice storms, severe thunderstorms, hurricanes, tornados and earthquakes;
• Technological hazards, like long-term, widespread power outages and interruptions to internet or telephone service; and
• Natural security issues, like threats to public buildings and public meeting places.

Each plan tries to specify in advance of any emergency who takes charge; what he or she does and directs others to do; and what is done. Since each plan includes names and contact information, frequent revisions are needed.

Copies of the plans are supposed to be readily available. Public Works Director Shawn Reed said he posted a copy of the plan for public works in his office.

Town Manager Becky Hapgood said once the committee finishes its revisions, the updated plans will be on the China website, www.china.govoffice.com.

Training is part of each plan. Reed reviews procedures with public works employees annually, he said.

Committee members intend to review draft revisions and to meet again at 1 p.m. Thursday, May 20. Hapgood hopes by then they will be able to meet in person in the former portable classroom behind the town office.

China broadband committee agrees to keep Spectrum “on the shelf”

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by Mary Grow

China Broadband Committee members continued discussion of their proposal to continue working with Machias-based Axiom Technologies to provide a town-owned network that would extend improved internet service throughout the town.

Before the April 15 committee meeting, Chairman Robert O’Connor had received more information from Spectrum Community Solutions, the company that provides internet and other services to a majority of China households. Axiom and Spectrum both responded to the committee’s request for proposals at the beginning of the year.

Committee members found nothing new in the latest Spectrum communication. They agreed Spectrum should remain “on the shelf” – to be considered only if negotiations with Axiom fail and the committee returns to square one.

A major problem Spectrum still did not address, committee member Tod Detre said, is the legal one: as presently proposed, financing the project requires issuing a bond; towns can issue bonds only for tangible projects like a new building; but Spectrum does not plan to accept town ownership of the network infrastructure.

Committee members have previously insisted on the value of town ownership, because it ensures local control. The present assumption is that Axiom would subcontract building the network and would run it (or possibly subcontract operations, too). If operations were unsatisfactory, the town could replace Axiom with a new service provider.

Committee members plan to explain these issues and others to China selectmen at their Thursday, April 29, meeting, to which the selectboard is invited. O’Connor said consultants Mark Van Loan and John Dougherty, of Mission Broadband, are expected to attend the (virtual) meeting, and he hopes Axiom President Mark Ouellette will be available.

Committee members are preparing an information summary to share with selectmen, covering financial and technical issues, possibilities of sharing the project with other towns and plans for community outreach. The draft is on a shared site on line so each member can suggest changes.

The committee will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 22, to review the summary. After the April 29 meeting, committee members hope selectmen will endorse their plan and approve continuing to hire Mission Broadband’s services. The committee’s goal is a question on the Nov. 2 local ballot asking voters to approve the project and authorize a bond issue to finance it.

China considering regional trash collection system

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by Mary Grow

China Transfer Station Committee members are considering advocating for a regional trash collection system based in China, if the new owners of what was the Fiberight facility in Hampden don’t get their act together soon.

The plant, owned by Coastal Resources, closed in May 2020. On Jan. 19, 2021, the Municipal Review Committee (MRC), the group representing 115 municipalities that used the facility, announced that Pennsylvania-based Delta Thermo Energy (DTE) was buying the plant.

The MRC notice said closing the deal was expected to take up to 70 days, and after closing DTE would need four to six weeks to start operating.

At the April 13 China Transfer Station Committee meeting, Selectman and Transfer Station Committee member Irene Belanger, who represents China on the MRC, said the arrangement is not yet final, and after weeks of almost daily reports she had heard nothing for two weeks.

Transfer Station Committee Chairman Larry Sikora called MRC meetings “non-informational,” mostly in executive session (not open to public viewing). He also believes DTE “padded their resume.” A knowledgeable German friend denied DTE’s claim to have a recycling facility in Dresden, Germany, Sikora said.

Committee member Mark Davis suggested exploring whether other municipalities would be interested in a non-MRC arrangement. Or, he said, maybe China’s transfer station, which already takes Palermo’s trash, could become a regional center, adding, for example, Vassalboro, to save that town the cost of proposed transfer station improvements.

Town Manager Becky Hapgood suggested partnering with Albion instead, given the distance from northwestern and southwestern Vassalboro to Alder Park Road, in China. She wondered whether too many new users would inconvenience China residents.

Committee members left the regionalization issue to be reconsidered if the Hampden facility does not reopen.

The rest of the April 13 committee discussion focused on the local transfer station: hours, recycling and the currently closed Free for the Taking (FFT) building.

Committee member Ashley Farrington had prepared a chart of hour-by-hour Saturday attendance, showing few people came in between 6:30 and 7 a.m.; 10 to 11 a.m. was the busiest hour; and a fair number of people used the transfer station from 1 p.m. to the 3 p.m. closing.

The lack of early-morning users led Sikora and Davis to propose opening at 7 a.m. instead of 6:30 p.m. and closing at 4 p.m. instead of 3 p.m. With the change, Davis argued, people doing waste-generating Saturday projects would have another hour before they had to rush to the transfer station.

Farrington, who worked at the transfer station before moving to the town office staff, said the early-morning Saturday hours are important to most of the people who stop in then, because they’re on the way to Saturday jobs and cannot come later.

Transfer Station Manager Ronald Marois opposed staying open until 4 p.m. Whatever the closing time, he said, people come at the last minute with big loads, and he and his staff continue working well after the gates close. Since many families schedule Saturday late-afternoon celebrations, he would prefer a 3 p.m. closing.

Hapgood pointed out that use varies seasonally, leading committee members Karen Hatch and Davis to suggest different hours summer and winter. Then everyone would need to adjust to fall and spring changes, Hapgood objected.

Committee members will try to get more statistics on times of use and revisit the topic at a later meeting.

“Nothing will make everybody happy,” Farrington concluded.

Farrington had submitted China’s biennial report to the state Department of Environmental Protection. By her figures, China’s 2020 recycling rate was 52.85 percent, lower than 2019’s rate of 67.69 percent, but still, Sikora said, very good.

Robert Kurek, Palermo’s representative on the committee, pointed out that eliminating plastics numbered three through seven (due to lack of markets) had reduced recycling rates.

The FFT building has been closed due to Covid. Committee members are looking for alternative ways to share reusable items and are considering ways to reopen the building safely. They made no decisions.

One problem is that, according to Selectman Ronald Breton at the April 12 selectmen’s meeting, transfer station users are ignoring the requirement to wear masks when outside their vehicles.

Other regulations are also ignored. For example, when employees are busy non-residents without China RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags slip in and dispose illegally; and trash is left in wrong areas.

Marois said staff has worked successfully at reducing problems. People don’t like the regulations, he said; but cheating costs China taxpayers money, and, Sikora observed, “nobody likes paying taxes, either.”

Committee members scheduled their next meeting for 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 11, according to the calendar on the Town of China website.