To the Editor:

After attending the BOS meeting last night I was surprised at how Mr. Klein could ask the same question of the gentlemen from CRRA three times and not give them time to respond and answer his question. Mr. Klein wanted to know when the Town of Killingworth would receive our cut of the 35.8 million dollars that the State Court ordered them to pay the 70 member towns of CRRA at once resulting from the class action law suit over Enron. (Our cut Mr. Klein believes will be $35,000 to $45,000 - less the attorney's fees).

Our cut of the 35.8 million will depend on the way it is split up and what tonnages you use to determine what each town will get back. If you look at the tonnages that have been processed through the Killingworth Transfer Station ONLY you get figure of $45,000 before attorney's fees. .... If you look at all the MSW removed from Killingworth including private haulers you get a figure of $78,000 before attorney's fees. If we go with this second distribution, it does not look as bad.

Mr. Kurt from CRRA tried to explain that the money is there to give back to the member towns, but if it is returned to the towns, they will just recoup it back in higher tipping fees. Estimated tipping fees for MSW (Municipal Solid Waste) for next year are $86.00 at ton with us receiving the refund or $72.00 not getting the refund. If you look at the average tonnage we process at the Transfer Station annually as 1700 tons, the difference in annual tipping fees would be approx $23,800 (in the first year). Over 4 years with their estimates, we will pay an additional $80,000 over what we would pay without getting the refund. There would still be an increase in the tipping fees - just more subtle increases 2 or 3 dollars a year. That is if you can believe there projections and the tipping fees rise as they predict.

Don't get me wrong, I do not like the choices and do not totally believe that CRRA will follow through on the prices we have been quoted. I would want something in writing stating that the projections are true and valid. The problem for CRRA is that our current contract with them - CRRA & the Town of Killingworth is due to end in 2012. By law they need to clear the cost of closing the Hartford Landfill and all other debt they have and end at a zero balance at the end of the contract, just in case they do not land the future contract and go defunct.

Is us getting $35,000 NOW worth the added expenditure of $80,000 over the next four years? What will we get for that $35,000? Will it go into the General Fund or be set aside for any needed repairs of the Transfer Station? Is there some project Mr. Klein has in mind to fund with these funds?

If the cut gives us $78,000 less attorney's fees NOW and pay the higher fees later ... is it worth the trade off? Who will decide what cut is used?

Amy Perry

Perry is a member of the Town's PAYT Committee