Trash Collection Costs To Increase

Board of Health Agent Dale Barrows told the Mattapoisett Finance Committee on February 25 that rubbish collection costs in subsequent years are expected to drastically increase.

“The downside of the whole project is that [prices] will go up,” said Barrows. He explained, saying that the SEMASS agreement was up for negotiation as it nears the end of its 28-year contract. He said when the contract was first written, pricing was set to attract customers. The original contract, Barrows said, was for $22 per ton; prices are now anticipated to soar to $65 per ton.

Barrows said ultimately the solution is for more waste to go into the recycle barrels versus the solid waste barrels.

If that happened, the Town could then hold down solid waste expenses. However, costs overall would continue to increase.

“The downside of the whole project is that it will go up,” he said, adding that tonnage of solid waste is supposed to go down as people get into the habit of recycling more materials. He quoted SEMASS pricing as soaring upwards of $85 to $90 per ton. While the coming year won’t be affected, said Barrows, subsequent years will.

Town Administrator Michael Gagne said that Zero Waste located in Rochester, a sister company to ABC Disposal, was competing with SEMASS for customers. He also said the Town is looking at other companies for a cost-effective solution to both solid waste and recyclable materials.

Barrows concluded his budgetary presentations for recycling and solid waste removal by saying, “It’s your tax dollars you are going to have to put to this…. [You’ll see] in 2017 $120,000 more than what you pay today.”

Barrows’ budgets for fiscal year 2016 are: $148,213, up from $143,896 in FY15; rubbish collection $248,337, up from $241,103 in FY15; town disposal (SEMASS et al) $123,827, up from $68,000 last year; transfer station $5,000 (flat year over year); Board of Health $121,657, an increase from $119,203 in FY15.

Also on the agenda that night were the library and the Water and Sewer Department.

Making her case for an increased budget was Library Director Susan Pizzolato, accompanied by members of the Library Trustee Committee.

She shared achievements over the past fiscal year, touting the library’s certification and the commitment of the staff members.

“It is important for us to stay certified,” said Pizzolato, referring to the ability to draw materials from other libraries in the state’s systems.

Pizzolato also commented on the success of opening the library to the public on Sundays saying, “We have between 85 and 100 people visiting the library on Sundays.”

But that success was not without its downside, she noted. Staffing was an issue, asserting staff hours as a priority as the committee reviewed her FY16 budget requests.

Pizzolato asked the committee to consider a new part-time professional staff member for 19.5 hours per week, given the demand for expert technology assistance by the community and coverage during the Sunday openings.

She said the new position would require that the staffer be certified in computer technology to meet the public demand for that level of expertise. Pizzolato is asking for $20,436 to fund the new position, along with an increase in staff hours for existing employees totaling $14,500.

The library’s overall budget for FY16 is $425,796, up from $358,966 in FY15.

Nick Nicolson, superintendent of the Mattapoisett Water and Sewer Department, was last up to meet with the committee.

The most significant difference between the FY15 and FY16 budgets appears on the sewer spreadsheets. Nicholson said a decrease in assessment fees from Fairhaven was $75,915.

Nicholson’s narrative on the budgets he presented reflects an overall increase of $27,405 for the Sewer Department and $41,974 for the Water Department. Salary increases, retirement sick time buy-out, utilities, equipment repairs and legal fees all add into those increased budget requests.

The Mattapoisett Finance Committee will meet again on March 11 at 6:00 pm in the Town Hall conference room.

By Marilou Newell

 

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