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Selectmen back request to ask MIRA for permission to opt out of municipal service agreement
Summary
After discussing projected tipping-fee increases, the board voted 5–1 to direct staff to ask the Mirror Dissolution Authority whether Winchester may withdraw from its municipal service agreement so private haulers can seek lower disposal rates.
The Winchester Board of Selectmen voted 5–1 at its Feb. 18 meeting to direct the second selectman to draft a letter asking the Mirror Dissolution Authority (MIRA) to allow the town to opt out of its municipal service agreement (MSA) for solid‑waste disposal.
Board members discussed MIRA’s projected tipping fee for the coming fiscal year, which the meeting recorded as likely to be at least $1.36 per ton. Selectmen said a private 10‑year contract being discussed with local haulers could offer a per‑ton rate around $1.28, and that allowing private haulers to use other transfer stations could lower costs for residents who pay for curbside pickup. The manager and selectmen also cited precedent in which MIRA has, in the past, permitted municipalities to opt out under certain conditions, though they emphasized MIRA is not required to grant any opt‑out request.
A board member estimated a roughly $40,000 annual savings across the three towns served by RRDD No. 1 if the town’s private‑hauler tonnage were unlocked from the MSA and shifted to a lower per‑ton contract. Selectmen also discussed the MSA timeline and noted state‑level changes: the transcript records that the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) is set to become successor to the dissolution authority on July 1, 2025, and members said that change affects the governance and future of the regional arrangement.
The motion directs the second selectman to draft and send a formal request to MIRA asking whether Winchester may be allowed to opt out of the MSA. The board approved the motion after a motion and second, and the vote was recorded in the transcript as 5–1. Selectmen noted there is no guarantee MIRA will grant the request and that additional analysis of fees, contracts and risk is required.
Ending Town staff were directed to prepare the opt‑out letter and report back; selectmen said they want an analysis of the town’s current subsidy per resident permit and the potential savings if private‑hauler contracts can access lower disposal rates.
