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Public works budget seeks wage increases, preventive maintenance and higher solid‑waste disposal funding
Summary
Public works leaders urged higher pay bands to recruit experienced operators, recommended more preventive maintenance for an aging fleet rather than immediate truck purchases, and flagged rising solid‑waste disposal fees that pushed the transfer station budget up substantially.
Public works and transfer‑station officials described staffing pressures, an aging fleet and sharply rising disposal costs at the town budget workshop.
Preston, the public works foreman, and interim director Cam said the town faces chronic recruitment difficulty for skilled operators; they proposed adjusting wages (in some categories to roughly $22–$25/hour for CDL‑capable drivers) to make the jobs more competitive with private construction work. Cam said the increase aims both to retain current staff and to recruit for one vacant position.
Fleet management: Cam and Preston asked the Select Board to prioritize preventive maintenance for existing vehicles and noted that in the prior year the town spent $46,000 to replace one truck body. Staff said they prefer to invest in preventive maintenance now and delay outright replacement to next year if possible; they also said a backup vehicle exists in the yard that could be refurbished.
Solid waste and transfer station: the transfer station budget rose principally because disposal fees increased. Staff provided actuals: roughly 1,070 tons of mainstream waste billed at $47/ton and 427.5 tons of bulky waste billed at $175/ton in the current accounting. Cam said mattress disposal surcharges and rising per‑ton bulky waste fees drove the line upward and that hauling company consolidation may push transport costs higher in the near future.
Security and operations: staff reported break‑ins and damage at the transfer station and proposed security cameras and off‑site storage for footage; that work drove a jump in phone/Internet/security costs for the transfer station to allow remote access and timely law‑enforcement support.
Why it matters: public works and solid‑waste funding affect daily services — road maintenance, plowing, transfer‑station operation — and a combination of higher disposal fees and workforce shortages could force service changes, fee proposals or both.
Discussion highlights - Wages: public works proposed targeted wage increases to recruit a CDL operator and retain staff.
