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Public works continues weight‑tracking of brush and yard waste; no resident fee planned
Summary
DPW told the Public Works Committee it has been tracking weights and sources of brush and yard‑waste loads since November to build a year‑long dataset; the committee said it currently does not favor charging residents and asked staff to continue data collection and pursue operational options with Casella and the neighboring town.
City public works staff told the Public Works Committee they have been recording gross/tare weights and locations for brush, yard waste and Christmas tree pick‑ups since November, using scale data at Casella and logs maintained by street crews.
Staff said the current tracking logs include gross weight, tare weight and a recorded reason for each load (resident pickup, city tree removal, storm debris). The DPW plans to continue recording data through a full year (April–October focus for heavy season) to build a fuller dataset on seasonal volumes and vehicle counts. Staff said the program will break down data by ward and by material origin where practical so the committee can evaluate collection frequency and whether the city should modify pickup schedules.
Committee members said there is not appetite to begin charging residents for brush/yard waste pickup; discussion focused on efficiency and possible limited fee arrangements for commercial drop‑off or partnering with Casella or the neighboring town to consolidate drop‑off sites. Staff described a possible operational approach in which Casella would host a monitored roll‑off container on its fenced property (including Saturday hours), DPW crews would pick up and weigh material periodically, and the city would control who uses the container to limit contractor dumping from outside the city.
Members discussed signage, controlled access (key issuance and sign‑in procedures) and the practical issues of weekend contractor dumping; staff said requiring keys and sign‑in was intended to prevent outside commercial material entering the city’s compost/grind program. Staff also said the city has been grinding material at a cost of about $20,000 per year and that accurate tracking will help separate resident materials from others. The committee requested continued data collection and for staff to return with one full year of data and potential operational options for a possible partnership/fee model.
