Brentwood Select Board delays switch to automated curbside pickup, will put issue to town vote

The Brentwood Select Board voted July 15, 2025, to keep the town’s existing manual curbside trash collection in place until after town meeting and to present a warrant article asking residents whether to adopt an automated curbside program and an ordinance.

The motion, approved by voice vote, follows weeks of public discussion and a staff-drafted draft policy that proposes 95-gallon carts for both trash and recycling, optional additional 65-gallon subscription carts at $225 per year, and a bulky-waste schedule to be set later. The board’s action puts the ultimate decision in voters’ hands at town meeting and delays an anticipated September start for automated pickup.

Why it matters: The decision affects roughly 1,700 households, municipal tipping exposure and near-term budget decisions. Select Board members, town staff and a Casella representative discussed cart sizes and rental terms, swap fees for cart exchanges, pickup logistics, the cost exposure from tipping fees and timelines for ordering and delivery. Residents raised cost and disposal concerns and asked how the town would handle disposal of existing personal carts and bulky items.

Casella’s representative, identified in the meeting as Mr. Belanger, explained that carts would be provided as a rental subscription tied to the contract year and clarified pricing and operational points. “We don't sell carts. We rent them,” Mr. Belanger said, and described the extra-cart subscription as an annual rental that “usually runs with the contract start end date.” He confirmed the company would supply both 95- and 65-gallon carts but said Casella’s model and pricing assume the town chooses a single standard set to simplify delivery and billing.

Board members and residents focused on three practical issues: (1) household cost and how tipping fees factor into per-household expense; (2) logistics for transitioning and disposing of the town’s existing privately owned carts; and (3) program timing and enforceability. A resident who identified their street as Eleanor's Way asked about per-household impacts and noted that “one trip to Raymond is gonna cost me more than $24,” underscoring concern about whether advertised per-household figures account for atypical disposal events and tipping fees.

Town counsel’s advice and ordinance process were central to timing. Town staff reported counsel had advised that an ordinance creating an enforceable automated collection requirement must be adopted at a town meeting; a policy alone would not have the same enforceability. Select Board members therefore directed staff to place the question on the March town meeting warrant so voters can decide whether the town should adopt an automated curbside program and the ordinance language.

Casella and staff outlined operational timing: once the town provides a final delivery list (addresses, multiunit clarifications and any exceptions), the vendor estimated roughly an eight-week window from order to delivery under current market conditions. Mr. Belanger also described swap and exchange fees for cart size changes after delivery (an example figure mentioned in discussion was a $75 swap fee, to be set by the town) and confirmed that repairs and lid/wheel replacements during normal operations would be handled by the contractor at no additional charge to residents.

Public-commenters proposed complementary measures: a dedicated cardboard dumpster at the town garage for oversized cardboard (Casella described a flat pickup fee model, not a revenue source), targeted hardship criteria and communication plans showing actual carts in town offices or the library so residents can see sizes before ordering.

Next steps: The Select Board will prepare warrant language and a proposed ordinance for the March town meeting and continue public outreach (display carts, flyers and delivery-list collection). If voters approve an automated program and ordinance, Casella estimates about eight weeks from a final delivery authorization to cart delivery.