The Town of Brookhaven agreed to expand the Brookhaven Refuse & Recycling District to include the Strathmore Court subdivision in Coram and adopted a change in how the district’s contracted services are financed, moving from a benefit assessment model to a per‑user fee.

Commissioner Christine Fenton and town staff explained the petition to extend district service was filed by owners representing more than 54% of the assessed value in the Strathmore Court development. The development comprises roughly 440 occupied single‑family houses on public roads maintained by the town. Fenton said residents currently pay for private curbside pickup and that inclusion in the district will generally reduce per‑household costs for those households.

The board also considered a local‑law‑level change that allows town officials to finance contracted refuse collection through an explicit user fee rather than a benefit assessment on the tax roll. Town counsel noted the state Town Law provision authorizing Town of Brookhaven to make that funding method change and advised that tax‑exempt properties that use collection services will be billed directly under the user fee model; the town mailed notices to several hundred tax‑exempt property owners about the change.

Finance and sanitation staff said their modeling indicates the 2026 contracted cost for standard single‑family service would not exceed the current flat rate (the 2025 flat rate was reported at $401), although figures are estimates and subject to final contract negotiations. The board adopted the two items after public hearing: one approving the Strathmore Court extension and one amending the district financing method from a benefit assessment to a user fee collection.

Commissioner Fenton said the town would continue to engage tax‑exempt entities to confirm their current collection arrangements and to bill appropriately if they opt into district collection. The board’s actions mean Strathmore Court households will be eligible for town refuse and recycling collection under the district’s contracted services and that future billing will be by user fee rather than exclusively via a assessed benefit.