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Council hears concerns about transfer station losses, tax-acquired properties and potential sales
Summary
Public commenters questioned expansion of highway operations and suggested alternatives for roll-off hauling; council members and staff discussed a multi-million-dollar operating loss at the transfer station, inventorying tax-acquired city properties and returning parcels to the tax rolls.
A resident raised concerns about proposed purchases for the highway department and asked whether contracting local businesses might be less expensive than buying heavy equipment. Councilors and staff responded that equipment purchases require expertise and labor to operate and that any decision must weigh operating costs and staffing.
Public comment and council discussion turned to the city’s transfer station and solid-waste operations. A council member said the transfer station has been running at a substantial net loss; a figure of about $3.4 million in net negative impact to the city’s finances was cited during the discussion. Councilors discussed previous arrangements with private vendors, referenced Casella as a contractor used for disposal services and said the city has not accepted demolition debris at the transfer station in recent years. Council members noted options under review by the solid-waste committee include adjusting contracts, seeking better pricing and exploring business-model alternatives rather than the city directly running expanded hauling operations.
Councilors also discussed city-owned, tax-acquired properties. Staff said an employee has a work plan and timeline to inventory the city’s parcels, clarify which are tax-acquired, identify any properties that may need to be returned to former owners under state law, and recommend parcels that could be sold to return them to productive private ownership and back on the tax rolls. Council members said selling unused city land could reduce maintenance costs and restore taxable property to private ownership.
No formal decisions were taken; council members requested additional follow-up information, including a property inventory, pricing and operating options for solid-waste services, and any specifics related to suspected past irregularities at the transfer station for investigation if substantiated.
