Allenstown staff propose keeping transfer station open for core items as town weighs curbside cuts

Town staff told the selectboard that continuing a pared-down transfer-station operation would preserve the town’s permit and reduce the risk of illegal dumping as curbside pickup phases out.

Staff described a prioritized list of items the transfer station can keep accepting with modest charges: leaves, brush and routine recycling; mercury-containing devices and certain electronics (lithium batteries, TVs), and monthly collection for bulky items such as mattresses and furniture. Staff said container rental and hauling costs (the town’s bulky-waste container runs roughly $100 per week) can be offset by a revised fee schedule and would probably keep total incremental costs for the remainder of the year in the low five figures. Continuing these services, staff said, would avoid permit loss and the potentially much higher costs of EPA-mandated remediation if the landfill permit were forfeited.

The board discussed options including a pay-to-throw bag program, retaining some Cassella containers for bulky waste, or a minimal-service model that maintains the town’s permit. Several members stressed the trade-offs: keeping certain services reduces immediate community impact but still adds line-item costs to the town budget; closing the transfer station entirely could create environmental and enforcement costs.

The board asked staff to prepare a revised fee schedule and a short cost/revenue projection so they can evaluate whether limited continued operations are affordable under the default budget. No formal reversal of the curbside decision was made; staff will return with concrete numbers on recommended fees, anticipated revenue and the estimated net cost to the town.