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Select Board pauses C&D at transfer station after review finds quarterly losses
Summary
The Select Board voted June 11 to impose a three-month moratorium on accepting construction-and-demolition (C&D) debris starting July 1 and to adopt proposed price increases for bulky items while excluding C&D, after hearing that municipal solid-waste accounting is unclear and the transfer station has been operating at a substantial annual loss.
The Select Board voted June 11 to impose a three-month moratorium on accepting construction-and-demolition (C&D) material at the town transfer station starting July 1 and approved proposed price increases for bulky items while excluding C&D pending further analysis.
The action followed a lengthy presentation by Tom, who manages transfer-station operations, and an extended board discussion about inconsistent accounting and mixed classification of waste. Tom said the station’s first-quarter municipal solid-waste (MSW) figures show 15.48 and 14.51 tons on two reporting dates and that the MSW net income for that quarter was $10,712. “For the first quarter, we had a net income of $10,712,” Tom said while explaining how mattress surcharges, hauling charges and container assignment affect reported revenue.
Board members pressed for clearer monthly reporting and for steps to prevent MSW revenue from being offset by C&D costs. Members described a structural shortfall: the board estimated the transfer station has run at a loss of roughly $100,000–$125,000 per year and suggested options including dedicated dumpsters for mattresses and oversized furniture, raising per-item fees (board members proposed increases to mattress/sofa fees), and installing or obtaining scales so the town can charge by weight rather than by yard.
After debate about whether proposed fee increases had previously been formalized, the board voted to implement the new bulky-item fees but to exclude C&D material while staff reconciles how mattress and bulky-item revenue is being applied. The board then approved a three-month moratorium on accepting C&D beginning July 1 to give staff time to complete accounting adjustments and present options on fee structure, scales and hauling frequency.
Next steps: staff will return with reconciled monthly reports and proposed rate/weighting changes; the moratorium is conditional on the staff report and may be revisited before the three months expire.
