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Nottingham board debates higher disposal fees as recycling center fails to cover costs
Summary
At a June 22 work session the Select Board discussed raising transfer-station fees — including tiered mattress charges, higher tire and trailer fees, and modest increases for appliances — to better reflect disposal and hauling costs; a public hearing will be scheduled before formal action.
The Nottingham Select Board spent the bulk of a June 22 work session reviewing proposed increases to fees at the town recycling/transfer station, citing rising transportation and disposal costs and inconsistent public pricing information.
"The recycling center does not pay for itself," the board chair said as members opened the discussion. The board and residents compared Nottingham's current flat-load charges with neighboring towns that bill by weight, and repeatedly singled out mattresses as a major cost driver: while Nottingham's posted fees are $10–$15, board members and residents cited disposal costs in the $50–$55 range. Resident Bob Wilson, who identified himself by name and address during public comment, said contractors were using Nottingham's low flat fees and leaving residents to subsidize commercial disposal: "…somebody's making money on it off the town's dime," he said.
After reviewing price lists from Barrington, Raymond and Epping, members proposed a set of adjustments to reduce the town's net loss while trying to avoid creating incentives for illegal dumping. The board discussed raising passenger-tire fees to $10, using a higher tier for commercial truck tires, keeping electronics at $15, and moving appliances to about $15 where towns currently charge nothing or modest fees. For mattresses, the board favored a size-based tier rather than a single flat fee: suggested ranges included keeping crib/twin at $15 and moving full/queen/king to roughly $30.
A lengthy debate addressed truck/trailer and dumpster charges. Options ranged from modest flat increases for small trailer loads (proposals around $30–$40 for <8-foot trailers) to substantially higher flat fees for large dumpsters (members floated numbers up to $100 for heavy loads), and alternatives tied to weight if a scale were installed. Board members repeatedly balanced fairness to homeowners against preventing commercial actors from exploiting lower town rates.
Board members asked staff to clean up the public materials and noted that any change would require a public hearing before becoming effective. The chair also urged people paying in cash at the center to accept and retain receipts so the town can track revenue accurately.
Next steps: staff will present an updated, single authoritative fee schedule and the Select Board will set a public hearing before any fee ordinance is adopted.
