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Select Board authorizes up to $5,000 for special counsel to join regional trash-disposal talks
Summary
RDF Superintendent Jamie Manzolini told the Select Board June 8 that joining the Central Massachusetts Municipal Solid Waste Consortium negotiations requires participation to be eligible for the resulting contract; the Board voted 5-0 to authorize up to $5,000 for legal services and to appoint consortium special counsel.
WELLESLEY — The Select Board voted unanimously June 8 to authorize expenditure of up to $5,000 for legal services so the Town can participate in the Central Massachusetts Municipal Solid Waste Consortium’s fact-finding and negotiation process for a future trash-disposal contract, RDF Superintendent Jamie Manzolini said.
Manzolini told the Board the Consortium includes approximately 30 to 35 municipalities and that its existing long-term contract is nearing expiration; he said participating in the group negotiation is expected to yield better pricing than negotiating independently because of the combined tonnage leverage. He also clarified that municipalities must participate in the negotiations to be eligible to join any resulting consortium contract later, rather than being allowed to opt in after the fact.
The requested authorization would allow the Board of Public Works to participate in the Consortium’s information-gathering process and to appoint consortium special counsel; legal costs would be shared among member towns on a proportional-tonnage basis and Wellesley’s share was expected to be below the $5,000 cap. The Town’s current trash disposal contract expires at the end of FY27.
The motion to authorize the expenditure was made by Colette Aufranc, seconded by Thomas Ulfelder, and passed 5-0.
Next steps: The Town will proceed with joining the Consortium’s information-gathering process and sharing in legal costs if those are incurred; any future contract would require additional review and approval by the Board of Public Works and possibly other bodies.
