Residents press select board over transfer station costs; board to isolate construction debris for one quarter

A resident urged the Bennington Select Board on June 25 to consider who would pay if the town reduces service at the municipal transfer station, saying private hauling could cost roughly $50 per month per household and warning that shifting costs from taxes to user fees would hit lower‑income residents hardest.

"A reasonable estimate I'm told is $50 a month ... So $600 a year," the resident said during public comment, asking whether residents would save enough in taxes to justify losing town-provided service. He said the town’s beauty and quality of life depend on managing trash collection and that eliminating the town service could increase illegal dumping.

Board members discussed practical next steps rather than immediate policy change. Several members said the town has not yet collected the detailed data needed to decide whether to change service. The board agreed to compare recent Cassella billing, compactor performance and operator reports and to exclude construction debris from transfer-station accounting for one quarter (April–June) to isolate household waste costs and better understand the station’s financial picture before proposing fee or service changes.

Select board members emphasized that the goal is to make the transfer station a more viable business operation, not to close it. The board asked staff to return with a written comparison of hauling invoices and compactor data at an upcoming meeting so residents can see the numbers before any policy change.

No formal policy change or vote to close the transfer station was taken at the meeting; the board framed the quarter-long accounting step as a data-gathering measure prior to any decision.