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Transfer Station working group recommends raising Attendant 1 pay to $26.05 and forwards budget inputs
Summary
At its March 20 meeting the Transfer Station Working Group voted to recommend raising the Attendant 1 pay rate from the proposed $24.14 to $26.05 for FY27, agreed to propose $2,500 in contingency funding for FY27, and recommended a one-year hauling contract linked to a diesel fuel index.
The Transfer Station Working Group on March 20 recommended increasing the Attendant 1 hourly rate to $26.05 and finalized budget inputs to send to the Select Board and Finance Committee.
The recommendation followed a salary comparison presented by Mari Enoch and discussion led by Marc Trachtenberg, who said New Marlborough’s current attendant wages trail some neighboring municipalities and that matching Egremont’s $26.05 rate would increase the town’s budget by roughly $5,000 annually. “The attendant position is becoming more complex and will require increased technical, operational, and customer-facing capabilities,” Marc, Freddy Friedman and Gardiner Morse said during the discussion.
The group voted to recommend the $26.05 rate in the FY27 budget; the motion passed with Tara White and Chuck Loring opposed. The working group noted that the final hourly rate decision rests with the Select Board and Finance Committee and that the group’s role is to reflect operational needs and make a recommendation.
Members also discussed hauling costs and contract length ahead of an RFP scheduled to go out March 23. Given volatility in fuel prices, the group generally agreed a one-year hauling contract would be advisable and that any contract should include a requirement tying hauling costs to a diesel fuel index so costs can adjust if fuel prices fall.
On contingency funding, members reviewed FY26 contingency use and agreed to propose $2,500 for FY27, to be used more flexibly to address operational needs such as short-duration ad hoc labor and unplanned site maintenance. The group emphasized clearer distinction going forward between maintenance and labor budget categories.
Votes at a glance: 1) Approval of prior meeting minutes as amended — motion passed (details of mover/second and roll-call not specified in the minutes). 2) Recommendation to set Attendant 1 pay at $26.05 in the FY27 budget — motion passed; recorded opposition from Tara White and Chuck Loring.
Next steps: Gardiner Morse will draft updated attendant job descriptions; the working group will finalize budget inputs and forward the recommendation and contingency proposal to the Select Board and Finance Committee for final action.
