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Manchester-by-the-Sea moves quickly to new trash contractor, plans automated collection by September
Summary
After contract negotiations and neighboring towns’ conversions, town staff told the Select Board that Casella will take over curbside service and that Manchester must shift to automated collection by September; the change raises questions on barrel sizes, fee structure, and how to replace orange-bag revenue (about $300,000).
The Select Board was told July 6 that Manchester-by-the-Sea is negotiating a rapid transition of curbside waste collection from Republic to Casella and must convert to automated collection by September.
Town staff said long-running contract negotiations with Republic stalled after Republic rejected the town’s proposed protections; neighboring communities’ switch to Casella and Casella’s interest in the region led the town to pursue the same terms. Staff described contract features Casella has offered to nearby towns—language removing labor strikes from force majeure, assignment of legal title to the hauler, and liquidated-damage and insurance protections the town lacked under the Republic contract.
The change will require quick decisions about operational details, staff said: whether to provide 35-, 65- or 96-gallon carts, whether recycling remains covered without an extra fee, how to manage existing orange bags (used for overflow and transfer-station access), and how to collect and communicate a final schedule to residents. Casella has signaled it could begin service within weeks of finalizing terms, but staff said the schedule and collection frequency (weekly vs. alternating recycling) remain to be confirmed.
Select Board members stressed the need for a clear, centralized communications plan, and weekly updates until a stable schedule is confirmed. Staff committed to publish FAQs, hold public forums and produce a town-minute video and article explaining the decision and what residents should expect in the near term.
On the budget side, staff flagged a material revenue and cost shift: the town historically collected roughly $300,000 annually from orange bag sales; combined trash hauling and disposal totals had been on the order of $800,000. Moving to automated carts will change how the town funds service and may require options such as a barrel-fee added to utility bills, a tax-based approach, or tiered barrel pricing. Staff said the town can absorb some costs in the coming fiscal year but expressed concern about multi-year impacts and asked the board to explore funding options and public input promptly.
Next steps: staff will finalize contract language with Casella, publish a communication plan and timetable, and schedule public meetings to determine cart sizes, pricing options, and transfer-station use of orange bags. The Select Board agreed this will be a standing agenda item until the transition is complete.
