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Mount Desert staff recommends removing unsupervised dumpsters at town garage; board weighs gate, cameras and outreach
Summary
Town staff urged removal of public dumpsters at the town garage after a municipal risk assessment found unsupervised containers pose a liability; staff recommended gating the campus, restricting access to municipal vehicles and adding cameras and enforcement, prompting questions about alternative drop-off locations and public messaging.
Town staff briefed the Select Board on a municipal risk assessment that flagged unsupervised refuse containers at the town garage as a liability and recommended removing those dumpsters and gating the facility outside staffed hours.
The staff presenter, who identified himself only as Brian, told the board: “The direction I would prefer to move in is to not have those dumpsters there at all, and to have that facility be gated and locked outside of hours and that the access to it is just simply for municipal vehicles only so that there'd be a key code access and an automatic in exit.” He said gating would require electrical work, a camera system and new enforcement capacity and that the town would need to communicate changes well in advance.
Board members expressed concern about where residents would take returnables and recyclables if dumpsters were removed. One board member suggested investigating whether the school or marina could host recycling or returnable collection; Brian said he would explore options and noted the town has previously tried extended pickup and twice-weekly trash service during busy seasons. Members also raised the risk of “unintended consequences,” including people leaving bulky items outside gates or increased use of other municipal dumpsters and marinas.
Several members emphasized the need for thorough public messaging to reduce backlash. The board discussed timing and suggested phased changes, possibly aligning a removal with seasonal shutdowns to give residents notice. The board did not adopt a formal motion at the meeting; members indicated staff will continue to study options and return with implementation details and communications plans.
Next steps: staff will develop a timetable, review potential alternate drop-off locations (including school and marina options) and return to the board with a proposed enforcement and communications plan before taking final action.
