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Select board debates transfer‑station staffing, recycling options and equipment needs
Summary
Board members discussed creating a transfer‑station manager position, vendor options for recycling (deliveries of ~30 tons last year), trucking and dumpster fees, and whether to invest in a compactor or three‑phase power; members agreed to gather more data and to meet with Bethlehem on possible regional collaboration.
Board members spent substantial time discussing transfer‑station operations, possible staffing changes and vendor options for recycling and disposal.
S2 opened discussion by asking for updates; S5 (identified in the meeting as Kyle) reported the town sent just under 30 tons of recyclables to Littleton last year and said Lisbon would not accept mixed paper and would charge roughly $0.25 per pound on material they do accept. Board members discussed per‑ton pricing quoted elsewhere (prices referenced in the meeting ranged from about $32 per ton to higher amounts, depending on the vendor and whether recyclables were accepted for resale) and described trucking and dumpster fees (a trucking quote of about $485 per load and a $150 monthly dumpster fee were cited).
On staffing, the board debated whether creating a new transfer‑station manager position should be done in public session (a structural change) while individual personnel appointments are typically nonpublic. The chair said the creation of a position should be made publicly and the board prepared a position description; the final offer letter had not been completed at the meeting. One board member said they would vote nay to delay and asked for a broader plan before appointing staff.
Members also discussed equipment options such as compactors and forklifts, questioned whether three‑phase power would be necessary for a compactor, and asked staff to investigate used equipment availability and the cost of bringing three‑phase power to the site. S6 offered to contact a local source about used compactors and to ask about power requirements.
The board agreed to pursue further information, including a planned meeting with Bethlehem (invited by Bethlehem Select Board Chair Nancy Strand) to explore regional transfer‑station collaboration once Bethlehem’s facility is operational. The board said they will collect additional cost and capacity data and revisit any equipment and staffing decisions in the coming months.
What to watch: the board asked staff to collect more precise tonnage and cost figures, to check compactor power requirements, and to return with a recommendation and cost estimates before approving capital expenditures.
