Board weighs options after complaints about town-garage dumpsters, calls site “a dumping ground”

The Select Board discussed mounting resident complaints about dumpsters at the town garage and potential changes to access and enforcement. A board member said residents on narrow private ways “rely on those dumpsters” because trucks cannot get down their lanes, and urged more discussion before any closure. “I think it needs more discussion,” the board member said.

Board members and staff described several alternatives for households that cannot be serviced directly: placing shared wooden bins at the end of private roads, encouraging use of a private dumpster for clusters of homes, and directing residents to drop-off at nearby EMR during business hours. One board member urged individualized outreach: “If anyone has someone that comes up to them that wants to discuss their particular circumstances, by all means, send them my way.”

The group also raised enforcement and monitoring as a necessary complement to any access change. A board member said the town has cameras at the garage and is exploring upgrading them to improve enforcement and license-plate reads; the same member cautioned that enforcement requires staffing. Another board member characterized the site bluntly: “It’s a dumping ground,” and recommended solutions that both help residents who lack curb access and deter nonresident misuse.

Next steps described during the meeting included additional public communication, targeted outreach to affected residents on private ways, and follow-up work on camera upgrades and enforcement procedures. The board did not adopt a final policy during this session.