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Local hauler warns pay-per-throw bag pricing and weight could harm small businesses
Summary
A resident and local hauler told the council the town should carefully set bag weight and per-bag fees for a proposed pay-per-throw system, warning high fees or heavy bag limits would encourage cheating and could hurt small local haulers.
During audience participation at the end of the meeting, a lifelong local hauler, identifying himself as Mr. Plummer, asked the council detailed technical questions about a proposed pay-per-throw system, raising concerns about bag size, weight limits and per-bag pricing. He warned that heavy allowed weights paired with inexpensive per-bag prices encourage cheating and that overly high per-bag charges could impose financial hardship on residents and local haulers.
Plummer described previous experience in two other towns with pay-per-throw systems and said bag weight and material quality are important. He suggested a typical bag weight (average 16.7 pounds) and cautioned that a fee exceeding the landfill tonnage cost plus bag cost would be unfair. “At $88.12 a ton that we're paying right now, that comes to $4.4 a pound,” Plummer said, urging the council to consider realistic tonnage, bag construction and enforcement before finalizing any per-bag fee.
Councilors said they expect staff to provide more detailed modeling next Tuesday on bag sizes, weights and pricing; the discussion will inform the budget and potential service arrangements with local haulers.
