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Staff to study townwide rate-payer composting options after town-meeting request
Summary
Deputy Town Manager Megan Zmuda outlined a scope to evaluate three composting models — town-administered, preferred-vendor partnership, and enhanced municipal promotion — across administrative, operational, financial, accessibility and implementation criteria, with a report targeted by end of October.
Deputy Town Manager Megan Zmuda presented a written scope to evaluate the feasibility of a townwide rate-payer composting program requested by voters at the 2026 town meeting. Staff will analyze three approaches: (1) a town-administered rate-payer program, (2) a preferred-vendor partnership modeled on Bedford's approach, and (3) a municipal promotion strategy to boost participation in existing options.
"We are looking at 3 approaches," Megan said, noting staff will examine administrative feasibility, operational requirements, financial impacts, resident accessibility and participation, and implementation considerations. The project team will draw on student research from the Sunrise Movement/Concord-Carlisle High School and peer-municipal benchmarking; staff aims to deliver a recommendation to the Select Board by the end of October. Board members pressed for stakeholder engagement during the study and suggested inviting Sunrise students, the Climate Action Committee, FinCom, and other stakeholders to provide input during the analysis.
Next steps: staff will refine the scope, consider adding student or stakeholder "arms and legs" during the summer where possible, and return status updates to the board during the study period.
