Selectmen delay decision on recycling, trash fees
Published on July 16th, 2008
STONEHAM, MA - The town's Board of Selectmen again stalled an anticipated vote last week on a recycling sticker fee in order to clarify several policies regarding out-of-town residents and the disposal of white goods.
During last Tuesday's regular meeting, Town Administrator David Ragucci forwarded a recommendation from Public Works Director Robert Grover that a $30 charge be implemented this year to offset the recycling yard's expenses.
Grover further urged the Selectmen to impose a $100 rubbish fee in FY'09, a recommendation that Ragucci reportedly opposes, based on comments made by the Town Administrator in recent weeks.
The town administrator does support the implementation of a fee for the recycling stickers.
"It costs the town approximately $70,000 to operate the recycling center on Stevens Street," Ragucci explained. "$30 per sticker would generate $60,000, and it would cover the vast majority or bulk of running Stevens Street."
Towards the very end of the discussions, veteran Selectman Robert Sweeney broached the topic of the trash fee, which the board informally agreed would not be voted on at this time.
If a $100 refuse charge was imposed, it would be lowest such fee assessed since the Selectmen first instituted the garbage expenses in 2005 to offset a budget deficit. The rubbish fee was set last year at $170 per household.
Last February, the Selectmen voted 4 to 1 (with former Selectman George Seibold opposed) to abandon the trash fee in FY'09, unless Stoneham's municipal unions agree to join the state's Group Insurance Commission (GIC).
According to Ragucci, preliminary negotiations on the possible health insurance benefit shift are ongoing.
Sweeney, who originally supported last February's stance, has since reversed positions on the trash fee, arguing that pivotal municipal services are at stake.
"For another $60 [to $70], we could generate $550,000 and get a whole bunch of programs back online," said Sweeney of Grover's proposed $100 fee.
Although the Selectmen don't appear to have a consensus on another trash fee, most board members appeared resigned to the reality of a recycling sticker charge.
However, various board members did take varying stances on policies that prohibit property owners, who live out-of-town, from obtaining permission to dispose of yard waste at the Stevens Street site.
According to Ragucci, based upon the town's current policy, residents must have their vehicles registered within Stoneham in order to obtain a sticker - meaning that residential tenants could use the Stevens' Street yard.
The Town Administrator did believe that to be unfair in some circumstances, especially in instances where people actually lived within Stoneham, but not on a year-long basis.
"If they go to Florida for the winter and come to Stoneham for the summer, we can't give them a sticker," said the town administrator of one potentially unfair aspect of the policy.
"It does put some safeguards on the potential for abusing the recycling sticker. We do not want, nor can we afford to have other people using our recycling yard."
"[However], here, they're strictly paying for the recycling privilege, and I'd like to think there wouldn't be any abuse of it," Ragucci furthered.
Selectman Richard Gregorio later agreed that the practice was unfair, but insisted that making exceptions would lead to abuse of the privilege.
According to Gregorio, if out-of-town landlords or even seasonal residents were permitted to obtain a placard, there would be no way to ensure that the sticker wasn't used to dispose of waste from other properties.
"I'm more cynical than Dave. I do think people would abuse that in Stoneham. What's to stop me from giving my placard to a friend who lives in Woburn?" asked the rookie Selectman.
Selectman Frank Vallarelli later challenged another recycling yard policy that requires residents to obtain a sticker - even if they aren't disposing of yard waste - in order to get rid of a white good, such as a refrigerator or other appliance.
According to Vallarelli, that policy appeared unfair, as the town charged an extra $20 to dispose of white goods as is.
If a resident had no need to dispose of yard waste, the Selectman asked, why should he or she be forced to acquire a recycling sticker in order to gain the privilege to throw away a refrigerator at an additional expense?
"If they go to the DPW for a permit to dispose of a [white good], they should be able to do that," Vallarelli said.
Gregorio later questioned whether the $20 white good disposal fee covered the whole cost of getting rid of such items, as the town was responsible for removing remaining frion from air conditioning and refrigerator units.
Sweeney later suggested that the town approach an area scrap metal yard proprietor, who may be more than happy to dispose of white goods free-of-charge.
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