Danvers 'Trash Fee' Up For Debate At Upcoming Budget Meeting

DANVERS, MA — As Danvers homeowners welcome the arrival of new trash and recycling bins, courtesy of the town and a recently secured $110,000 grant, this week, the looming possibility of a new "trash fee" awaits pending budget discussions for the next fiscal year.

Town Administrator Steve Bartha told the Select Board on Tuesday that information about the proposed "trash fee" would be presented at the upcoming Oct. 12 budget conference committee meeting after what Bartha called a "good discussion" on the potential for a trash fee at the last meeting in August.

"There was guidance from the body to gather more information," Bartha said. "So we do anticipate at this point that the primary focus for the third meeting of the budget conference committee on Oct. 12 will be to provide answers to a lot of the questions that were raised in terms of communities across the Commonwealth providing curbside service, which communities are utilizing trash fees to offset part of the cost of that service, what those fees are, put that into Danvers context, so that the board can continue that discussion with an eye ahead to the FY25 budget process."

The meeting is planned for a 6 p.m. start time at a site to be determined.

"We certainly encourage the public to come," Bartha said.

The consideration of a new trash fee comes after a spirited discussion this past spring about how best to pay for the barrels needed as part of the new automated trash and recycling contract. While the Finance Committee voted to charge residents to reimburse the town for the barrels, a vote of town meeting backed the Select Board's proposal to use $980,000 in "free cash" — or surplus revenue from the previous year —to make the initial purchase.

Bartha said on Wednesday that Recycling and Sustainability Coordinator Erica DeDonato had been key in helping acquire a $110,000 grant to help offset that cost and return about 10 percent of the approved funds back to the "free cash" fund.

"This was discussed during the budget process that we were going to be pursuing that grant," Bartha said. "The grant will be used to defray the cost of those recycling carts, which was roughly half of the cost.

"This leaves some money behind in that warrant article that can be reappropriated at a future town meeting."

Danvers residents should expect their new trash and recycling bins to arrive this week as the town transitions to the automated service and bi-weekly recycling program.

The 95-gallon recycling carts are "single stream," which means sorting items is no longer necessary.

Residents are asked to begin using the new bins once they are delivered. Recycling will transition to every other week collection beginning on Oct. 1.

Those who believe they need additional carts will be able to purchase them on Nov. 1 at a cost still to be determined.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)