Town Meeting Rejects Solid Waste Budget, More Info Needed on Curbside Pick-up

Town Meeting had its doubts about the proposed $3 million solid waste budget proposed by Selectmen and DPW Director Jonathan Beder included funding for curbside trash pick-up, as well as taking control of the “difficult to manage” facility on Beaver Dam Road and funding for continued operations of all three transfer stations.

The DPW was waiting to assess bids for the switch to curbside pick up, before committing to a specific budget. But there is already an effort underway to modify that budget on Town Meeting floor.

Town Meeting representative Pat McCarthy filed a motion to decrease the budget to about $1.2 million in order to send a message to the Selectmen to investigate the actual curbside pick-up before approving a budget for it.

According to WATD: The amendment’s proponent Pat McCarthy regarding curbside pickup: "It should be fully vetted before we set aside that type of money for something that we really don’t know what it’s going to cost or how good it’s going to be implemented.” Town Meeting member Mike Withington summed up the debate by telling the group that they should not have to pay before they throw or pay before they know.