Shaftsbury Solid Waste Committee
Minutes, March 7, 200 at Cole Hall, 7:30 p.m.
Present: Bill Pennebaker, Michael Biddy, Karen Mellinger, Katherine Keys
The meeting was called to order by Bill at 7:45 p.m. The minutes of December 6, 2005, January 3, 2006 and February 21, 2006 were accepted as presented.
Bill advised the Board that Trevor is resigning from the Solid Waste Committee. Katherine Keys agreed to join the Committee.
Recycling handbook and Shaftsbury web site revisions: Discussion was held off in light of changing information regarding our msw/recycling programs.
Low Income Users: Bill distributed copies of property tax assistance data provided by Aaron C. (Town Administrator) which details prebate/rebate figures in the Town of Shaftsbury. The group discussed how to go about helping people for whom the PAYT system might present a real financial burden. Karen suggested that Kathy Courdiffe, our Town Service Agent, come to a meeting to discuss a possible process for considering need.
Williamstown, Mass. system: Katherine presented information on the Williamstown, Mass. municipal solid waste/recycling program. The material included volume and pricing figures. TAM handles the recycling of plastics, and Katherine pointed out that they do recycle wide mouth containers. It is unclear whether TAM handles this type of plastic only because he is paid a fee for doing so. Presently, TAM does not recycle the wide mouth at the Shaftsbury municipal transfer station. Williamstown sells bags ($1 for a small bag and $2 for large bags) through several local merchants. The Town delivers the bags and collects the money for the bags, which are sold by the store owners. Mike pointed out the concern that bags are “currency” and he noted that one local store keeper in Shaftsbury had expressed concern about liability over handling the bags. Katherine noted that she is not aware that Williamstown has a special rate for needy citizens. The Committee agreed that a “circuit breaker” should be in place to help the needy.
In Williamstown, there is a $65 sticker fee, which provides access to the transfer station. Katherine will check to see if Williamstown provides town employees at the transfer station to monitor.
PAYT System: Discussion turned to a bag vs. sticker system. Bill showed a sample of a computer generated sticker he had created. It has a bar code imprinted on it to minimize the possibility of counterfeiting. The group discussed the Town purchase of a bar code reader to be used for monitoring. There appear to be greater advantages to using stickers than bags. The main disadvantage with stickers involves monitoring, as stickers are less visible than a unique bag. Initially it would be important to have sufficient personnel to monitor the process, in addition to ensuring a strong educational component.
Site visit: It was agreed that the Committee will make a site visit to the Casella Rutland recycling facility. A tentative date was set for Wednesday, March 22, 2006.
Landfill closure: Bill gave a brief update on the landfill closure plans. Additional funding was obtained from the State, thanks to the efforts of Representative Alice Miller ($110,000 in grant form). She is presenting working on getting an additional $40,000 appropriated for Shaftsbury in the 2006/2007 budget currently being developed at this time. The Select Board continues to work to identify sources of material and a contractor who is able to complete the job at an affordable cost.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:15 p.m. The next meeting will be on Tuesday, March 21, 2006 at 7:30 p.m.