Idea #250 – Revisit Solid Waste Contract

Report Status: Fully Reviewed

Researched by: Aaron Pikcilingis

Original Idea as Submitted

Revisit solid waste disposal contract for next renewal; consider eliminating or scaling back bulky item and yard waste pickups. Consider more pay as you throw.

Other ideas included in this report

  • 372 – Eliminate trash pickup

Idea intent

Evaluate possible avenues to reduce the costs for waste management

Weighted Final Score: 43 (Financial Impact: 4, Operational Impact: 0, Time Scale: 2, Ease of Implementation: 3)

Background Information

Belmont currently has a temporary, 3-year Solid Waste and Recycling Committee “...established by the Select Board as a Committee to assist the Town in procuring a new collection contract and to consider possible enhancements in recycling efforts.” Given a group dedicated to exploring possible options to improve the town’s trash and recycling program, this report will be limited to a note about a specific opportunity to save by removing a premium requirement and the possibility this change might open up for regionalizing Belmont’s waste and recycling programs with Watertown.

Belmont’s DPW director noted that in 2013 or 2014 Belmont and Watertown made significant progress on potentially entering into a regional contract for waste management. In the end, the agreement fell through because Belmont required a 4-day schedule for pickup and Watertown wasn’t willing to pay the premium.

The rationale for requiring 4-day pickup was that Belmont never wanted a holiday to result in a Saturday pickup. At the time, many Belmont residents expressed concerns about Saturday pickups conflicting with soccer and other activities. According to the DPW Director, the premium costs for 4-day pickup in our current contract are about $250,000 to $300,000 a year.

Removing this premium might allow the dedicated committee to re-engage Watertown in discussions about a potential regionalized solid waste and recycling program.

Recommendations

The Solid Waste and Recycling Committee will make a dedicated, effort to fully explore and identify the best path forward for Belmont’s Solid Waste and Recycling programs.

Next Steps

  • The Solid Waste and Recycling Committee should fully evaluate the potential savings that could be realized by removing the requirement that out waste and recycling be picked up on a 4-day schedule

  • The Town Administration and the Solid Waste and Recycling Committee should work together to approach Watertown about the possibility of a regional Solid Waste and Recycling program.

  • The Select Board should hold interim meetings with the Solid Waste and Recycling Committee to raise the visibility of this idea.

Further Reading