From the Town Administrator's FY 2027 Budget narrative, each department's story is worth sharing.
General Purpose
To provide the highest level of customer service for curbside pickup of trash, recyclables, and yard waste from 9,686 households for transportation to Millbury WIN Incinerator, the recycling processing center, and composting centers.
Core Functions
● Continue a high level of customer service and fast response times.
● Work to increase the Town's recycling rate while decreasing the amount of trash tonnage that is delivered to the Millbury Waste-To-Energy facility.
● Manage single-stream recycling, solid waste, waste-to-energy, and composting contracts.
● Apply for and obtain DEP grant funding to improve operations, enhance recycling monitoring, and public outreach/education.
Staffing
The salary costs for the Director, Managers and Administrative Staff are shared between the DPW General Fund, and the various Enterprise funds. The Solid Waste Enterprise fund pays for 1.55 FTE's.
● Management & Administration: 0.9
● Administrative Support: 0.35
● Solid Waste Laborers: 0.3
Strategic Initiatives & Accomplishments
● Residential compost bins offered free of charge to residents; which were obtained through MassDEP grant funding. This program reduces "trash" tonnage and is environmentally sound.
● Reorganized and enhanced efficiencies amongst the schools through the district-wide composting program.
● Continue to remain below 10% contamination rate through our single-stream recycling program - one of the best rates in Massachusetts.
FY27 Requested Budget Highlights
Solid Waste Expense Increase: $195,000
● Wheelabrator Trash Disposal: This $34,000 increase is consistent with the 5-year average. The actual rate of increase is calculated annually in May, by Wheelabrator actuaries, based on the CPI and as specified in the Franklin-Wheelabrator contract.
● Recycling Disposal/Tipping: Increase of $45,000 reflects 5 year historical averages and current/projected market trends.
● Waste Management Trash Collection: This $53,000 increase reflects the collective total of the per-customer rate increase, as specified in the Franklin-Waste Management 2026-2031 contract.
● Waste Management Recycling Collection: This $63,000 increase reflects the collective total of the per-customer increase, as specified in the Franklin-Waste Management 2026-2031 contract.
FY27 Requested Budget Summary
Enterprise funds are accounted for separately from the General Operating Budget and are designed to be self-supporting through user fees and charges. As such, their revenues and expenditures do not impact the Town’s Operating Budget, as all costs are recovered within the enterprise fund rather than supported by general taxation.
This budget reflects contractual increases regarding the Waste Management trash/recycling collection and hauling contract. It also includes the projection for the annual increase in the Waste Disposal / Wheelabrator contract. Both items are necessary to maintain health, cleanliness, and proper sanitation in regard to solid waste throughout the Town of Franklin.
The PDF of this section -
For the full FY 2027 budget narrative - https://www.franklinma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/8912/FY27-Budget-Narrative-FINAL-1
The FY 2027 budget information can be found