Cantoreggi said the current annual collection fee is $244, and it would go down to $220 with the automated system.
He said the town saves money by reducing collection costs and increasing recycling rates so there's less trash to burn - which costs $70 per ton.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
In the News - trash collection
Read more in the article here
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Live reporting - closing items
Administrator report
Met with GATRA to see if there are ways to improve service
Need to look at ways to increase ridership
Still at about half the ridership that they had forecasted and were expecting
Snow report (will post later)
Will come forward to overspend the snow account
Cost per road mile compared to 10 or so other communities, we are at the bottom in comparison
Old Business
Fiscal policies, are they posted?
Globe had article on biotechnology, thanks to Bryan for his work
New business
none around
Councilor Comments
Powderly - be aware of scams regarding Haiti fundraising
Kindergarten registration coning up in Feb
Thanks to D Pellgri for running with her staff the special election in a great manner
Zollo - commend the citizens for getting out to vote
commend Downtown Partnership for collaboration on the downtown project
the project will be instrumental to the success of downtown
McGann - Congratulations to our new Senator, Scott Brown
Pfeffer - thanks to the Council on Aging for providing dinner for the Council
Type II Diabetes veterans of WWII may qualify for a disability pension
Kelly - thanks to the voters for doing their civic duty
Jones - thanks to 68% for coming out to vote, compared to the 16% that came out for our election
Mason - they always make us feel so welcome when we go to the Senior Center
Budget workshop with Finance, School Committee, discussion on common knowledge base, not budget itself Monday in the 3rd Floor training room at 6:30 PM
motion to adjourn, passed
Met with GATRA to see if there are ways to improve service
Need to look at ways to increase ridership
Still at about half the ridership that they had forecasted and were expecting
Snow report (will post later)
Will come forward to overspend the snow account
Cost per road mile compared to 10 or so other communities, we are at the bottom in comparison
Old Business
Fiscal policies, are they posted?
Globe had article on biotechnology, thanks to Bryan for his work
New business
none around
Councilor Comments
Powderly - be aware of scams regarding Haiti fundraising
Kindergarten registration coning up in Feb
Thanks to D Pellgri for running with her staff the special election in a great manner
Zollo - commend the citizens for getting out to vote
commend Downtown Partnership for collaboration on the downtown project
the project will be instrumental to the success of downtown
McGann - Congratulations to our new Senator, Scott Brown
Pfeffer - thanks to the Council on Aging for providing dinner for the Council
Type II Diabetes veterans of WWII may qualify for a disability pension
Kelly - thanks to the voters for doing their civic duty
Jones - thanks to 68% for coming out to vote, compared to the 16% that came out for our election
Mason - they always make us feel so welcome when we go to the Senior Center
Budget workshop with Finance, School Committee, discussion on common knowledge base, not budget itself Monday in the 3rd Floor training room at 6:30 PM
motion to adjourn, passed
Live reporting - Solid Waste Q&A
Separate carts for waste and recylcing
no longer need to purchase the other barrels households use
RFID reader embedded in the handle to track, to improve tracking on pickups and customer service
estimate savings at 11-20% in recycling
municipal buildings est savings at 42%
school buildings est savings at 55%
reduces water weight of trash
curbside collection fee currently $244 being reduced to $220 with this process
Q - Can seniors bring the barrels to the front in a snow storm
A - These should be easier to move around than their regular barrells
Once you get through the initial hump and get going, it is a great system. I believe we'll be here next year to reduce the rates again.
Barrells should last ten-fifteen years with normal use
Q - If an owner takes them away, what would happen with the new owner
A - With the tracking system, we'll know where they are. We will replace the units and go after the prior owner.
Q - How quickly can we implement this?
A - We have a tentative agreement to begin July 1. We will need to come back with an 800,000 bond request to fund the initial carts to be financed over five years.
Q - Will the colors be like this?
A - They'll be green. If you pay your fee, we'll pick up. They read the chip each pickup, so even if yours ends up at a neighbors we'll know.
In Mansfield, for 6400 customers, 100 take a larger size.
We also have the Beaver St recycling facility to handle excess.
Monitoring things from a computer will be easier, in the long run should get less calls and complaints and more efficiencies. Once we get past the initial rollout this summer, we should be fine.
Motion to move to second reading - passed 8-0
no longer need to purchase the other barrels households use
RFID reader embedded in the handle to track, to improve tracking on pickups and customer service
estimate savings at 11-20% in recycling
municipal buildings est savings at 42%
school buildings est savings at 55%
reduces water weight of trash
curbside collection fee currently $244 being reduced to $220 with this process
Q - Can seniors bring the barrels to the front in a snow storm
A - These should be easier to move around than their regular barrells
Once you get through the initial hump and get going, it is a great system. I believe we'll be here next year to reduce the rates again.
Barrells should last ten-fifteen years with normal use
Q - If an owner takes them away, what would happen with the new owner
A - With the tracking system, we'll know where they are. We will replace the units and go after the prior owner.
Q - How quickly can we implement this?
A - We have a tentative agreement to begin July 1. We will need to come back with an 800,000 bond request to fund the initial carts to be financed over five years.
Q - Will the colors be like this?
A - They'll be green. If you pay your fee, we'll pick up. They read the chip each pickup, so even if yours ends up at a neighbors we'll know.
In Mansfield, for 6400 customers, 100 take a larger size.
We also have the Beaver St recycling facility to handle excess.
Monitoring things from a computer will be easier, in the long run should get less calls and complaints and more efficiencies. Once we get past the initial rollout this summer, we should be fine.
Motion to move to second reading - passed 8-0
Live reporting - Solid Waste
Note - Kelly arrives
3. Bylaw Amendment 10-641: Chapter 82; Appendix A: List of Service Fee Rates, Solid Waste and Recycling Fees - 1st Reading
Chris White, Cathy Merza
Picture of what the new trash/recycle containers would look like can be found here
These were the units brought to the Town Council meeting as as example.
3. Bylaw Amendment 10-641: Chapter 82; Appendix A: List of Service Fee Rates, Solid Waste and Recycling Fees - 1st Reading
Chris White, Cathy Merza
Picture of what the new trash/recycle containers would look like can be found here
These were the units brought to the Town Council meeting as as example.
Live reporting - Legislation for action
J. LEGISLATION FOR ACTION
1. Zoning Bylaw Amendment 10-639: Amendment to Chapter 185-5 Zoning Map: Biotechnology Uses- Referral to Planning Board motion to refer, passed 7-0
2. Zoning Bylaw Amendment 10-640: Amendment to Chapter 185-42: Biotechnology Uses- Referral to Planning Board motion to refer, passed 7-0
3 minute recess
1. Zoning Bylaw Amendment 10-639: Amendment to Chapter 185-5 Zoning Map: Biotechnology Uses- Referral to Planning Board motion to refer, passed 7-0
2. Zoning Bylaw Amendment 10-640: Amendment to Chapter 185-42: Biotechnology Uses- Referral to Planning Board motion to refer, passed 7-0
3 minute recess
Live reporting - Downtown Project update
Eugene Bolinger, vice president, Weston & Sampson
The presentation document can be found here
Update on Downtown Project - Weston and Sampson
Conversations began in 2002 (or perhaps earlier)
public workshops involved during 2002-2007
grant applications prepared during 2004, 2005
High Priority Project - $5 million
PWED grant - $1 million
public participation process, workshops, presentation, Q&A, input
to work with all entities within the community
Downtown Partnership meeting Thursday morning
The PWED project will be more under the Town control, they will be issuing the contracts vs. the fuller project will have more MA government agency involvement and a longer review period
.
Applied for the 10 million grant, received 5 million, actually getting one million per year and it is all in our account now.
The PWED grant was applied for multiple times and ultimately awarded recently.
All the work, except for the water main is covered by Federal and State grants. The water main was part of our cycle and timed to occur now.
If the utilities were to move underground, that would be funded separately.
The presentation document can be found here
Update on Downtown Project - Weston and Sampson
Conversations began in 2002 (or perhaps earlier)
public workshops involved during 2002-2007
grant applications prepared during 2004, 2005
High Priority Project - $5 million
PWED grant - $1 million
public participation process, workshops, presentation, Q&A, input
to work with all entities within the community
Downtown Partnership meeting Thursday morning
The PWED project will be more under the Town control, they will be issuing the contracts vs. the fuller project will have more MA government agency involvement and a longer review period
.
Applied for the 10 million grant, received 5 million, actually getting one million per year and it is all in our account now.
The PWED grant was applied for multiple times and ultimately awarded recently.
All the work, except for the water main is covered by Federal and State grants. The water main was part of our cycle and timed to occur now.
If the utilities were to move underground, that would be funded separately.
Live reporting - Charter Revision Updates
Steve Whalen, Shannon Zollo
categorize at a high level some substantive changes
redline copy of charter provided to Council for review
Charter is the Town's governing document
4-5 major recommendations
Citizens committee had made recommendations, those were considered in this review
1 - appointed Treasurer (elected today)
allow the Administrator to appoint, for efficiency and skills
2 - appoint Constable, Board of Health, Board of Assessor positions (elected today)
there are likely highly qualified individuals who could serve but do not want to run an election campaign in order to serve in these roles.
Q - Mason - Would you include the Town Clerk in the appointed slots or maintain it as an elected position?
A - Zollo - We will make no recommendation on this position, there was discussion but no consensus so with no recommendation for change, it would remain an elected position.
A - Whalen - I approached this by not considering the current people in any position, I would make this an appointed position
3 - We chose not to recommend staggered terms, if the Town is willing to go through the hassle of setting it up, there are benefits to go forward that way. Both Zollo and Whalen feel the same on this item. There is no compelling reason for recommending this.
Clarification - Mason - purpose of this evening is to hear the report recommendation. There will be a public workshop and public hearing on these so all will have a chance to get their say on these matters.
4 - Administrative changes - clean up for more efficiency
allow new Council to have a week between the election and their first meeting
Council should have an ability to re-organize with a term if it had the 2/3 votes to do so
Administrator is currently not allowed to chair subcommittees, should be allowed to do so if appropriate
add recommendation of a temporary Town Administrator to cover for an unexpected absence or to find an appropriate replacement
5 - language to be removed from Charter covering the removal of employees. these items are already superseded by existing bargaining agreements or employee policies
Q - Pfeffer - Were any considerations from the prior report not addressed in this set of recommendations?
Q - Pfeffer - What of the recommendation to change the number of meetings per month?
A - This is a recommendation to meet a minimum of once vs. the requirement today of being required to meet twice.
Nutting - If you'd like to get this on the November ballot, we'd need to move this along.
Mason - let's set the workshop for February, the public hearing in March
Nutting - the home rule charter changes would be submitted to the legislature, they would act upon it and either send it back for revision or approval. The piece that is not included in this document yet is a transition plan, for example, moving to an appointed Treasurer when would the appointment take effect and the election process stop. Hoe rule petitions are pretty routine.
categorize at a high level some substantive changes
redline copy of charter provided to Council for review
Charter is the Town's governing document
4-5 major recommendations
Citizens committee had made recommendations, those were considered in this review
1 - appointed Treasurer (elected today)
allow the Administrator to appoint, for efficiency and skills
2 - appoint Constable, Board of Health, Board of Assessor positions (elected today)
there are likely highly qualified individuals who could serve but do not want to run an election campaign in order to serve in these roles.
Q - Mason - Would you include the Town Clerk in the appointed slots or maintain it as an elected position?
A - Zollo - We will make no recommendation on this position, there was discussion but no consensus so with no recommendation for change, it would remain an elected position.
A - Whalen - I approached this by not considering the current people in any position, I would make this an appointed position
3 - We chose not to recommend staggered terms, if the Town is willing to go through the hassle of setting it up, there are benefits to go forward that way. Both Zollo and Whalen feel the same on this item. There is no compelling reason for recommending this.
Clarification - Mason - purpose of this evening is to hear the report recommendation. There will be a public workshop and public hearing on these so all will have a chance to get their say on these matters.
4 - Administrative changes - clean up for more efficiency
allow new Council to have a week between the election and their first meeting
Council should have an ability to re-organize with a term if it had the 2/3 votes to do so
Administrator is currently not allowed to chair subcommittees, should be allowed to do so if appropriate
add recommendation of a temporary Town Administrator to cover for an unexpected absence or to find an appropriate replacement
5 - language to be removed from Charter covering the removal of employees. these items are already superseded by existing bargaining agreements or employee policies
Q - Pfeffer - Were any considerations from the prior report not addressed in this set of recommendations?
Q - Pfeffer - What of the recommendation to change the number of meetings per month?
A - This is a recommendation to meet a minimum of once vs. the requirement today of being required to meet twice.
Nutting - If you'd like to get this on the November ballot, we'd need to move this along.
Mason - let's set the workshop for February, the public hearing in March
Nutting - the home rule charter changes would be submitted to the legislature, they would act upon it and either send it back for revision or approval. The piece that is not included in this document yet is a transition plan, for example, moving to an appointed Treasurer when would the appointment take effect and the election process stop. Hoe rule petitions are pretty routine.
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