The Tisbury board of selectmen met Tuesday to discuss a request by Bruno’s to hike the cost of residential curbside trash-collection sticker fees.
Bruno’s, which the town is contracted with until May 21, 2017, has asked to increase green (regular) sticker prices from $4.50 to $5.75 and yellow (senior) sticker prices from $3 to $3.50 in order to offset recycling-program costs.
The board agreed to put an incremental price increase to a vote following next week’s public hearing on Tuesday, June 16, during the regularly scheduled selectmen’s meeting. Selectmen authorized Town Administrator Jay Grande to have a conversation with Bruno’s officials during the interim to discuss the company’s goals moving forward and the future of the town contract.
Along with the proposed rate increases, the board agreed that there need to be improvements made to the town’s municipal solid-waste system and the landfill drop-off operation (LDO). The board proposed taking a closer look at the LDO operation in conjunction with the Department of Public Works (DPW). Some areas for improvement discussed included capturing the actual volume of the waste stream, streamlining the billing system, and offsetting the financial losses of the recycling program. Tim McLean, Tisbury treasurer and tax collector, said the LDO operation is currently running a $35,000 deficit for fiscal year 2015.
Possible solutions considered by the board included fully privatizing the trash and recycling collection system, a “pay as you throw program,” baling and compacting of recyclables, and a potential switch in the transport of recyclables from the Steamship Authority to barging.
In other business, the board voted to approve the appointment of two new DPW commissioners to fill recent vacancies created by resignations. Selectmen appointed Tom Pachico, town health agent, and David Willoughby to serve on the Board of Public Works until the 2016 elections.
