Between a collapsed market for recyclables and rising expenses for collection, Tisbury is paying more than $100,000 a year to dispose of refuse — costs that are supposed to be paid for by user fees, town officials said Tuesday.

“We are subsidizing this with taxpayer money,” select board member Jeff Kristal said. “Nobody’s getting money for recycling any more. We have to pay.”

Public works director Kirk Metell told the board that the town’s local drop-off has received about 145 hauling containers of recycling in the current fiscal year, compared to 76 in 2018-2019.

“We’re seeing a huge spike in the amount of recyclables,” Mr. Metell said.

Town administrator Jay Grande said in addition to the collapse of the recycling market, costs have increased for curbside collection of garbage and recycling. Recycling at the local drop-off is currently free; there is a fee for curbside pick-up.

“It necessitates the town to hold a hearing and make adjustments to our fees,” Mr. Grande said.

Select board members agreed to hold a public hearing August 11 on raising disposal rates.

Among other business Tuesday, board members agreed to let the Mikado, a restaurant on Main street, temporarily use up to three parking spaces for outdoor dining.

Restaurant management had requested sidewalk seating, but Mr. Grande suggested using the parking spaces instead.

“That would create a good social distancing that can’t be achieved on the sidewalk, and also allow pedestrian traffic,” he said.

“I think it would be traffic calming . . . and signal the town’s open for business,” Mr. Kristal said.

`“It’s worth trying,” board chairman Jim Rogers said.

During a public hearing Tuesday, select board members and Church street residents gave a chilly response to a request by AT&T to add a wireless small cell facility, including a two-foot canister antenna and an equipment cabinet, to an Eversource power pole on the street.

The purpose of the installation, AT&T representative Ed Pare said, is to provide more coverage and extra capacity for the company’s wireless network in the immediate neighborhood.

Similar small cell facilities exist in numerous mainland communities, Mr. Pare said, and one is proposed for Edgartown.

Church street abutters Ludwig Alban and Robert Bennett both opposed the plan, citing the visual intrusion of the pole-mounted equipment and raising concerns about sound and microwave emissions.

“It shouldn’t be in the middle of a residential area. This is a commercial enterprise,” Mr. Alban said. “It’s going to be at the expense of the people who are living around it.”

“I’m not opposed to trying to improve cell service in the community, but this is not the way to do it,” Mr. Bennett said.

Mr. Kristal suggested the wireless company rent antenna space in the town hall steeple, which is currently being repaired, but Mr. Pare said the plan is to use the public right of way to add the small cell facilities.

Select board members advised Mr. Pare to have AT&T look for alternative sites. “I get the message loud and clear,” he said. The hearing was continued to July 28.

Board members and police chief Mark Saloio discussed a petition from Skiff avenue residents seeking to lower the street’s speed limit from 30 to 20 miles per hour.

“That’s too slow,” board member Larry Gomez said, and Mr. Rogers agreed.

Speed limit signs are posted by the state department of transportation, Chief Saloio said, and town requests to change the limits must be accompanied by data from formal traffic studies.

Mr. Grande said without traffic calming measures, lowering speed limits does not guarantee slower traffic.

“You can post the speed limit, but it isn’t necessarily going to be effective without some physical measures put in place,” he said. “People will still travel at greater rates of speed.”

While reviewing the business license renewal for Atlantic Cab, Mr. Kristal pushed for more frequent cab inspections by Tisbury police, saying he had received a complaint about a poorly-maintained vehicle.

“Ripped seats, not-working AC and windows that don’t roll up or down,” Mr. Kristal said. “Just because a car’s registered and had a safety inspection doesn’t mean it’s good for doing business on Martha’s Vineyard.”

Chief Saloio said police could move from annual to quarterly cab inspections if the board wishes. Board members agreed to discuss the matter and vote on the cab company’s license at their next meeting, July 28.

Also Tuesday, the board made nearly 50 appointments to town boards, committees and other posts including fence viewer (building inspector Ross Seavey), deputy shellfish constable (Fred Benson) and parking clerk (Donna Michalski).

Board members resolved to have Mr. Grande write a letter of commendation to Tisbury police officer Nick Sidoti, who rescued a woman, two children and an infant from a second-floor house fire on Cook street early Friday morning.

“It averted a larger tragedy,” Mr. Grande said. “We are very fortunate to have these individuals working for the town of Tisbury.”