The cost of curbside trash pickup in Tisbury is going up, and recycling via curbside pickup will no longer be free.
At their meeting Tuesday night the town selectmen approved a three-year contract with Bruno’s Rolloff Inc. that increases barrel sticker prices from $4.50 to $5.75. Senior stickers will increase from $3 to $3.50. Homeowners also will be required to pay $125 for an annual recycling sticker. The new rates go into effect July 1.
Robert Goulart from Bruno’s said the price increase relates to the recycling market.
“It’s the right thing to do, it’s environmentally correct but at the same point, we have to survive too,” he said. He said it now costs the company to bring materials to recycling plants..
Selectman and board chairman Melinda Loberg said townspeople can still bring recyclables to the local dropoff center for free.
“I think it’s good to have as many options for consumers that we can, and this is one,” said Ms. Loberg.
Town administrator John (Jay) Grande agreed, and said the proposal from Bruno’s was competitive during the bid process.
The price jump was still a concern for the selectmen.
“Somebody puts three barrels out, you’re going from $13.50 to seventeen-something, that’s not insignificant either,” said Tristan Israel. He was also concerned about the new fee for recycling. Mr. Goulart agreed to consider allowing people to pay the fee payment in installments.
Finance director Jonathan Snyder said the increase is justified.
“The cost of a private service to me is easily twice what the town service is,” he said. “I think what that speaks to is, yes we have kept prices low for a very, very long time. And in a free market the cost of providing the same service would be considerably higher. I think that justifies to a large degree the 27 per cent increase.”
Trash stickers will have the same design and be available at the same locations.
“Any trash stickers out there we’re going to honor,” said Mr. Goulart.
Meanwhile, the town is also planning to raise fees at the local dropoff center. The selectmen will hold a public hearing on those changes on June 7.
In other business, selectmen granted a beer and wine license to the owners of Garde de la Mer, formally the Blue Canoe restaurant. Geoghan Coogan appeared before the board representing the owners.
An additional cab permit was granted to Stagecoach Taxi and $800 was approved to buy softshell clam seed.
The board also made the following appointments: David Ferraguzzi, community prservation committee; Melinda Loberg, Eerik Meisner, David Ferraguzzi, Ned Orleans, Holly Stephenson, Ray Tatterall, parking committee; John Packer, Mike Jampel, Bill Austin, Sheri Caseau, Tom Robinson, Gerard Hokanson, Emma Green-Beach, eelgrass committee; Melinda Loberg, Jeff Pratt, Jeff Kristal, Tomar Waldman, Josh Goldstein, John Best, Dan Seidman, sewer advisory board.
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