By Jonathan L'Ecuyer
Staff writer
March 28, 2008 06:35 am ROCKPORT — Transfer station sticker fees increase slightly this year and, for the first time, residents will have the option to participate in a pay-as-you-throw form of trash disposal. New stickers will go on sale as early as May 1 and become effective June 1. People electing to continue to buy a family trash sticker to dispose of waste will pay $150 this year, up $5 over last season. The Public Works Board of Commissioners also voted to up the cost of senior stickers to $105, compared to $100 last year. Second vehicle sticker prices were raised $5 as well, to $30. Families opting for the alternative pay-as-you-throw program will pay $35 for a sticker while seniors are charged $25. Second vehicle stickers under the pay-as-you-throw alternative are $10 each. In addition to stickers, residents using pay-as-you-throw will have to purchase blue plastic bags in which to dispose their trash. Rockport will make two sizes available for purchase at Town Hall. A large bag capable of holding 33 gallons of trash will cost $1.75 while a smaller, 14-gallon bag will sell for 85 cents. Both sizes will be sold in 10-pack bundles, costing $17.50 and $8.50, respectively. In an effort to make purchasing the bags more convenient, commissioners hope to make the bags available at several stores around town as soon as possible. "People will be able to purchase bags at Town Hall, but we are also looking to possibly sell them at some stores and periodically at the transfer station," commission Chairman Robert Burbank said yesterday. Proponents of pay-as-you-throw believe families, especially those who recycle regularly, could save money under the program. A family that spends $35 for a sticker and then purchases fewer than 65 large bags ($113.75) or 135 small bags ($114.75) in the course of a year would spend less than the $150 sticker fee. The commissioners did not define whether bags could be disposed of in Dumpsters without first being sealed but Burbank said some discretion would be used in those cases. Burbank also pointed out that recycling-only stickers have been eliminated; instead, people can purchase pay-as-you-throw stickers for $35 each and recycle as usual without needing bags. People who need to dispose of items larger than a 33-gallon bag can hold but smaller than 12 cubic feet will be able to do so free of charge. Items larger than 12 cubic feet will be charged an additional, $5 fee. Commissioners did reduce the large item size down from one cubic yard (or 27 cubic feet) last year to 12 cubic feet this year, Burbank said. Burbank said a lot of careful consideration went into determining the cost of sticker fees. Commissioners deliberated for three hours following a public hearing on the matter Wednesday night. Commissioners Burbank, Peter Webber and Steve Vavak calculated the cost of the bags based on the estimated cost of operating the transfer station for fiscal year 2009, which is $490,000. Commissioners estimated the station will earn $30,000 from recycling and light good fees and another $70,000 from property taxes, leaving $390,000 to be raised by stickers and sales of plastic bags. Selectman Armand Aparo, a proponent and participant in the town's volunteer trial of the pay-as-you-throw program, commended the commissioners work yesterday. "They said at the last Town Meeting they would run the numbers and come up with calculations and that's what they did," Aparo said. "(The Board of Selectmen) supported them; I was ready to go to a full-time pay-as-you-throw program. I think this was the appropriate step to take. Once people educate themselves and get accustomed to it, I can see more people gravitating to (pay-as-you-throw) because they know deep down it's the right thing to do." Other fees such as beach parking stickers remained unchanged this year. Residents will pay $25 while seniors will pay $15. Nonresidents will pay $100 to park at Rockport's beaches. Opponents of the dual disposal system question the transfer station employees' ability to appropriately monitor the area. Burbank said he understands those concerns but does not believe the move to an optional pay-as-you-throw program will require any major labor changes at the station. "Enforcement is the primary responsibility of attendants at the transfer station," Burbank said. "I don't think we will see an increase in problems up there. We have heard loud and clear about the enforcement and education issues, we recognize those and know it needs to be better. "There's always going to be someone who can figure out how to cheat the system," he continued. "We made the effort last year to make sure everyone gets a sticker before they go in there, but most people are trustworthy and will do the right thing." Burbank said attendants don't currently inspect trash bags for recyclable items. He believes that those who choose pay-as-you-throw will actually be less likely to use the bags to dispose of recyclables because they'll be paying for each bag. ><p>
Jonathan L'Ecuyer can be reached at jlecuyer@gloucestertimes.com.
Reader Box Sticker prices by the numbers Option A: Sticker prices under current system Family sticker: $150 Senior (65+): $105 Second vehicle: $30 Six-month family: $85 Six-month senior: $60 Six-month second vehicle: $15 Recycling only sticker: No longer available, purchase pay-as-you-throw sticker instead. Option B: Pay-as-you-throw users Family sticker: $35 Senior: $25 Second vehicle: $10 Commercial: $200 Bags:* Large (33 gallon): $1.75 each (sold in packs of 10 at Town Hall and sometimes transfer station) Small (14 gallon): 85 cents each (sold in packs of 10 at Town Hall and sometimes transfer station) Beach Parking: Resident: $25 Senior resident: $15 Nonresident: $100 * No additional fees for items too large to fit in a 33-gallon bag but smaller than 12 cubic feet. Any item larger than 12 cubic feet may be discarded for an additional $5 fee.
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