Transfer Station Committee
January 8, 2019
Attending Chris McGrath, Barry Zitser, Andrea Bryant, Dann, Kristina Zontini, Julie Seely, Katherine Darges, Gabe Boisseau
In audience: Chris Jensen
Golf course added to the report ideas about that addition:
Chris doesn’t think we should address the golf course issue. He shared that Brett Jackson thinks the Route 116 site is too far away for the highway garage. Andrea agrees that we shouldn’t suggest where or if highway garage should be moved. But, the current town garage is not a good site for a transfer station. With the town wanting to sell or lease the golf course, putting a transfer station there could put plans for the golf course at risk.
Current Transfer Station Capital Reserve fund is $103,639
The Committee discussed how much to put on the Town warrant this year. In 2018 it was $25,000.
In light of the abatement settlement agreement reached with NCES, they probably will operate the landfill until 2025.
Julie reminded the committee that NCES has broken agreements about the transfer station in the past. To be prepared, we should focus on the 2021 closing date.
Wording in the 2012 agreement with NCES says: “Post settlement life of the facility”.
We discussed that The Town should get legal advice about working with Littleton because it could buy us some time using Littleton until Bethlehem has one going.
Chris thinks we should survey the community to see what they would want. Dann disagrees with creating a survey. He thinks that asking people who know nothing about the options to choose one can be dangerous. Julie thinks we should do it somehow. In email sent out after the meeting Andrea suggested that we have a public informational meeting with a chance for people to be surveyed, put information out on line, maybe use something like Survey Monkey.)
Any public input will be non-binding, informal survey.
A possibility discussed could be to set up during voting day to survey people; maybe a table manned by the committee members downstairs.
Discussion of how much to have put on a warrant article to raise for capital reserve fund this March.
Dann would vote no on anything, doesn’t want any thing taken from the taxpayers, he wants it to be tax neutral. The other committee members suggested:
Barry $25,000. He suggests that we also should look at loans and grants, bonds
Julie at least $40,000
Andrea $50,000
Katherine $35,000
Andrea made a motion to recommend $35000 in the warrant article.
Vote was: Yes 6, No 1, Abstained 1. Barry abstained, Dann said no. Gabe Boisseau will take the $35,000 figure to the Selectmen.
Chris Jensen suggests that we get a non-binding cost from Littleton for using its transfer station facilities. Should we explore the option of the Mt. Carberry landfill.
Barry already called Carberry. They said they are not giving any guarantees. We decided to add to the Transfer Station Committee Interim Report the suggestion to have the Select Board or their representative call Mt. Carberry landfill. Tell them we are preparing for the closure of NCES and ask steps we need to take in order to reestablish our business with them as to where Bethlehem trash will go.
The Committee will present the Transfer Station Committee Interim Report to the Select Board on January 21.
Chris Jensen suggested that another option is to contract with a private company that could/would handle the town’s trash.
Notes submitted by Andrea Bryant
