HomeMy WebLinkAbout1991-03-19 Solid Waste Advisory Committee MinutesReading Solid Waste Advisory Committee
Mintues of Meeting can j/1..M_il~.
Conference Room, Town Hall
The meeting was called to order at GgOO pa ma by Anne
Mark, chairperson. n
,V
Committee members in attendance weres Trish Brigham,
Carol Awards, Linda King, Sally Saba, Steve Thomases and
Ilan Anglehart. Also in attendance were "fed McIntyre, DPW
Liaison, Ruth Cagan, Health Dept. Liaison and Debbie
Mccully
Report from Ruth Cogan regarding recycling
participation survey.
Ruth celled every block: leader except those whom Nancy
Tucker and Linda King contacted. All except two were
willing to count their areas. A letter was then sent with a
return postcard on whi.ch•, to record the count. Ann Wi.rsig
will follow up to those who do not return0he postcard in a
prompt manner, since the committee would like to have solid
participation figures in time for town meeting. The -few
hales in the southern sector of town will be filled by
committee memberss. and others who have volunteered.
Discussion of trash fee and committees s recommendation
to the Board of Selectmen.
It was agreed that discussion would focus only on the
proposal set forth by the selectmen, in e- , that a usage fee
be imposed of $0.75 per bag, with he first; bag -free, and
whether it would achieve the goal of raising the needed
$4e6,000. The fee structure must be adequate to generate
the revenue, keeping in mind that the volume will be reduc
ed when the fee goes into effect.
Steve Thomases had done an analysis; using DPW numbers
and various assumptions. This was, used by the committee as
a means of looking at options. Some of the options area
1 4 Usage fee vs flat rate
2. Stickers vs bags
f=irst bag :free vs no bags free
4. Abatement system, is ea , low-income persons and\or
elderly pay less for stickers
Steve's analysis focussed on (1) and (3) above. There
was also some discussion about the time frame, the
selectmen's proposal being for only one yearn
Various members had already called the towns in
Massachusetts that have put a trash fee into effect; they
were able to offer the experiences of t#°:case towns in the
i
discussion of a flat fee vs a usage fee. Thepe was
agreement that institution of M fee per bag would reduce the
number of bags of trash,, perhaps by as much as one hlal.f.
Discussion ensued as to what should be communicated to
the selectmen and by whom. It was .decided that the
committee would present Steve's analysis showing that the
selectmen's original proposal would not raise the requisite
amount if money. Jhe committee would remain neutral
regarhing a flat fee vs a usage fee, abatements and other
possible options, since it was felt that the, various
alternatives had not been studied sufficiently.
A motion was introduced by Don Anglehart, seconded by
Trish Brigham, to instruct Anne to be the spokesperson for
the committee in advising the selectman of the committee's
work. She would go through Steve's summary sheet in order*
to get quickly to the point, Steve to be available for back-
up. Motion passed unanimously.
A motion was made by Don, seconded by Steve: It is the
sense of the committee that the selectmen'ahould be flexible
in the type of trash fee they recommend to Town Meeting.
After discu si6h- this motion did not carry.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:20.
Sally Sabo
Recorder