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“Outstanding service. They were extremely careful delivering the extra large container into our driveway.” -- A. L. GARNER
Selectmen with 121 signatures from residents in support of PAYT.Energy Committee Chairman Roger Colton, who also supports PAYT, gave a presentation explaining how PAYT could be implemented once a trash collection system is in place. He recommended rolling it out in 2019 to eliminate conflict with the new collection system.“It would be administratively infeasible to implement automated and PAYT simultanesiouly,” said Colton.Public Works Director Jay Marcotte said he recommended selectmen support the 64-gallon barrel. He said Burlington went from the current trash collection method Belmont has to an automated system with a 64-gallon barrel and has seen a 24 percent reduction in trash generated by residents. He said a similar change in Belmont would keep the town’s streets neat and tidy and reduce the town’s cost of trash collection.Residents voice concerns about PAYT and automated collectionLinda Oates, Precinct 6 Town Meeting member, said she is opposed to automated trash collection and PAYT. She is concerned elderly residents will have difficulty dragging the barrels out to their curbs. She also said it would be an additional household expense for residents.“If you're going to put that kind of burden on the populace, I suggest doing it as an override and deducting it from the real estate taxes,” she said.Steve Rosales, Precinct 8 Town Meeting member who grew up in Belmont, also said he was opposed to PAYT.“That’s an underhanded way of an override without a vote. I find great offense in that,” he said, adding if PAYT is implemented he will never vote for another override again.Judith Ananian Sarno, Precinct 3 Town Meeting member said she favors the current trash collection system and is against PAYT. She said many of her constituents did not feel well-informed about the options they were considering and urged them not to vote.“Instead, make a greater effort to inform the public of these proposals and get input,” she said.Sarno also said she did not think the automated trash collection method would work in Belmont due to the cars parked on residential streets, many of which belong to commuters. Belmont does not have an ordinance like Watertown that prohibits more than two hour parking on residential streets, she added.“A lot of people are going to be unhappy. The same people you’ll be asking to approve very large debt exclusions and possibly another operating override in the near future. I’d be very concerned about that,” said Sarno.Pleas for selectmen to support PAYTMike Crowley, Precinct 8 Town Meeting member, said he thinks a smaller container is better for automated collection.“A larger container is an incentive to throw out more,” he said.He also said bag fees are not a tax.“There’s a way to structure this so the average household gets something back every year. Money could be credited to their electric bills,” he said.Jennifer Marusiak, Precinct 6 Town Meeting member said she is in favor of PAYT.“We seem to have this sense that we are entitled to generage as much garbage as we want,” she said. “The world has changed. It’s not 1990 and we have to do what’s right for our kids.”Belmont resident Mark Davis said PAYT has the added benefit of reducing the amount of trash that is burned and puts carbon into the atmosphere.“We meter water and electricity. Why wouldn’t we meter garbage,” said Claus Becker, P... (Wicked Local Belmont)
County employees reported this instance of illegal dumping on Hunter Road in Colton; we stopped (and cited) two fellows leaving the site," the Clackamas County, Oregon, Sheriff's Office said on Facebook.COLTON, Ore. (AP) — Authorities say two men — one wearing a recycling shirt — were cited for illegally dumping garbage on a rural Oregon road.The Oregonian/OregonLive reports (http://bit.ly/2wEJEVB ) the men were cited Tuesday for dumping garbage on Hunter Road in Colton after county employees reported the trash.The Clackamas County Sheriff Office said on Facebook deputies stopped the men as they were leaving the site.Officials say the men admitted to illegally dumping trash and picked it up like "good sports."One of the men was wearing a shirt with a recycling symbol proudly proclaiming, "Going Green."... (KVAL)
