Billerica Mulls Automated Trash Collection
By Jennifer Myers, The Sun, Lowell, Mass.
Apr. 8–BILLERICA — Selectmen talked trash last night as Director of Public Works Abdul Alkhatib outlined the proposed five-year regionalized trash contract with Allied Waste that will bring automated trash collection to town in July 2009.
Billerica, Burlington, Tewksbury and Tyngsboro banded together to use their collective purchasing powers to negotiate the new contract, scheduled to be implemented July 1.
Billerica’s current contract with the trash hauler will cost the town $2.028 million this year. Next year, under the new contract the price will rise to $2.1 million, a 3 percent increase, and to $2.2 million or a 7 percent increase in the second year. In years three through five, the increase will be capped at 3 percent.
Stan Walczak of Allied Waste explained that the increase is a direct result of rising insurance, steel and fuel prices. Five years ago, at the time of the town’s last contract negotiation, diesel fuel was $2.20 per gallon, he said. Today it is $4.10 per gallon.
The switch to an automated system for trash collection will occur during the second year of the contract. Under that system, each household will receive one 64-gallon barrel. That specialized barrel will be lifted by an automated arm on the side of the garbage truck and dumped into the hauler.
A second 64-gallon container will be made available to residents, at a price that has not yet been determined by the town. Selectman Mike Rosa said he did not think residents,
such as those who have large families, should be charged for an additional container.
“People become more conscious of what they throw away,” Alkhatib said of limiting the amount of trash allowed per household. “For a family of four who recycles, 64 gallons is more than they need.”
According to figures provided by Alkhatib, Hudson, N.H., saw a 38.8 percent decrease in solid-waste collection in the first seven months of implementing automated collection, with a 103.8 percent recycling increase.
Selectman Marc Lombardo said he is concerned about residents having a particularly heavy trash week and having to hold trash back until they can catch up. Or, he said, having small bulky items they cannot fit into the barrel and tossing them into the woods instead.
“The more difficult we make trash pick-up, the more problems we will run into,” he said.
Selectmen did not take a vote on the contract last night.
In other business, in its first meeting since Saturday’s election, the board voted unanimously to name Selectman Jim O’Donnell its new chairman , newly elected Selectman Bob Accomando vice-chairman and Selectman Bob Correnti the secretary of the board.
—–
To see more of The Sun, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.lowellsun.com.
Copyright (c) 2008, The Sun, Lowell, Mass.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.