RANDAL BROWN
SOUTHWICK – The Board of Selectmen approved an increase in transfer station fees this week at the recommendation of Department of Public Works Director Randy Brown.
Brown proposed a $10 increase to the general sticker fee and a $5 increase to the senior citizen fee, which brought the fees to $100 and $50, respectively. Brown was not able to attend the selectmen meeting this week, but said yesterday that the town’s transfer station fees have not changed since 2007.
“I was looking through our revenues and expenses for the last three fiscal years,” said Brown of how the increase came about. “The money we bring in is not nearly enough to cover expenses, so the town kicks in about $200,000 a year.”
Brown also compared Southwick’s fees to other area municipalities with similar trash disposal systems and found Southwick was at the bottom of the list.
“The average is about $120 to $130 per year,” said Brown. “So Southwick was very low.”
Selectman Joseph Deedy supported the recommendation and said “I don’t think $10 is going to hurt.”
Brown said fees for special items, such as televisions and mattresses, are not changing.
“We expect an additional $15,000 in revenue next year with the fee increase,” Brown said.
Residents of Southwick with a current sticker are not limited in the number of visits they can make to the transfer station but Brown said they only accept normal household waste. He added that the Board of Health administers household hazardous waste collections every other year. The next one is set to take place in 2015.
Brown said the pro-rated fee is still in effect for those who purchase a transfer station sticker after the first of the year. Stickers expire annually on June 30.
The new fee schedule takes affect the next fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2014. Stickers are typically available in early June through the town clerk’s office and on the town website, www.southwickma.org.
The Southwick Transfer Station, located at 22 Industrial Road, is open Tuesday from 11:30 a.m. – 7:20 p.m., Wednesday a.m. – 4:20 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. – 4:20 p.m., and Saturday 8 a.m. – 3:50 p.m. It is closed Monday, Thursday, and Sunday.
