RANDAL BROWN
SOUTHWICK – Transfer station stickers for Fiscal Year 2015 are now on sale at the town clerk’s office and online.
The stickers are good for one year and cost $100, which is about a $10 increase over the current year’s fee. An additional sticker can be purchased per household for $28. Prorated stickers and stickers for residents age 60 and over are $50. A prorated senior sticker is $25, a replacement or lost sticker is $28, and a one day pass is $22. Recycling only stickers are also available for $10.
Last month the Board of Selectmen approved a fee increase recommended by Public Works Director Randy Brown.
“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.”
Southwick residents with current stickers are not limited to the number of visits they can make to the station, located at 22 Industrial Road.
Bulk items may be brought to the station for additional fees. Mattresses and box springs are $16 each; propane tanks are $5 each; televisions and computers are $20 each; refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners are $10 each; appliances such as washers, dryers and stoves are $20 each; and dismounted car tires are $5 each with a limit of four.
Brown said they only accept normal household waste at the station. 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.
The Southwick Transfer Station 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.
