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11/12/10
Votes kill pay-per-throw for now; defer policies on land use pending a thorough study of open space
Two votes taken by the Town Council this week affirm the council's intent on associated goals for 2010.
At their Nov. 8, 2010 meeting, their last of the council year, councilors voted:
- Not to pursue a pay-per-throw system of household waste disposal at this time; and
- To work on implementing the Recreation and Open Space chapter of the 2007 Comprehensive Plan before it works on the chapter for land use..
Both votes were taken with little discussion Nov. 8, but were the culmination of months of study, discussion and input from the public.
Officials had been looking at pay-per-throw as a means of shifting waste disposal costs from taxation to user fees, and to encourage recycling. Under the system, residents would be allowed to dispose of household wastes only in plastic bags sold by the Town.
The topic was studied by the Recycling Committee and was the subject of Town Council workshops. Residents, however, found little to like about pay-per-throw and voiced their opinions at a public hearing in September. Most of those speaking said they viewed pay-per-throw as an additional tax.
The vote to postpone work on land-use policies affirms a recommendation from the council's ordinance subcommittee submitted Nov. 8.
Review of Town policies governing land use, specifically development densities, is a recommendation of the Comprehensive Plan adopted in 2007. The Planning Board had begun to discuss the land-use chapter of the plan, but the council is now looking to defer that work in light of the recent slowdown in development activity.
Instead, the council is directing the board to begin working on recommendations in the Recreation and Open Space Chapter of the Comprehensive Plan, and to take up land-use only after recommended open-space work has been completed.
The ordinance committee's recommendation comes with a flow chart showing how the open space considerations should be achieved.
Both pay-per-throw and Comprehensive Plan implementation are on the list of Town Council goals for 2010.
Previous stories:
Pay-per-throw
Comprehensive Plan and Land Use
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