09/26/2015

New traffic pattern, rolloff compactors recommended for Recycling Center

Changes in traffic flow and replacing the current hopper/compactor with outdoor stationary compactor units are being recommended by the Solid Waste and Recycling Long Term Planning Committee to enhance the safety and serviceability of the town's 37-year-old Recycling Center.

The Town Council on Sept. 14, 2015 received what they called an "impressive" report from the committee, and voted to talk more about its recommendations for long-term changes at the Recycling Center at a future workshop.

The new design proposal allows residents to enter one of five lanes when entering the facility. A by-pass lane leads to the swap shop, bottle shed or other "ancillary" destinations, while the other lanes lead to rolloff containers for single-sort recyclables and cardboard. Further down each lane are separate rolloff containers for household waste. "Outdoor stationary compactors for both recycling and (municipal solid waste) replace the need for a new hopper/compactor and save considerable tax dollars in compactor building repairs," according to the report.

Cost effectiveness is a hallmark of the recommended design, said Town Councilor Jessica Sullivan, who chaired the ad hoc committee. "Not only will these changes best serve the town residents now and in the years to come, but they will prove to be a more efficient use of taxpayer dollars," Sullivan said. The redesign will save $50,000 a year in hauling fees, and cost only $13,799 more annually than the current operation would cost after needed repairs, she said.

The committee met for eight months and incorporated input from a citizen survey and the engineering services of Woodard & Curran, which conducted a safety assessment in December of last year following a fatal accident that resulted from a vehicle backing into the hopper building.

Early in the process, the report says, committee members learned the 37-year-old hopper and building were in need of repair or replacement, at an estimated cost of $471,000 which included no safety or service improvements. "Not a good use of taxpayers dollars," according to the report.

The recommended design keeps traffic moving forward, enhances pedestrian safety and promotes ease of use for the town's aging population. Openings in the rolloff containers for both recycling and household waste are lower and wider than the current "silver bullets", facilitating dropoff and minimizing lifting.

Fellow councilors were impressed with the breadth and complexity of the report. "I'm really pleased that you looked at what I thought were the right goals, at citizen safety and ease of use but also being responsible to the taxpayer in terms of how much money we're going to spend," said Councilor Molly MacAuslan. Sullivan said the committee saved approximately $35,000 by writing the report themselves, putting that money toward engineering services.

Jim Walsh, chair of the council's finance committee, said the 2017-2026 capital improvement plan includes $1.4 million that are directly related to the report. "Which is at least a statement that we're on board ... we're on board for planning purposes," Walsh said.

Under the committee's recommendation, the existing compactor building would be "recycled" to an extent, repurposed to hold electronic waste and to house the office, required electrical panels, and the Town’s radio communications system.

Councilors may include the Solid Waste and Recycling Long Term Planning Committee report in its October workshop agenda.