The Board of Health spoke more about a proposed curbside trash and recycling fee at its meeting Tuesday night.
With a 3% opt-out rate, Health Director Andrew Petty projected the curbside fee to be about $281 per household.
“We believe somewhere between 3% and 5% might opt out,” Petty said, though board members suggested the opt-out rate could be higher in the first year.
The proposed fee would include weekly trash pickup, weekly recycling collection, seasonal leaf and grass pickup and processing costs.
Officials said households that qualify for reduced property taxes could receive a discounted rate of about $260 per year.
The Select Board recently decided not to include curbside collection in the town’s base operating budget, meaning it will need to be funded through a fee-based system over an override at May’s Town Meeting.
Petty warned that eliminating curbside collection without an alternative could create serious operational and public health problems.
“If we do not have curbside collection, we have a potential for a public health threat,” he said, noting that the Transfer Station would be unable to handle the volume of trash from roughly 8,000 households.
Petty cautioned that if many residents choose to opt out and bring their trash to the Transfer Station instead, the facility could become overwhelmed — and costs for Transfer Station stickers could also rise.
“We saw during the (trash) strike this summer how chaotic it can be,” said member Tom McMahon “Good luck if 8,000 homes are trying to come through the Transfer Station on a Saturday.”
Transfer Station revenues remain strong
The town’s Transfer Station generates significant revenue through annual stickers and disposal fees.
In fiscal 2025, the facility brought in more than $751,000, including about $612,000 from transfer station stickers and $117,000 from disposal fees for items such as mattresses, tires and electronics.
Petty said new license plate reader technology installed at the transfer station has helped ensure that all users purchase the required sticker.
“We’re making sure everybody has a facility sticker,” Petty said. “There’s no freebies. It keeps everybody on a level playing field.”
Budgets approved
The board unanimously approved a $339,320 health department budget for FY27, a 4.07% increase over the previous year.
Petty said the budget largely reflects contractual salary obligations and routine operational costs, including inspections, training and public health services.
“This is pretty much our standard operating budget,” Petty told the board while reviewing line items. “A lot of it is contractual obligations and the basic costs of running the department.”
The department’s staffing includes a public health nurse who also serves as a health inspector, as well as a senior clerk whose position is shared between the health and waste departments. The budget also includes funding for overtime in case inspectors are called out after hours to respond to issues at food establishments or other public health concerns.
Among the department’s largest expenses is a $60,000 allocation for counseling services through the Marblehead Counseling Center, which provides mental health support to residents and town employees on a sliding fee scale.
“Most health departments do not have access to a counseling center in this way,” Petty said. “It’s a huge benefit to Marblehead residents.”
The department also funds seasonal beach water testing, rabies testing when needed and medical supplies for flu vaccination clinics. Some vaccination costs are reimbursed through insurance billing and a revolving account used to purchase vaccines.
The board also approved a $3,215,611 waste disposal budget.
Next steps
The health and waste department budgets will next be reviewed by the town’s Finance Committee at so-called “Super Saturday” budget hearings this weekend.
The Board of Health will host a community forum on the proposed trash fee the last of April, just before Town Meeting.
