To the editor:
Why did the Board of Health sign off on spending nearly a million dollars for new oversized trash and recycling containers that very few of us want? Why weren’t we given a choice of which size we needed or if we needed any at all? It seems clear that the rollout was rushed and ill-prepared. This is a tremendous waste of taxpayer dollars.
It’s also created a small mountain of plastic trash that needs to be hauled to the dump.
Here are a few of the questions that need to be answered.
1) Why were the large size 95-gallon recycling and 65-gallon trash barrels selected as the default and delivered to every single address in Marblehead? Many residents have no need for such large containers and others don’t have room for them. Some of our elderly and disabled residents will find the new containers very difficult to maneuver even with little content inside because they are so heavy. Telling us that possibly, someday down the road it’s conceivable that we could be switching to bi-weekly pickups isn’t a very good reason.
2) Why weren’t residents surveyed about the barrel sizes they prefer or even if they need new barrels. Many of the large barrels are being returned for the smaller size. There is already an excess supply of the large barrels so the returns will either be stored indefinitely or trashed which is a waste of money.
3) Why were multi-unit properties that consolidate their trash and recycling given new barrels for each unit. Some of these properties, like Glover Landing, have over 100 units and each one got a pair of barrels. They are all being returned and likely trashed.
4) Why can’t residents continue to use their barrels that are compatible with the automated system? Telling us that the town needs to own every trash barrel used by residents isn’t a good answer.
5) Why wasn’t there a plan ready to collect old barrels and either find a home for their reuse or have them recycled? While some volunteers are helping to move some the returned barrels that are in good shape to new homes, this represents only a small percentage of the returns. More planning and effort to deal with the returns should have been considered.
We just approved an override that included trash and recycling expenses. We trust that our elected and hired leaders will manage those funds thoughtfully and responsibly with clear communications to the residents. We expect more from our Board of Health and they should be held accountable.
Mark and Marge Adams
Briar Lane
