trash pg 1 7-3-24

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Category: Current Issue

Trash: Next,
time for
payment
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — The town’s new trash program with Casella Waste Inc. is going along very well. In July, part two of the equation steps to the forefront: Fees.
Town officials and Casella Waste reps agree that the town is looking much cleaner. At a meeting last week, said Marc Morgan, Casella’s strategic account manager – Municipal Services, he toured the town with town officials. “There are no more trash piles to be picked up, blowing around or raccoons digging through trash.” He said their tour date was a fairly windy day but no trash was blowing around.
Town Administrator Elaine Sistare said “Things look a lot neater. It’s certainly been cleaner.”
He said there were a couple hiccups with the schedule. For example he said there might be one house where the app says the pickup is Wednesday but the rest of the homes on the road are picked up on Tuesday. “We think we have all the app glitches fixed.”
As for recycling he said the residents now have three or four times the recycling capacity compared to before. Recycling pickups are every other week.
After the holiday, he said, Casella will reassess how the program is going. “Then we’ll shift gears to make adjustments.”
Cart (bin) adjustments will be made at that point. If a resident had asked for a 65-gallon cart but there weren’t any available, after the holiday “We’ll be able to make the swap.”
During signups, town officials ordered 500 65-gallon carts, thinking that would cover it. But they were more in demand than they thought so some residents got a 95-gallon cart until a 65-gallon cart became available.
Morgan said the company ordered more 65-gallon carts so making the swaps should go well.
“There have not been any surprises or concerns in particular,” he said. “We feel this has been a success.”
He added, “We really appreciate everybody’s cooperation in this transition. Putnam is fortunate to have the great people it has.”
The Fees
Sistare said tax bills for the trash program will be going out with the property tax bills. Casella is in charge of service and the town’s tax office is in charge of billing. The charge for a 95-gallon cart for a year is $395. The charge for a 65-gallon cart is $350 a year. Both include the required 95-gallon recycling carts. The trash bills will go out to about 2,400 property owners, she said. Like a property tax bill, payment is split in half, with the first half to be postmarked by Aug. 1. The second half is due at the end of January 2025.
What happens if the trash bill is not paid? Sistare said by mid-August, at the latest, they will ask Casella to stop picking up those carts. “They can put the bins out all they want, but there will be no pickup,” she said. By late August, early September Casella will be asked to retrieve the carts.
Human nature being what it is, she anticipates they will get phone calls in August with “Hey, how come my trash hasn’t been picked up.”
“By late August prep will begin to get the bins picked up.”

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