Article 23: Grinding and Disposal of Debris Piles at the Transfer Station – $100,000

Click here to see the wording of this Article as it appears on your ballot.

What it means: This funding will be used to grind the pile of materials that is created from processing of bricks, cement, soils, ceramics etc. disposed at the Transfer Station. The pile covers the large western portion of the Transfer Station yard. Over time, unless it is removed, the pile will become unsafe and additional materials will not be able to be accepted. A bid earlier in 2022 resulted in higher than expected costs that were not able to be covered by the existing budget, thus resulting in a Warrant Article request.

Those in favor say: Holding material to be ground for multiple years is more efficient than doing it each year, because the biggest expense is bringing in equipment. Therefore, it makes economic sense as an every-couple-of-years effort. This year, the cost was much higher than it has been, and warranted a separate Warrant Article.

Those against say: No one spoke against this Article at the Deliberative Session.

Fiscal impact:  $100,000 cost is being proposed to be withdrawn from the Unassigned Fund Balance. Those funds were either appropriated in prior years and not spent, or the funds accumulated as a result of unanticipated positive cash flow. If approved, the money would be withdrawn from these excess funds, and there would be no new tax cost for property owners.