Meeting location: Town offices
Date: March 27, 2018
Members present: Jay Jacobs, Jonathan Miner, Kathy Scott
Meeting opened: 1:00 pm; Meeting adjourned: 3:30 pm

Members of the public:  Lisa Anderson, Jeanne Eastman

Documents signed and reviewed:
SB signed annual financials for Health Agencies.

Other Business: Discussion on Town Recycling Center (RC)

  1. MDS recycles all Cardboard and paper for Harrisville
  2. MDS transports all plastics #1-7, aluminum and tin: and sells to Casella in Auburn, MA
  3. Casella: warehouses all until enough bulk for their clients in-Country, or out of Country. Casella says their largest international clients are currently India and China.
  4. All of our compacted trash is transported by MDS to an incinerator facility. Location is Market Dependent
  5. Recycling Center set up: traffic pattern, safety discussed.

Kathy expressed: concern at RC for public safety with current mix vehicle and pedestrian traffic and potential personal injury; RC not ADA compliant. Requiring a disabled person to ask for assistance for access, from RC staff is not acceptable for individual dignity. If this process becomes permanent, the set up should be ADA compliant, and the traffic pattern better to prevent vehicle/pedestrian accident.

Lisa discussed Universal Design as concept for accessibility for all. Current set up is not accessible to her. Median town age 55 yrs old; Vision changes impact safety, modifications can be made to set up. The Town needs to consider pedestrian traffic in addition to vehicle traffic.

Jeanne expressed concern that the changes were not brought before the town at Town Meeting. Although not a financial difference, the current changes involved shelving a lot of equipment that was purchased by town vote, at various town meetings.

Jon expressed the process of decision for change of RC set up was small financial change done with consideration for personnel needs, and current Recycling Market. We increased our recycling footprint. Recycling locally with small buyers is no longer possible.

Kathy said changes were small from a financial aspect, but this is a large change how public interfaces w/ RC.

Jay Jacobs suggests setting up a committee to consider improved traffic pattern and safety. Information on RC in Summer edition of Common Threads

Upcoming:
July 6-8 – Old Home Days – Fireworks display at 9:15 pm on July 6 with a rain date of July 8.
September 11 – Primary Elections at Town Offices
November 6 – General Elections at Town Offices