Beginning this fall, residents may need to buy a $50 sticker to use the transfer station. The fee is one of three major changes being proposed for the transfer station to combat increasing costs and shrinking disposal options. In addition to the $50 per residential household sticker fee, Preston plans to install a food waste collection bin at the transfer station and begin collecting a wide range of textiles for recycling, including shoes, backpacks, curtains and bedsheets.
The Board of Selectmen discussed a proposed ordinance that would implement the sticker fee Wednesday and delayed a vote until its Sept. 13 meeting. Each household may receive up to two stickers. Residents currently pay no fee but are required to show proof of residency to use the transfer station. Operation of the transfer station is now funded through property taxes.
Public Works Manager Jim Corley initially proposed the fee to the Board of Selectmen at its Aug. 9 meeting. Corley said the fee would be applied annually per calendar year. Stickers sold starting late this fall would be good through the 2024 calendar year.