Barre Select Board Defers Transfer Station Contract Extension Vote to February 21

BARRE — February 6, 2018 — Barre Select Board and Board of Health defer vote on solid waste contract extension, set February 21 deadline. At a joint meeting February 6, the two boards debated whether to approve a two-year extension of the town's contract with Solid Waste Solutions — whose current three-year term expires June 30 — or pursue a feasibility study for town-managed transfer station operations. A consultant who drafted the original RFP cautioned against rushing financial projections, advising boards to build in at least a 10 percent margin of error on both revenue and cost estimates. Board of Health members acknowledged pursuing a composting certification with the state DEP without notifying the Select Board, a co-signer on the contract, prompting calls for better interboard communication. The boards agreed the DPW Commission would present preliminary in-house cost data on February 12, with the Select Board convening separately on February 21 to review the contract before any vote is taken.