To the editor,

The Oct. 11 meeting of the Portsmouth Council addressed the future of the transfer station. Despite numerous opening denials that the intent was to close the facility, it was a close call. 

Had the council failed to take any action, the transfer station would have closed on June 30 of 2023. The council did vote to extend the station’s operating contract for one year, but that was only to allow the further study of the curbside collection options.

One of the first things that residents of Portsmouth should be clear about is that the facility does not cost the taxpayers anything to operate. The station was established as an enterprise fund in 2006 and operates without the use of any taxes. The people who use the station pay directly for that use thru the purchase of access stickers and pay-as-you-throw bags. People may ask why is the council discussing this at all? The answer requires a deeper understanding of the proposed curbside pickup of trash by the town, which was also discussed at the council meeting last week. 

The town faces a significant challenge in its proposal to take over management of the current private system of curbside trash collection. If it does not find a way to transfer the 2,360 or so households that use the transfer station to curbside use, it is unlikely to reach the 4,000 households needed to make its plan work. 

Judging from the comments of the council members during discussions, the town has no intention of continuing current operations at the transfer station in any proposed hybrid operation. The discussions of a hybrid system were focused on using the current transfer facility to take bulky items from the long list of 82 types of items that will be an extra charge for curbside pickup.

Out of a large crowd attending the council meeting, 14 residents spoke about the transfer station and all wanted it to be kept in operation, but as it was with the aggregation of electricity idea, requests from residents fell on deaf ears. The council is clearly determined to force people to do what the council believes they should.

In its calculation of transfer station costs for next year, the town concluded there would be a 113-percent increase in total expenses. According to the current budget, costs at the station have been essentially flat for the last two years. This huge increase in projected costs is completely unreasonable and appears to be intended to bring apparent expenses at the station up to the level of those projected for the proposed curbside pickup. In fact, there is a considerable cost advantage with using the station.

The transfer station is a service used by a significant number of the households in Portsmouth. The citizens who use the station have already voted against curbside service and their decision should receive more respect from their government.

Larry Fitzmorris

President, Portsmouth Concerned Citizens

50 Kristen Court

Portsmouth