PORTSMOUTH — The Town Council’s next meeting won’t happen until after the new year, when the panel will gather at Portsmouth High School at 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. 

That meeting will include a public hearing to decide whether the council should cancel in its entirety an ordinance regarding a town curbside collection program that had been approved by the previous council on Nov. 12. 

Back in May, the council voted to award an exclusive contract for curbside collection to MTG Disposal, LLC, doing business as Mega Disposal, from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2030. Officials in favor of the idea say a single hauler would keep the number of trucks traveling up and down local streets to a minimum while ensuring the best deal through a group rate. Others, however, believe residents should have the freedom to choose their own curbside contractor.

On Monday, the council voted 5-2, with Hamilton and council member Juan Carlos Payero opposed, to consider rescinding the ordinance at the public hearing next month.

Because of that vote, the council delayed another agenda item Monday — setting next year’s sticker fees for curbside collection and, for those who prefer the old way, for the town’s transfer station.

“If the ordinance is repealed, many things will change,” Hamilton explained, noting the cost structures for both the transfer station and curbside collection would be altered. 

The council will return to Town Hall for a meeting on Monday, Jan. 27, also at 7 p.m.

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