PORTSMOUTH — Residents are still not done talking trash, apparently.

About 100 or more residents crowded the Town Council Chambers and the adjacent hallway to hear an agenda item regarding “a request for clarification on request for proposal (RFP) pertaining to the operation of the transfer station for bulky waste drop-off and diversion items.”

In an attempt to find a solution to its trash collection problems, back in May the council voted 4-3 to advertise an RFP to implement a hybrid waste management program in the future. The proposal would offer a town-wide curbside collection program for residents, and keep the Hedly Street transfer station open only for bulky waste and other diversionary items.

Council members stressed the RFP will be used to explore whether the option is financially feasible, and that no decision has been made yet.

At the council’s Sept. 11 meeting, Department of Public Works Director Brian Woodhead was expected to ask for clarification on that RFP, and that’s what drew the large turnout. 

So large, in fact, that the council decided it could not discuss the matter that evening. At the start of the meeting, Council President Kevin Aguiar announced that since the council chambers was nearing full capacity and there were people still out in the hallway, it wouldn’t be fair to anyone to proceed with the matter at that time.

“We’re going to have to continue this item and have a special meeting … where we have adequate room,” Aguiar said, noting the meeting would most likely be held at either the middle school or high school. “I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but we can’t have a meeting with people out in the hallway.”

Aguiar assured the crowd that the date and location of the special meeting will be posted on the town’s website (www.portsmouthri.gov). As of Tuesday night, the meeting had not been scheduled.

Woodhead’s letter

In a Sept. 5 letter asking the council for more clarification regarding the RFP, Woodhead stated that pivotal aspect of the proposal revolves around the potential utilization of the transfer station for the disposal of bulky waste and diversion materials.

“This element, however, has sparked a complex question that we are grappling with: How can we effectively rationalize the continued operation of the transfer station, particularly when the prospect of curbside collection, similar to the model adopted by our neighboring  Middletown, offers the potential for greater cost-effectiveness and convenience?” Woodhead stated in his letter. 

The question, he said, has brought the town “to a critical juncture, compelling us to contemplate not only the operational intricacies but also the fundamental justification for upholding the transfer station’s operations. Our aim is to formulate a strategy that reconciles the coexistence of the transfer station with the forthcoming curbside collection initiative.” 

Woodhead suggested two options:

1) Prepare a curbside collection RFP which provides for bulky waste to be picked up curbside for an additional cost to residents.

2) Prepare a curbside collection RFP as in Option 1 and prepare a separate RFP to contract for the operation of the transfer station for bulky waste and diversion materials with weekly hours of noon to 7 p.m. on Thursday, and 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Should this action by chosen by the council, the projected sticker cost for each resident who chooses to use the station for bulky waste and diversion materials would be an estimated $235.71 — and that’s in addition to the cost of curbside pickup.

Fewer using station

Back in May, council member Daniela Abbott summed up the town’s problem when it came to solid waste: Out of 7,200 eligible households in Portsmouth, only 2,000 use the transfer station, which is designed to pay for itself under an enterprise fund, she said.

Fewer people are using the transfer station every year, since far more residents pay private haulers for curbside pickup. That means on top of escalating trash hauling fees, residents who do use the transfer station are seeing their vehicle sticker fees going up annually, and also have to pay extra for pay-as-you-throw bags.

Future meetings

The council will next meet on the following dates and times:

• 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 25

• 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 10

• 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14, on Prudence Island

• 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 23