Board plans to require annual tonnage reports from trash haulers, to update permit forms

Board members discussed longstanding questions about whether town-permitted trash haulers provide adequate information about where collected waste is processed and whether the town should require copies of the haulers’ state tonnage reports.

The board agreed the town’s permit application should require an annual tonnage report (the same data haulers submit to the state) as an attachment. Committee members noted the town’s current paperwork is paper-based and some haulers still use older forms; the board directed staff to update the online permit so it accepts PDF uploads and to require a copy of the state-submitted tonnage report at permit renewal.

Members discussed frequency and administrative burden: they concluded yearly reporting tied to permit renewal provides necessary oversight without imposing quarterly administrative burdens on small businesses. The board also asked staff to prepare guidance on what the town needs to receive (a copy of the state report or equivalent documentation) and to communicate the change to local haulers in the next permit cycle.