Nahant eliminates opt-out option for trash pick up program; eyes bag fee

NAHANT – Residents are no longer allowed to opt out of the town trash collection program.Nahant Town Administrator Mark Cullinan said in the past property owners were able to opt out of the trash fee by informing the town it had another trash removal option in place. But, effective immediately, residents are not able to opt out.According to Cullinan, the change comes after it was discovered that residents have been trying to game the system, resulting in increased costs for the remaining town residents.”In the past some people haven’t participated,” he said. “We’ve had reports of people putting trash in their neighbors’ barrels. There have been cases where neighbors put trash out together as one household and split the bill.”Cullinan said there has also been an issue with residents not accurately reporting the number of people living in the home.”The numbers given do not match up with the local census figures,” he said.Cullinan said the bills, which are going out this week, cover the period from July 1 through June 30, 2011. The annual household base fee is $160 and the town charges an additional $62 annually for each person in the household. The per-person fee is up $2 from what it was last year.Unlike previous years, the town will not be processing abatements for households.”It has been an administrative nightmare,” he said. “We’ve had people come in and tell us they go to New Hampshire every weekend and want an abatement. There are no abatements.”Cullinan said the trash fee is not exorbitant and residents are getting their money’s worth.”When you think about it, it’s pretty cheap for all the services we provide,” he said. “We provide weekly recycling and trash pickups. Residents who pay the trash fee are allowed to use the town compost area and we provide several leaf and yard waste collections a year. The town also picks up large items, like couches, curbside.”Cullinan said the town has a contract with Northside Carting, which will be notified of households that have not paid the trash fee.”If you don’t pay, then your trash doesn’t get picked up,” Cullinan said. “Next month Northside Carting will be given a list of addresses where to not pick trash up.”Cullinan said he would recommend the selectmen take a look at “pay as you go” in the future. With that system, residents pay a fee for each bag of trash they dispose of.