Saugus Town Meeting votes to take authority of trash policy

SAUGUS – Monday?s Special Town Meeting voted 37-0 to pass Article 3, which amends the town?s Public Safety bylaw to give Town Meeting authority to approve any trash and recycling policy changes made by the Board of Health.According to the article, “Any establishment, change, or implementation of rules and regulations? relative to the collection of solid waste, trash, recycling? shall occur after being approved by a majority vote of an Annual or Special Town Meeting.”Board of Health Chairman Joe Vinard said the board never intended any harm when it implemented its trash reduction policy in August and urged Town Meeting to refer it back to a Special Town Meeting in November to allow the Board of Health to make changes to the bylaw.?It was never the intention of the Board of Health to cause problems related to trash and recycling,” said Vinard. “We feel that the article as written enters into a gray area and we feel the answer is to table it and refer it to the next Special Town Meeting. Then let?s sit down and discuss all the issues this article has brought up.”However, Town Meeting voted against referring the article back.?I support that elected bodies should handle this,” said Town Meeting member Albert DiNardo. “Trash collection is the only weekly, direct service that every person of this town receives from this community. We need to come together on this issue. It needs to be an elected body.”In June, the Board of Health along with the Solid Waste and Recycling Department enacted a new trash policy which reduced the number of barrels residents can put out to three 35-gallon barrels. When there was backlash against the 35-gallon limit, it was raised to 45 gallons. However, this caused even more consternation among residents who had already thrown out their old barrels.?The bag size and the weight, and the frequency and pickup ? affects a lot of people,” said Town Meeting member George Moriello. “And I think the Board of Health made a bad decision to come up with that in August. You made the decision? and it riled up a lot of people and guess who they call, not the Board of Health, they call Town Meeting members.”Town Meeting Member Peter Manoogian said the Board of Health will still have full authority over health issues in Saugus but stressed that public policy belongs with a public body.?This is detailing the realm of policy as opposed to the realm of authority,” said Manoogian. “I?m very sensitive and appreciative of the Board of Health?s understanding of their role and the authority they have. They have that detailed knowledge.”The amended bylaw must now go to the Attorney General?s office for approval.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected]. You can follow him on Twitter at @MattTempesta.