Swampscott scraps Phillips Beach trash policy

SWAMPSCOTT – After a pilot program last summer, the carry in/carry out trash policy at the entrance to Phillips Beach has been disposed of for the time being.Town Administrator Thomas Younger said he has been recently consulting with the Board of Selectmen and Department of Public Works Director Gino Cresta, and he decided to abandon the policy and stick with trash barrels.?I appreciate the effort of the carry in/carry out policy and the individuals who abided by it,” Younger said. “I want to go back to (the barrels) to see if this will keep the beach even cleaner by having the availability of disposable areas.”The trash policy is an operational issue, which means it is not subject to a vote of selectmen.Board of Selectmen Chairman Matthew Strauss said he thought the policy was working well by the end of last summer, and he did not think it should be stopped so soon.?Carry in/carry out was something that we should have continued,” he said. “There were mixed feelings on the board. I don?t think we gave it a fair chance. We should have run it for one more season and see how it went.”Strauss, who said he religiously goes to Phillips Beach, said Fourth of July weekend will be a good indicator whether the barrels can handle the trash accumulated at the beach.?I don?t think the DPW has the manpower to keep up with this,” he said. Barrels were put out at the beginning of the beach season this year, even though the carry in/carry out sign was up, but Cresta said the sign will now be taken down. In addition, he said the DPW brought a few more trash barrels to the beach Friday, making eight receptacles, and trash will be collected three times a week.There will be no extra cost for the DPW to resume picking up trash at the beach?s entrance, Younger said.Selectman Glenn Kessler said he has been against the carry in/carry out policy from the start.?If you take away the garbage cans, it?s going to be worse,” he said. “I?ll fight it at any beach. ? I don?t think it?s a well-thought-out policy. It?s not going to work.”Kessler added the town has an obligation to keep the beach clean.?We have one of the highest tax rates on the North Shore,” he said. “To me, this a service that our residents deserve.”Younger said the barrels will stay at the beach throughout the summer, and he will be visiting the entrance to the beach during peak times of the season to see how the barrels are working.?To be honest, if the barrels are overflowing and people are still leaving trash out at the entrance, that?s something we have to consider, and we?ll have to resolve it,” he said.