I was horrified to hear from the Northampton Department of Public Works that the fee for use of the transfer station will now be $45. If I’m not mistaken, that is an increase from a $25 fee, which has been in place for years.
I have no idea where the idea of such an increase came from, or if this was approved by the City Council, but regardless, it is excessive. It’s especially outrageous in light of the fact that the transfer station hours will be reduced, that an override was just approved, that we already pay as much as $3 per bag to get rid of garbage, and that a tremendous number of people in Northampton are currently at great financial disadvantage because of the coronavirus pandemic.
I walk in the Meadows every morning, and have for the last 13 years. I see an ever-increasing amount of trash being dumped there, and it’s obvious that people are doing so to avoid the high cost of getting rid of garbage. This fee increase will only encourage more dumping. I certainly understand that the city’s financial position isn’t a strong one at the moment, but this seems terribly inappropriate and ill-considered.
Stephen Petegorsky
Florence