Dighton Waste Reduction Committee Backs Hauler Contract, Eyes Enterprise Fund Vote

DIGHTON — June 2, 2025 — Dighton's Waste Reduction Committee voted unanimously to support a renewed trash hauler contract and heard a stark warning about the town's proposed pay-as-you-throw enterprise fund at its June 2 meeting. The contract, covering curbside pickup and transfer station roll-off service, carries a roughly 6 percent price increase driven by prevailing wage requirements and reduces roll-off fees from $250 to $225 per pull. A MassDEP technical assistance representative identified as Missy told the committee that the proposed $7-per-large-bag trash fee would be "the highest bag costs in the state," saying state modeling shows bag prices above $4 risk residents migrating to private haulers in numbers that "can destabilize your whole program." Town officials countered that average tonnage data projects a typical household at roughly one large bag per week, putting annual costs near $350 — comparable to flat-fee alternatives — and that a roll reduction from 10 to five bags per roll would cut the upfront purchase price from $70 to $35. The enterprise fund proposal goes to Dighton town meeting on June 9, with implementation targeted for fiscal year 2027.