COHASSET - September 9 - The Cohasset Select Board voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve significant fee increases for the town's Recycling and Transfer Facility (RTF), including doubling the cost of trash disposal bags and raising sticker prices by as much as 100% as part of a proposed enterprise fund structure. The board also heard details of a pilot program to sell 300 RTF stickers to non-residents at $300 each.
The Full Story
The most dramatic changes approved will impact every RTF user. The large blue trash bags will increase from $2 to $4 each, while small bags will double from $1 to $2, effective November 1, 2025. These increases come after reviewing data showing the town loses money on every bag sold due to disposal costs.
"Every time the blue bag gets thrown in based on the cost of the bag and the cost of the disposal of based on the average weight of the bag," Select Board Chair Ellen Maher explained the financial rationale.
RTF sticker fees will see equally significant increases, though they won't take effect until April 1, 2026, pending the outcome of a special town meeting vote on creating an RTF enterprise fund. Full-price stickers will rise from $75 to $150, while senior citizen stickers will increase from $30 to $60. However, the board introduced a new pricing structure where second vehicles registered to the same owner will cost only $75 for regular stickers and $30 for senior stickers.
The board also approved new "single item" disposal fees for bulky waste, effective October 1, based on actual disposal costs. Items like mattresses, furniture, and appliances will now carry specific fees ranging from small charges for electronics to larger fees for major appliances.
Much discussion centered on the proposed pilot program to sell 300 RTF stickers to non-residents at $300 each, generating an estimated $75,000 in revenue. The pilot faced immediate pushback from a resident during public comment, who raised concerns about increased traffic on narrow Cedar Street.
"Traffic in the golf course, of course, my 2 concerns are increased road maintenance or paving. And pedestrian safety created by all the new traffic on Cedar street," he said, requesting the town conduct traffic studies before and during the pilot.
Select Board member Chris Plecs noted the financial implications of rejecting the pilot program: "If we didn't have the pilot program to get that $75,000, that would mean increasing the rest of the stickers by about 17%. The full price sticker would be $175."
The RTF Manager defended the facility's capacity to handle additional users, citing improvements made since the 2022 fire that have streamlined operations. "The time it takes you to pull in and out and do your business has decreased just because of what we've done logistically," he explained.
However, concerns about starting with 300 non-resident stickers led Chair Maher to suggest beginning with a smaller number. "Would we not want to make it containable, make it measurable and then if it's successful, no impact to residents, then we could roll it out," she said. The board ultimately decided to defer voting on the pilot program, asking RTF management to return with traffic analysis and potentially a smaller initial number.
The fee increases are tied to a proposed RTF enterprise fund, which will be voted on at a November 3 special town meeting. Unlike the current system where RTF revenue goes into the general fund and gets distributed 61% to schools and 39% to municipal operations, an enterprise fund would keep all RTF revenue within the facility's operations.
"An enterprise fund allows us to retain the earnings and allows us to bond against them," Maher explained. "As we built and everything is new, only 1 time, there will be capital needs in the future. And this is our savings plan for those capital needs."
The board also heard a presentation from Circuit, a company proposing an on-demand electric vehicle shuttle service connecting Cohasset, Hingham, and Hull. The service would operate Thursday through Sunday using five electric vehicles and target tourists and residents needing transportation to downtown areas and the commuter rail.
Circuit representative Max Hendrix explained the service would cost approximately $41,000 per town annually after a 25% local match requirement on a $1 million grant. However, several board members expressed concern about the financial commitment given other municipal priorities.
"I desperately want to be very supportive of this. I'm concerned about the cost," said Select Board member Chris Plecs, noting competing priorities like full-day kindergarten funding.
The board indicated willingness to support a grant application but wanted the commitment letter revised to remove specific obligations before signing.
In other business, the board appointed Carol Bestick and Kathleen Donlon to the Cultural Council and approved Will Ashton as the Conservation Commission representative to the Open Space and Recreation Committee. They also approved licensing for the Norfolk County Sheriff's PMC Kids Bike Ride event on September 28.
The Facilities Manager presented a comprehensive summer work update, highlighting roof replacements at Town Hall and other municipal buildings, renovations to the Town Hall recreation room using grant funding, and resolution of chronic flooding issues at the high school garage. Board members praised the facilities department's work preparing all four school buildings for the start of the academic year.
The board also opened the warrant for a November 3 special town meeting, with a draft 12-article agenda including the RTF enterprise fund vote, budget amendments, stabilization fund appropriations, and authorization for the 62 Elm Street project bonding.
Why It Matters
The RTF fee increases will significantly impact household budgets for Cohasset residents, with families potentially paying twice as much for trash disposal starting this fall. The sticker fee increases, if approved alongside the enterprise fund at town meeting, represent the largest single fee increase in recent memory. For a household with two vehicles, the annual RTF cost could increase from $150 to $225, plus the higher bag costs. The pilot program for non-resident stickers, while generating revenue, has raised legitimate concerns about traffic impacts on Cedar Street that the town must carefully monitor and address.
Meeting Minutes
Key Motions & Votes
Motion: Approve PMC Kids event license for September 28, 2025. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous.
Motion: Approve entertainment license for PMC Kids event. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous.
Motion: Approve RTF sticker fees effective April 1, 2026 ($150/$75 regular, $60/$30 senior, $300 non-resident pilot). Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous.
Motion: Approve bag fees of $4 and $2 for 33 and 16 gallon bags effective November 1, 2025. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous.
Motion: Approve single item disposal fees effective October 1, 2025. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous.
Motion: Open special town meeting warrant for November 3, 2025. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous.
Public Comment
A resident raised concerns about the RTF out-of-town sticker pilot program, specifically requesting traffic studies on Cedar Street to establish baseline data before and during the pilot to assess impacts on road maintenance and pedestrian safety.
What's Next
RTF management will return with traffic analysis data and a revised pilot program proposal. The board will meet September 16, 23, and 30 to finalize the special town meeting warrant. The November 3 special town meeting will vote on the RTF enterprise fund and other warrant articles. Updated long-range financial planning will be developed in coordination with Advisory and Capital Budget committees.