New fee schedule for Mattapoisett Transfer Station increases, specifies rates

MATTAPOISETT – The Mattapoisett Board of Health moved to adopt a new set of resident fees for disposals at the town’s transfer station during a Feb. 14 meeting.

Certain rates within the 2024 fee schedule rose. Some rates were also further broken down into a range in which the size of the disposal more specifically determines the fee.

The disposal rates for building or construction material, furniture and other bulky items rose slightly for certain loads, like the price for a “regular pickup truck” which changed from a $30 to $50 range in 2023 to $50 or more in 2024.

The move to the new set of fees puts “our fees in line with the cost that we’re currently paying,” Mattapoisett Board of Health member Michele Bernier said.

Among other changes, the cost to dispose of a large propane tank rose from $10 to $20, but the new fees included a new $2 rate for small propane tanks. Another addition to the 2024 resident fee schedule was specified costs for certain furniture items, like recliner chairs or coffee tables.

Disposal of televisions or computers went from $40 each to a range of $20 to $50 each. The costs for mattress and box spring disposals, $40 in 2023, were split up by size for 2024, with twin beds at $40, fulls at $50 and queens or kings at $60. The cost for non-recyclable mattresses was set at $125.

“I don’t think it’s fair for a person that’s got a single-size mattress to be paying the same $40 as a person that’s getting rid of a California king,” transfer station lead attendant Skip Harris said. “I’m just looking at it in all fairness.”