Although three private housing developments have received approval from the Planning Board to receive trash pickup, there is now a question as to how much that will cost the town.

When The Village at Mattapoisett residents Dan Daluz and Steve Pickup approached the board last year, they said the town’s current contract with ABC Disposal would allow for the development to receive trash collection free of charge. The special permit given to the development before it was built stated that the residents would be responsible for their own garbage. That stipulation was included in the permits for several developments in town, including The Bay Club and Brandt Point Village.

Now, however, it appears the town would incur additional charges if those locations were added to the weekly pickup.

Although the Planning Board gave the OK, that was only the first step for the developments, which must seek approval from the Board of Health, the governing authority over the town’s waste management.

The Board of Health discussed the Planning Board’s decisions during its January meeting.

Later, member Russell Bailey said the board was unaware of the issue until that meeting and is looking into the potential cost to the town, if any.

“We’re investigating what the options might be,” said Bailey. “We’re trying to gather the facts. One member of the committee, in particular, he really wants to find out who informed the Planning Board that there would be no cost to the town.”

ABC Disposal Operations Manager Jerry Dugan said when the company put out its bid with the town, it was based on a certain number of residences. Adding a few new houses would not increase the price to the town, but a “large volume” would require a “discussion.”

Town Administrator Mike Gagne said Board of Health Agent Dale Barrows is working on getting a price from ABC Disposal. The current contract includes 3,100 stops and costs a flat fee of $248,337 for trash pickup and $148,213 for recycling pickup per year. The town also pays a fee per ton of trash to SEMASS.

Gagne said the ABC contract was based on the number of pickup points, and it makes sense that it would cost the town more money if more stops were added.

“You’re changing the number of stops and the amount of time it would take to do it. You can’t do that. That would be unrealistic to ask,” said Gagne.

Additionally, since trash pickup is not paid for individually but through the tax levy, Gagne said it makes sense for all residents to receive the service.

“It’s pretty hard to argue that those people aren’t entitled to have their trash pickup,” he said. “We do go into other gated and ‘semi-private’ communities and pick up trash now, so there’s an equity issue.”

The Board of Health’s next meeting is Feb. 16 at 10 a.m.