Should Amesbury Keep Its Yard Waste Dump?

Regarding the compost dump, I have a few thoughts, which I've communicated to the Mayor. The question of moving the dump is an administrative one and so really beyond the Council's authority (it was not a part of the recent vote to allow the Mayor to enter into an extendable 5 year recycling contract) but that doesn't stop us from asking questions and being able to advocate about it. It's really a question for each Mayor to sort out and Mayor Moak may make this a moot point if he doesn't agree to the deal.

For me, there are TWO competing concerns on this whole issue: Cost Savings vs. Convenience of Amesbury Residents.

First, financial. We all know that bad times are here and more bad times are coming, so costs will need to be cut wherever they can be. The compost dump operates at a loss, when you look at fees collected versus direct costs (gate-keepers, on-site toilets, DPW staff and equipment time to move and turn material) and indirect costs (fringe benefits, etc for that personnel). Amesbury would basically be 'outsourcing' these costs to Newburyport and paying a lump sum to them (and residents would continue to buy stickers for there, rather than here). So, there is the opportunity for some modest savings by doing this. In terms of Cost Savings, it's a 'no brainer' if we save money. (And let Newburyport decide for itself if it's a good deal for them or not.)

One the other hand, there is the issue of having this service available to residents as conveniently as possible. I spoke to the Mayor about this issue and part of his thinking is to ask "Is processing yard waste a core function of local government?" This is a good question and should be asked about ALL the functions of local government, to make sure that we keep focused on core services. I DO think that the removal of household waste (like sewage treatment) IS a core local government service. I am NOT as sure that handling yard waste is a primary function of local government, and so will be a LOW priority when considered against, say, public safety and education.

So, should we lose money on a service that is not a primary function of government? I'm inclined to say NO, which either means raising the fees to cover the true cost of the service or buy the service from someone else (e.g. Newburyport). As it stands, the service is offered on the backs of residential and business taxpayers.

That said, the cost of operating the compost is small in the picture of the whole budget and the perceived value of the compost service is HIGH. About 1/4 of the households in Amesbury have stickers for the dump. For those that use it, it provides a very convenient service. My wife and I use it often, throughout the season its open. With a tiny yard, I would have no where to compost waste on my own property. SO, when you balance Cost Savings against Convenience and Value to Amesbury Residents, it is probably worth continuing to provide the service directly to the community.

I've requested more financial information from the Mayor about the costs of keeping the dump in Amesbury vs. using Newburyport. If the true cost to us is minor, I'd support keeping it here. We'd still have to come up with an alternative site, because I think most folks also agree that keeping it in the cemetery is not a good option.

UPDATE: The Mayor's office has produced a report analyzing the costs of maintaining vs. regionalizing the yard waste site. It also discusses alternative sites in Amesbury. CLICK HERE to read the report.