Select Board directs move to automated trash carts
Walpole's Select Board voted to direct the town administrator to negotiate an automated curbside trash and recycling contract, ending the town's manual pickup system.
Select Board · Meeting of July 14, 2026
Walpole's Select Board voted to direct the town administrator to negotiate an automated curbside trash and recycling contract, ending the town's manual pickup system. The board voted 5-0-0, with Member Benjamin Barrett arguing residents should start with 64-gallon containers rather than the proposed 96-gallon size, saying it is "as much of a fiscal issue as it is sort of a green issue." Town Administrator James Johnson said Weston & Sampson estimates a separate MWRA emergency water connection would cost $5.3 million for a pump station, on top of a $21.5 million PFAS plant due by 2029; Vice Chair Glenn Maffei said he is "not opposed to the MWA connection, only sort of in a vacuum." The board also approved an Eversource pole relocation on East Street and signed the 2026 State Primary Warrant, both 5-0-0, and heard that Walpole topped its 1,200-signature goal on a Norwood Hospital petition.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,338 words
Source: the Select Board meeting of July 14, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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