The Carver Special Town Meeting was held at the Middle/High School, with about 100 voters present.
A lot of discussion focused on the trash and recycling district agreement between Carver, Marion, and Wareham.
In short, residents voted 51-49 to amend the agreement, setting the stage to close the shared Route 28 facility in Rochester. In essence, Carver and Marion would leave the district.
Selectman Bob Belbin says it’s a symbolic vote, as Wareham does not have this on the warrant for Special Town Meeting.
“In my opinion, the district will end up having to consolidate because Marion has already voted the first part, they voted the second part to get out of the district. It’ll be left with six members,” said Belbin. “Wareham, if they don’t take this article up to shrink the district to a skeleton district, then lo and behold, we’re in the back in the same position of our old agreement. We’d have to negotiate another agreement between the two towns so Carver can walk away.”
He says residents would have to make their own provisions for trash and recycling after the agreement ends this year.
“Right now in Carver, the only choice for trash is to find a trash hauler to get rid of your trash,” said Belbin. “I feel bad for all the residents in the lower income brackets that can’t afford it.”
Town meeting approved a $1.1. million reduction in the FY 21 budget, though Interim Town Administrator Rick LaFond says this does not include reductions to department budgets.
He says that with solar tax agreements and other projects not expected to be online until next year, those revenues are not available. The funds were set aside for the Other Post Employment Benefits Fund, high school/middle school reserves, and the Stabilization Fund.
All six articles in the warrant were approved. The town meeting concluded in about two hours.
