PORTSMOUTH — The cost of an annual sticker fee to use the Hedly Street or Prudence Island transfer stations will be $210 in 2022 — a buck cheaper than the current fee.
The Town Council …
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PORTSMOUTH — The cost of an annual sticker fee to use the Hedly Street or Prudence Island transfer stations will be $210 in 2022 — a buck cheaper than the current fee.
The Town Council set the sticker fee during its Nov. 22 meeting in a unanimous vote, following the recommendation of Department of Public Works Director Brian Woodhead.
The cost of adding a second vehicle per household remains at $10. (Residents are allowed two annual stickers per household.)
The town has previously granted residents a grace period, so that the stickers for the Hedly Street transfer station are valid through Jan. 31 of the following year, and through March 30 for the Prudence Island transfer station.
That has caused confusion, however, among some seasonal residents when they purchase stickers later in the year, according to Mr. Woodhead and Town Administrator Richard Rainer, Jr.
The council then voted unanimously to remove references to the respective Jan. 31 and March 30 dates in the sticker applications. Rainer, however, said the town will still honor the original grace periods.
Although the sticker price is seeing a slight dip, the cost of pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) bags are going up.
Woodhead said the town has not increased the cost of the PAYT bags since the program was implemented in 2017. However, WasteZero has increased the cost of the bags by 7.5 percent under its contract with the town, he said. The contract uses the CPI-U (Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers) of 5.5 percent, and adds an additional 2 percent, he said.
Since the transfer station operates under an enterprise fund, to keep the sticker price stable, the extra cost of the bags needs to be passed on to residents by increasing the cost per sleeve of bags from the current $10 to $10.75, Woodhead said.
The council agreed to include the increase in the motion for the new sticker fee.
Shorter-use fees
The cost of a one-week sticker in 2022 is $50 — the same as the current fee for Hedly Street, but a $20 hike at the Prudence Island transfer station. In addition, the one-week pass for Prudence can now be used only for residential household waste and mixed recyclables.
The cost of a six-month pass on Prudence Island (Jan. 1 to July 30) was increased from $100 to $105, and remains at $65 for a four-month pass (June 1 to Sept. 30).
Other changes can be found in the application posted on the town’s website (www.portsmouthri.com).