Richmond, VT Solid Waste Transfer Station The Town of Richmond recently made the decision to switch operators at the Richmond Solid Waste Transfer Station. The Solid Waste Transfer Station had been operated by the Chittenden Solid Waste District. As of January 1, 2021 the site will be operated by Casella. Following are some frequently asked questions regarding this change in operations. Please contact Richmond Town Manager Josh Arneson if you have any questions at jarneson@richmondvt.gov or 802-434-5170 Why did the Richmond Selectboard decide to award the operations of the solid waste transfer facility to Casella? When Chittenden Solid Waste District (CSWD) closed the Reuse Zone in 2019 (an area where people may drop off items that might still be usable to be picked up for free by other customers) the Selectboard heard from many residents who wanted the Reuse Zone reopened. The Selectboard asked to have the Reuse Zone re-opened but CSWD had safety concerns that could not be overcome with the available space and staffing. When the current five-year lease with CSWD expired at the end of 2020 the Selectboard decided to sign a one year lease with CSWD in order to explore other options for operators for the solid waste transfer facility. In 2021 the Selectboard put out a Request for Proposal to solicit proposals to operate the solid waste transfer station. CSWD and Casella both submitted proposals. Casella’s proposal included the Reuse Zone while CSWD’s did not. Casella’s prices that will be charged to customers were equal to or slightly lower than CSWD’s prices. Casella will accept all items that CSWD currently accepts at the site, and will also accept bulky waste such as mattresses, couches, and appliances. Documents related to the proposals may be viewed with the following links: Request for Proposal Casella’s Proposal CSWD’s Proposal Memo and scoring system for evaluation of proposals Will Casella bring back the Reuse Zone? Casella will operate a reuse zone for the duration of their five year lease. Will Casella accept the same materials that CSWD accepts? Casella will accept all of the same materials that CSWD currently accepts at the Richmond solid waste transfer station. Casella will also accept bulky waste such as mattresses, couches, and appliances. These items are not currently accepted by CSWD at this site. Will Casella sell compost on site? Casella has a plan to sell bag-your-own compost on site. What rates will Casella charge? Casella rates for 2022 and 2023 will be equal to or slightly less than the 2021 CSWD rates. After the 2023-year Casella will conduct market assessments and present the findings to the Town of Richmond Selectboard and work together with the Town on changes to the pricing system if necessary. For a complete list of rates please refer to the CSWD proposal and the Casella proposal. What days and hours will the solid waste transfer station be open? The site will be open to the public on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 8:00am – 3:30pm and Thursdays from 8:30 – 6:00pm. This schedule may vary due to holidays. Any changed to the hours for reasons other than holidays must be approved by the Richmond Town Manager. Will Casella allow vehicles with trailers? Casella intends to maintain the no trailer rule until they get a feel for the traffic pattern and volume through the site. What will happen to service while CSWD leaves the site and Casella is in process of re-setting the site? CSWD will operate the site at full capacity until the end of December 2021. January 2022 will be a month of transition. CSWD will be on site removing their equipment that is not being sold to Casella. Casella will be on site re-setting the site in preparations to fully re-open. Casella will offer drop off for household garbage, compost, and recycling during the month of January 2022. The site will be open to the public in January on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 8:00am – 3:30pm. Casella will install and bring online all previous and new services as the materials and machines arrive and can be installed in the early part of 2022 Will Richmond still be part of the Chittenden Solid Waste District and will Richmond residents still have access to other CSWD facilities including the Rover for disposal of household hazardous waste? Richmond will still be part of the Chittenden Solid Waste District. Richmond residents will still be able to utilize any other CSWD transfer station. The CSWD Rover only visits solid waste transfer stations which are operated by CSWD. Therefor, the Rover will not visit Richmond once the site is operated by Casella. However, the Town of Richmond will still be part of the CSWD Solid Waste District and residents may use the Rover when it is at any CSWD transfer station. Also, Richmond residents may use the CSWD Environmental Depot which is open year-round in South Burlington. Will current CSWD employees working at the Richmond site lose their jobs? CSWD employees who have staffed the Richmond site will still be employed by CSWD. Will there be a cost to the Town for this change? There will not be a financial cost to the Town. The Town does not currently allocate funding to CSWD in the budget. CSWD was paying $1.00 per year to lease the site. Casella will pay the same $1.00 per year. Will CSWD leave the large equipment that is currently in use at the site for Casella? It seems wasteful to remove everything only to have Casella move similar equipment back into the site. All the large and small equipment at the DOC, including containers and the booth, is the property of CSWD. CSWD will be removing some items currently at the site to use at other locations. CSWD has given a list of items they are willing to leave at the site to Casella. CSWD will expect payment for any items that they leave at the site. Casella is evaluating the items on the list provided by CSWD to determine which items they would like to purchase. Once Casella and CSWD have agreed on which items Casella would like to purchase the list of items will be discussed and voted on for approval by the Richmond Selectboard. The cost of the items will be made public. The Town will act as a pass through for this transaction by paying CSWD for the items and then charging Casella the same amount for the items. The transaction will be structured this way because CSWD currently has a lease with the Town, not with Casella. What will Casella do to address traffic concerns? Occasionally there have been concerns about traffic backing up onto Rt. 117. Casella is currently evaluating the flow of traffic at the site in an effort to move vehicles through as quickly as possible to reduce queuing. An updated site plan will be provided to the town and residents once Casella’s team creates the finalized version. Search for: Home About Government Boards & Minutes Documents Departments Calendar Bridge St. Construction Updates Quick Contact Information 203 Bridge St P.O. Box 285 (mailing) Richmond, VT 05477 Clerk & Finance: 802-434-2221 Town Manager: 802-434-5170 Planning & Zoning: 802-434-2430 Highway: 802-434-2631 Water: 802-434-2178 Police Non Emergency: 802-434-2156 Fire Non Emergency: 802-434-2002 Richmond Rescue Non Emergency: 802-434-2394 Animal Control: 802-434-2533 Library: 802-434-3036 Home Community Links Privacy Policy Sitemap About History Job Listings Open Bids, Requests for Proposals, and Special Notices Solid Waste Transfer Station Downtown and Village Center Tax Credits Sign Up For Richmond Emergency Notices Drought Disaster Designation Parking Government Municipal Directory Town Officials-Quick Reference Town Meeting 2021 Town Manager Town Clerk’s Office Boards & Minutes Selectboard Planning Commission Development Review Board Conservation Commission Trails Committee Andrews Community Forest Water and Sewer Commission Town Center and Library Buildings Committee Transportation Committee Housing Committee Recreation Committee Parking Advisory Committee Vacancies on Town Boards, Committees, and Commissions ARPA Committee Other Boards/Officers/Committees Documents Selectboard Meeting Documents Water and Sewer Commission Meeting Documents FY22 Draft Budget Documents Planning Commission Meeting Materials Financial Reports Maps Ordinances Policies Resolutions Reports Fees Facilities Assessment Information Departments Highway Department Snow Plow Status: Green Police Police Department Activity Reports Police Services Analysis and Discussion – 2018 Fire Department Richmond Free Libary Planning and Zoning DASH Grant Richmond Water Resources Department Listers Calendar Bridge St. Construction Updates © 2021 Richmond, VT. Privacy Policy Home About Government Boards & Minutes Documents Departments Calendar Bridge St. Construction Updates