Chamber Vows to 'Stop' Trash-Ceasing Article 'From Passing'

Several individuals had strong remarks this week for the Hampton Board of Selectmen after the board scheduled a special public comment period about recent proposals to end commercial trash and recycling collection.

The board as a whole won't sponsor a 2014 warrant article or consider a measure that would end all collection at profit-making rental and commercial entities, although Selectman Mary-Louise Woolsey is gathering signatures for a private petitioned warrant article that would accomplish that, if passed by voters in March.

Doc Noel, the president of the Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce, effectively drew a line in the Hampton Beach sand Monday night, stating that the chamber can't stand behind a measure that would hurt the beach — something he said has become a place to "be proud of."

"Voting to cease collection with no other option [in place] is not the right way," said Noel. "In the next few weeks our organization will work to stop this article from passing. It's the right thing for Hampton. We want Hampton to move forward — not backward."

Noel received a round of applause from the audience during Monday's session.

The special comment period was added at the request of Chuck Rage, one of the Hampton Beach Village District commissioners. Rage said the strong turnout for the meeting, and for the trash comment period in particular, shows how "passionate" beach residents are about trash.

Rage said the end of town-run trash and recycling collection at commercial entities would turn what is now an "efficient" system into a chaotic one that would feature "20 different companies" and their trucks "coming in and out of town" at various points of the day, further congesting an already bustling area.

The change, according to Rage, would also hurt Hampton Beach's reformed image, let alone taxpayers' wallets because he said the town's current transfer station couldn't handle the volume of these added trucks without a sizable and costly expansion.

"I think we're heading down the wrong path," said Rage. "You're trying to save pennies, and you're talking about dollars. I just want to show there's strong support for keeping things the way they are."

Others said Woolsey's petition is "short-sighted." Selectman Phil Bean said it sends "mixed messages" to local businesses, while Selectmen Dick Nichols and Mike Pierce said they were outright against the proposal even if they believe there are flaws in the current system.

Bob Ladd, another one of the village district commissioners, urged residents to look at it as a "fairness issue" that saves "only a few pennies" on residential tax bills while adding a much larger burden on their business- and rental property-owning neighbors.

"Never have so few asked for so little and given up so much for so little in return," said Ladd.