Newton Finance Committee Approves Five-Year Waste Management Trash and Recycling Contract

NEWTON -- February 24, 2025, Newton Finance Committee unanimously approves five-year Waste Management trash and recycling contract, holding cost increases under 5 percent. The committee voted 7-0 Monday on all six items before it, with the curbside collection contract running July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2030 representing the evening's largest action; Sustainable Materials Management Director Wanita Traer told the panel that direct renegotiation with incumbent Waste Management had produced a projected 18.4 percent price increase, which a competitive RFP process reduced to under 5 percent. The committee also approved a $1.47 million general obligation bond and $204,000 in Community Preservation Act funds for Jackson Homestead basement waterproofing and HVAC upgrades, with the city's most recent bond sale carrying a true interest cost of 3.78 percent. A $200,000 Transportation Network fund appropriation for Nanton Street pedestrian improvements, estimated to cost between $1.4 million and $1.6 million in total, rounded out the evening's approvals.