Newton Tables Fire Station Funding Fix, Hears Recycling and Traffic Reviews

NEWTON — March 18, 2026 — Newton's Public Facilities Committee heard warnings about a possible 40 percent spike in trash disposal costs as the city's 20-year Wheelabrator contract nears its June 2028 expiration. Sustainable Materials Management Director Wanita Trabert told the committee Wednesday that Newton is negotiating through a 36-municipality consortium and currently pays about $86 per ton for trash disposal, with 2024 procurement data suggesting rates could reach $98 per ton as early as fiscal year 2029. Trabert also disclosed that Newton's recycling contamination rate has more than doubled since 2019, rising from 9 percent to 22 percent in a fall 2025 audit, with paper bags trapping otherwise-recyclable material identified as a key new driver. The committee separately voted unanimously to table a $150,000 fire station bathroom funding request after Commissioner of Public Buildings Alex Fioretti acknowledged he had conflated it with a separate $775,000 municipal projects docket. DPW Commissioner Sean Sullivan advised against adopting the Swedish-designed "Active Bump" speed device, citing a lack of federal approval, no U.S. deployment data, installation costs of $150,000 to $160,000 per unit, and safety risks to cyclists and motorcyclists.