Dublin’s Select Board proposed changes to the town’s mandatory recycling and transfer station ordinance Monday, including increased penalties for noncompliance.
At their April 13 meeting at Town Hall, board members reviewed transfer station policy and identified areas in the ordinance needing more detail.
One proposed change adds language requiring transfer station staff to check vehicles entering the facility for permit stickers.
“Some people don’t like having their cars checked,” Chair Susan Peters said. “But all vehicles need to be checked for compliance.”
Under the original ordinance, a first offense warranted a warning and disposal costs. A second offense could result in a $25 fine plus disposal costs, and a third offense brought an additional $50 fine. The ordinance also did not allow the town to revoke facility privileges.
“When people misbehave at the transfer station, we don’t have any real way to punish repeat offenders other than fining them,” Town Administrator Kate Fuller said.
The proposed revisions retain the first-offense language but raise fines for second and third offenses to $50 and $100, respectively. The revised ordinance also adds language allowing the town to revoke a repeat offender’s access to the facility.
Board member Blake Minckler noted that penalties for repeat offenses apply beyond permit sticker violations — they also cover general disregard for station rules, such as illegal dumping.
The proposed changes also add language to operational procedure four stating vehicles may enter the station up to five minutes before closing.
Minckler also proposed a new operational procedure establishing swap shop rules: items dropped off must be in good repair and can only be left during business hours, and nothing may be taken from any part of the transfer station other than the swap shop.
Fuller said the board will review the edits and vote on the finalized policy at a future meeting.