Groveland Select Board Approves Five-Year Trash Contract With Mello, Cutting Costs

GROVELAND -- March 2, 2026, Groveland Select Board approves five-year trash deal projected to save up to $550,000. The board voted unanimously 4-0, with one member absent, to sign a contract with Mello running July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2031, shifting the town from manual to automated collection on a three-day route schedule and capping annual hauling cost increases at 4 percent. Town Administrator Rebecca said the deal rolls costs back roughly two fiscal years before the slower growth curve begins, and Select Board member Steve Baker estimated savings of between $490,000 and $550,000 over the contract's life. The board also pressed the Pentucket Regional School District over enrollment figures used to calculate Groveland's share of the FY2027 assessment, with board member Kathy warning that a mismatch with state DESE data could be costing the town significantly on a budget that runs approximately $15 million. A proposed backyard chicken bylaw was continued pending input from Animal Inspector Sam Jocelyn, after two 3 Billisway residents described living next to approximately 10 roosters as "absolutely torturous."