Sherborn Select Board Opens Transfer Station Policy Review Amid Override Pressure

SHERBORN — May 28, 2026 — Sherborn Select Board begins formal review of transfer station policies, finding the town pays roughly 34 to 48 percent more per household for solid waste disposal than peer communities. Working group data presented by Assistant Town Administrator Jeremy Dohan showed Sherborn spends approximately $250 per household annually on solid waste compared to $144 in Carlisle and $219 in Dover, with the gap attributed in part to the town's policy of accepting construction and commercial waste — including from farms — that most comparable towns prohibit or charge fees to receive. Board Chair Stephen Tsai said the central question is whether the town should charge generators for the additional waste it accepts or simply restrict what the facility takes in, and called for public input before any policy change. Resident Tom Traynor, 97 Washington Street, told the board the town could save close to six figures annually through operating-hour reductions and stricter access controls, and urged the board to act ahead of what multiple members described as a likely tax-override vote. The board also unanimously accepted two Fire Department grants totaling $11,230.42, authorized a letter of support to the Framingham City Council on the North Sherborn Water and Sewer District water connection, and heard that the town's FY26 budget is projected to finish approximately $480,000 under appropriation with revenues running $200,000 above forecast.