Council Approves Transfer Station Changes

By Cynthia Drummond for BRVCA

November 20th 2025

RICHMOND – Council members authorized a public hearing on amendments to the town’s ordinance regarding the transfer station at Tuesday’s council meeting.

The council also voted, with member Jeffrey Dinsmore opposed, to hire Nicholas Solitro as the judge of the town’s new Municipal Court. Solitro, a Richmond resident, is a land use attorney who currently chairs the Zoning Board of Review.

The Transfer Station

Interim Town Administrator Erin Liese told the council that, after consulting with DPW Director Gary Robar and other staff, it had been determined that the fees charged by the town’s transfer station are still too low, and the facility is losing money; $73,000 in the last fiscal year.

“We adjusted the fees a few months ago,” she said. “We’re coming back, after further review, that some of the fees are not in line with our surrounding communities.”

Liese noted that demolition and construction waste are being accepted at rates that are lower than those charged by other towns.

“We’re recommending that be adjusted to $165 per ton versus $150,” she said. “Air conditioners were previously part of a free program. They’re no longer free, so now we need to charge for those air conditioners disposed on-site. That’s $20.”

Liese also proposed changing the hours of operation.

“We’re open nearly five days a week, if you’re counting the hauler, so we’re open to the public four days, and then Monday, our  vendor comes to haul out, and so, in an effort to become more efficient, to try and reduce those costs, we’re looking at reducing it a day, so instead of Tuesday-Thursday, we’re looking at being open Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday,” she said.

The Town of Hopkinton, whose residents use the Richmond facility, has been notified of the proposed changes.

Council Vice President Mark Reynolds made a motion authorizing the Town Clerk to advertise for a public hearing.

Council President Samantha Wilcox proposed sending out notices before the public hearing.

“It doesn’t have to be anything fancy,” she said. “It can literally be just be a half-page notice…and give it to people who come to the transfer station on Tuesdays and Thursdays. As soon as you can get that up and running, up until the public hearing, that way if somebody’s really against it, or really excited about it, that they can let us know.”

Climate Resiliency Commission

Councilor Dan Madnick requested a public hearing to discuss the establishment of a Climate Resiliency Commission.

The council had discussed consulting Emergency Management Director Nicholas Linacre, who was present at Tuesday’s meeting. However, Wilcox said she did not believe Linacre should be required to attend commission meetings.

“I don’t think that we should require the EMA Director to attend all the time, but I do think that if they’re working in collaboration with him, he’d come occasionally, or as needed,” she said. “I say that because we’ve had other staff members go to commission meetings, and we’ve found it to be really burdensome.”

Councilor Jim Palmisciano said he was hoping to hear Linacre’s thoughts on the commission.

Linacre said,

“Talking with other EMA directors from the area, more specifically, Charlestown, because I’m close friends with him, he has not been involved in their committee [climate resiliency commission] at all.  I don’t know whether it’s because he’s new to the town or they’re not inviting him, or whatever it may be.”

Madnick said that after the initial council discussion at the previous meeting, he had made several changes to the draft ordinance. He cited two primary roles for the commission: the required periodic updates of the town’s Hazard Mitigation Plan and the impacts of environmental changes exacerbated by climate change.

“You don’t have someone already on staff, you have to pay someone, and a volunteer commission can be useful, because you get experts that will help the town and you don’t have to pay,” he said. “If things  work out, things  work out. If things don’t you can disband it, no cost to the town.”

Reynolds made a motion to revise the ordinance to remove duties relating to the hazard mitigation plan from the proposed commission’s charge,  and change the role of town staff from members of the commission to advisors when called upon. References to climate change and global warming were removed and replaced with the term “severe weather.” The resolution passed, with Dinsmore abstaining.

Door- to- Door Sales

The council continued to discuss the issue of door-to-door sales. Palmisciano said he had asked Town Solicitor Christopher Zangari to draft a memorandum addressing the possibility of litigation, should the town prohibit the  solicitations.

Palmisciano, who has said that residents have asked him to try to curtail door-to-door sales, said he believed there was room for compromise.

“Essentially, what I have is for an ordinance called a ‘no knock’ registry, and that is something that keeps you out of hot water,” he said.

Palmisciano said he had previously favored a system that required residents to register if they want door-to-door sales, but had changed his mind after considering the potential legal action against the town that such a system might prompt.

Instead, he proposed giving residents the option of registering their preferences.

“The do not knock would allow for a simple form for a resident to fill out the form, which is their name, address, and that they do not want to have door-to-door sales at their location,” he said. “It would be managed by the clerk’s office.”

The council agreed to ask Palmisciano to speak with town staff about the proposed ordinance.

Other Business

Mark Reynolds proposed, and the council approved, a resolution to allow federal government workers, most of whom were furloughed during the recent government shut down, to defer their 2nd quarterly property taxes for 60 days, without incurring penalties.

Appointments

The council approved the appointment of Justin Price to the Zoning Board of Review as a full member. Price previously served as an alternate member.

The council approved the appointment of Planning Board Chair Phil Damicis to the Richmond Investment in Commercial Health Task Force. Damicis will represent the Planning Board on the task force.