Medford’s Solid Waste Task Force Takes Shape, Holds First Meeting

MEDFORD, MA — The City of Medford has created a nine-member task force to determine the most equitable and sustainable future for the community’s future garbage and recycling removal needs, Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn said Wednesday.

Over the course of the last year, the mayor, along with Department of Public Works and Department of Planning, Development and Sustainability staff, have been assessing the waste removal needs of the community and talking with residents and environmental advocates about where Medford can best improve its operations.

Last year, the city applied for and was awarded a Community Compact Grant for $30,000 from the state to develop waste contracts that are fiscally, environmentally, and otherwise beneficial to the community.

The Solid Waste Task Force, consisting of local officials, community advocates, and concerned residents, is tasked with prioritizing emerging waste removal needs that both adhere to changes in environmental procedures and equitably serve the community. The task force held its first meeting on July 12.

The nine members of the task force are:

• Stephen Dattero
• John Doherty
• Lois Grossman
• Angelica Ortiz
• James Shuman
• Dina DeMaio Smith
• Jaclyn Torres
• Yvette Wilks
• City Councilor Kit Collins

“We have an opportunity to expand access, ensure equity in the process and deliver a more unified, sustainable and comprehensive waste removal service for our residents in the future,” Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn said in a statement. “This task force will help us analyze our current needs, examine what areas we should prioritize and how we should frame our operations moving forward. Every member is equipped with a breadth of experience and the ambition to improve our waste removal system. I can’t wait to work with them.”

The Taskforce’s work is community driven and seeks input from the Medford community. As part of this work, the Taskforce will:

• Listen to and understand the waste needs of a broad range of local stakeholders
• Research and evaluate the current state of household waste in Medford, getting perspectives from the wider Medford community, and understanding the limitations of cost, space, and capacity
• Create a vision statement outlining the broad goals and values of the City of Medford as it relates to waste
• Develop a series of recommendations to advance the vision statement in a way that is fiscally and practically viable for short-term and long-term waste collection
• Work with the Solid Waste Consultant to turn recommendations into a request for proposal
• Outline next steps beyond the solid waste contract for Medford’s wider waste program

Read more about the task force here.