Manchester Launches Barrel Trash Program With $100 Annual Fee, Eases Water Ban

Select Board · Meeting of July 20, 2026

Manchester-by-the-Sea Select Board unanimously approves barrel-based trash program with fees starting at $100 per year. The board voted Monday to replace the town's pay-per-bag orange bag system with uniform barrels and an annual fee structure, with the standard package — one 35-gallon trash barrel and one 65-gallon recycling cart — priced at $100 annually and top-tier two-barrel options reaching $200. Town Administrator Tony Barletta said the program, paired with a shift to Tuesday-Wednesday curbside collection and every-other-week recycling, is projected to generate $285,000 to $295,000 per year, matching current orange bag net revenue of roughly $290,000.

The board also voted to continue the town's mandatory water ban on non-essential outdoor use in a loosened form allowing limited irrigation and boat washing, as Gravelly Pond sits at 26 of 31 full feet following a Lincoln Street well outage. In a separate unanimous vote, the board approved a temporary one-year installation of a bronze mermaid sculpture called Tide Keeper Atlantis at Reed Park, pending DPW and tree warden review, with a permanent harbor installation requiring DEP Chapter 91 and federal permits still at least a year away.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 4,095 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of July 20, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.