Could sharing services with Tolland be a money-maker for Stafford?
- Apr 19
- 6 min read
Tolland has been looking for a Stafford-based solution for some of its trash for years, according to Stafford’s Public Works Director, John Whetton. This year, Stafford decided to put together a proposal to find out what a shared transfer station services agreement between Stafford and Tolland could look like. At an April 15, 2026, informational meeting designed to go over the possibilities, Whetton told those in attendance, “I know the transfer station is a very hot topic in town, so I want to hear from you.”
“I love Stafford and since Bill [Morrison, the First Selectman] has been here, we’ve had a great relationship,” said Brian Foley, Tolland Town Manager. He added, “If this doesn’t work, don’t do it. If you’re losing money, don’t do it, we’ll end it. I don’t want a penny from Stafford…Make this be a revenue generator for you.”
In an overview of current services, Whetton said there are roughly 11,000 trips over the scale each year. Currently, the cost of running the transfer station is split between tax payer support and revenue gathered through fees. The Town estimates it will gather roughly $300,000 in revenue per year while a bit more than $315,000 comes from taxes. In other words, the transfer station is not currently fully funded by user fees, but it could be, according to Whetton: “That’s kind of what we’re looking at moving forward with sharing services with Tolland.” What Whetton said he’s not interested in is putting the Town at a loss.
Currently, users of the scale pay $180 per ton or $.09 per pound of trash with a 200 pound minimum. (The minimum is what you are charged for regardless of whether you actually have that much waste to get rid of. This is why you are charged at least $18 every time you use the scale.) That minimum may be reduced to 100 pounds because of changes at the state level, and how the scale is calibrated.
The new proposed fees for Tolland residents could be:
$100 for a permit (at a minimum)
$350 per ton of trash (or $.175 per pound)
A 100 lb minimum
“So, it’s not going to be an inexpensive thing for a Tolland resident to take care of,” said Whetton. In fact, he said that the permit could cost a Tolland resident anywhere from $100 to $200 once Stafford digs further into the data. He also acknowledged the potential for problems: added wait time, increased wear on the equipment, and more traffic through town. Whetton also said that he didn’t intend to add another employee, and if it got to that point, it would be “a no go for us.”
Whetton also acknowledged potential enforcement challenges. He said he instituted the permit system when he was working at the transfer station, but the layout of the site makes enforcement difficult. The system, he said, pushed out some residents of Tolland, Ellington, and other towns that were already using Stafford’s transfer station. “We’ve seen the benefit of having even a passive enforcement on permits,” Whetton said, so he’s also proposing enhancing the system, whether we partner with another town or not.
“We don’t have hundreds of thousands of dollars to move the scale,” or install a second scale, he said, which is what would be required to truly enforce the system as it stands now. Instead, he proposed having radio frequency identification (RFID) permits with a gate at the front of the facility, which he likened to the EZ Pass system. The Town would also be able to track usage to some degree, letting them know if its Stafford or Tolland residents are using the facilities. He is awaiting information on what a system like that would cost.
This is an important feature of any plan moving forward as it allows the Town to understand whether Tolland residents are actually taking advantage of the program and if it continues to make sense. In other words, at this price point, are Tolland residents even willing to use the program?
Whetton suggested a 6-12 month pilot program to find out. “Let’s do a limited program, let’s pull the data out, let’s see what it looks like,” said Whetton.
There would be a limited number of permits—possibly 100—to see if the interest is there and whether a long term shared services agreement makes sense. Tolland would also be required to keep its curbside pickup and yearly bulky waste pickup to help limit how much trash comes to Stafford.
So, if Tolland still has to provide all its regular trash services, what’s in it for them? Foley said this would serve as an additional option for Tolland residents. Instead of waiting for the “massively popular” bulk pickup that Tolland offers in October, it would allow residents to make a dump run when they have the time.
What the town’s people had to say
In a Q&A section of the meeting one resident, who did not seem to mention her name, asked about the set-up costs. In other words, if Stafford switches to RFID permits and installs a new gate, and then decides the program doesn’t work after six months or a year, who absorbs that cost? Whetton did not yet have a concrete answer, saying he’s considering what’s fair for all involved. If Stafford chooses to move to that system anyway, it could foot the bill. If they adopt it in order to share services with Tolland, than the cost could be shared.
Debbie Anselmo, who lives next to the transfer station, was concerned about traffic. Specifically, she mentioned that the Leonard Road bridge has finally been fixed and that Hydeville Road will be closed for road work. She later raised concerns about the Swap Shed, and wondered if the Town would close it down if Tolland residents also started using it. Whetton said the “free” Swap Shed actually comes at a cost. Stafford throws away roughly two tractor trailers full of material that comes out of the Swap Shed per year, according to Whetton.
Another resident, whose name was inaudible, advocated for longer hours at the transfer station if this comes to fruition, and asked whether Tolland was seeing interest from its town residents. Foley said Tolland’s DPW director suggested this change. It would be too expensive to open its own transfer station, but town workers are already picking up bulky waste from roadsides. This is just an option for Tolland residents, and “if it’s too expensive, they don’t have to use it,” said Foley. “If Stafford says no, we’re going to go to Vernon,” to explore those options, he added. “If this doesn’t work for anybody, we can end it at any point.”
A commenter who did not give his name but sounded like Dr. David Mordasky,* who is also a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission, asked if the Town of Stafford could make money on this project. Whetton said, “We could, if it was structured properly.” Still, he said, there are many unknowns and until a pilot is implemented we won’t fully know the implications. “We would need to do more than break even, we need to make profit for it to be worth it.” The resident said, “It’s like bringing a new business to town. You’re going to get traffic, you’re going to get wear and tear. But if it makes money, that’s what’s going to benefit the town. So it’s your challenge to go ahead and structure this in a way, and it looks like you have…to go ahead and make money. I think it’s a win-win.”
Another unnamed commenter said, “I don’t believe people coming from Tolland are going to help our businesses; they may help the transfer station as far as making money…” while also expressing concerns about traffic and road conditions.
Henry Brooks asked, “Are we gonna staff more law enforcement that day so we could protect our Stafford roads up in the country?”
Brian Bagley expressed concerns about the layout of the transfer station facility and the impact increased traffic would have. “It’s all important things to consider. We have challenges with the way our facility is laid out. We have challenges with access control. We have challenges with our infrastructure and our roads and increased traffic. They are all important things,” said Whetton. “This is why we’re looking for the feedback. Folks, if the juice ain’t worth the squeeze, don’t make juice.”
Another resident said he has had to wait a long time just to drop off a couple of bags of trash. He wanted to know how the Town could prevent that if more traffic was coming and going. Whetton said the process may have to change. For instance, instead of selling the purple bags at Big Y and the hardware store, the Town may need to start selling them at the Transfer Station to ensure Tolland residents are not using those bags.
There is likely to be more discussion on this issue before any decisions are made, and Whetton welcomed more questions and comments from the public. But there is one question at the heart of this: Are Stafford’s taxpayers willing to experiment with new ways to bring down expenses?
(*Stafford Free Press took a vacation, and was many, many miles away during this meeting. So, this article was written with the help of the recorded live stream, and though I was not there to confirm, after years of PZC meetings, I’m fairly sure I could identify all of their voices with my eyes closed.)
