Natick Select Board Votes 5-0 to Join 34-Town Regional Trash Contract Coalition

Select Board · Meeting of August 11, 2026

Natick Select Board unanimously backs regional trash contract coalition and previews Fall Town Meeting bylaw cleanup. The board voted 5-0 at its August 11 meeting to enter into an intermunicipal agreement with Walpole, authorizing that town to negotiate a new solid-waste contract on behalf of Natick and up to 33 other communities, including Worcester, seeking collective bargaining leverage with waste haulers. Town Administrator Erickson described the agreement as non-binding on contract choice: "It just authorizes Walpole through their legal counsel to negotiate on our behalf." The board also previewed four potential Fall Town Meeting warrant articles, including a revolving fund for utility-company electricity subsidies to low-income residents, removal of an unconstitutional "indecent or profane language" provision from police regulations, a cleanup of outdated bylaw language, and authorization to hear the final report of the Natural and Synthetic Turf Study Committee.

Draft article language for all four items is expected at the board's August 18 meeting, one day before the August 20 warrant deadline.

In the full story:

• Opening Remarks and Dam Removal Response
• Executive Session
• Public Speak
• Fall Town Meeting Warrant Articles: Revolving Fund for Electricity Subsidies
• Fall Town Meeting Warrant Articles: Bylaw Cleanup Items
• Fall Town Meeting Warrant Article: Natural and Synthetic Turf Study Committee Final Report
• Intermunicipal Agreement: Regional Solid Waste Contract Negotiations
• Consent Agenda
• Town Administrator and Select Board Updates
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,258 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of August 11, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.