A Grass Cutting Controversy – WIN Waste says it is reevaluating Town Hall Landscaping project

By Mark E. Vogler

Several signs promoting WIN Waste Innovations’ landscaping at Saugus Town Hall have disappeared recently.

“WIN is so upset that the Town Manager won’t sign the host community agreement that without notice, stopped their sponsorship of Town Hall grass cutting,” Precinct 10 Town Meeting Member Peter Manoogian wrote in a text on social media.

“Their sponsorship signs are also gone. The grass got higher and higher and WIN’s landscaper never showed. So rather than cave in, the Town Manager took matters, and a lawn mower in his own hands,” Manoogian wrote. Along with the text was a photo of Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree with a lawn mower cutting the grass.

Crabtree said the Town – not WIN Waste Innovations – has been mowing the lawn at Town Hall in recent weeks.

When questioned about the criticism, WIN insisted it had nothing to do with the disappearance of the signs from the Town Hall lawn. “WIN Waste sponsored the landscaping at Saugus Town Hall last year and the Public Safety Building, at a cost of $37,000, as part of our longstanding commitment to supporting worthy causes in Saugus,” said Mary Urban, WIN’s Sr. Director of Communications & Community, in a statement to The Saugus Advocate.

“Recently, we received a request to renew that sponsorship for 2024 and we are carefully re-evaluating this and all requests for funding at this time,” Urban said.

But Urban said the company’s ability to contribute to various community projects – including the landscaping project – has been affected. “The Town choosing not to sign the Host Community Agreement (HCA) that was negotiated over 18 months and approved by the Board of Selectmen in April 2023 has already increased the cost of ash disposal for our business, a cost that would have been avoided had we had the HCA in place and continued to safely manage all of the ash onsite as we have for decades,” Urban said.

“We strive to operate as efficiently as possible because efficiency brings down costs for our customers and gives us the opportunity to do more good in this community we call home. We are eager to discuss with the Town the many ways our company supports the community and how we can continue backing the organizations and causes that benefit from our partnership,” she said.

At a recent Finance Committee meeting, Crabtree said it’s not within his purview to sign the HCA approved by selectmen on a narrow 3-2 vote. “So when the state allows it, the Board of Health would have authority looking at site modification,” Crabtree said.

The past two state environmental secretaries have said expansion of the ash landfill isn’t possible under the state’s current regulations. Furthermore, the HCA approved by selectmen last year has no legal basis. Any HCA would have to be negotiated by the town manager and wouldn’t take effect unless the state allows the company to expand its ash landfill.

If the state loosens the regulations at the ash landfill and the town manager negotiates an agreement with WIN Waste, Saugus would receive $20 million over the next 20 years while WIN Waste could continue use of the ash landfill, according to the HCA supported by a majority of the selectmen.

All things considered, Crabtree said he has no authority to commit to an HCA that assumes that state and local regulations allow expansion of the ash landfill.

Urban said WIN continues to sponsor various projects in Saugus. “Meanwhile, this year we have been proud to serve as a major sponsor of the Memorial Day celebration, making a $5,000 donation to Saugus veterans and leading the parade,” Urban said. “We also recently served as the primary sponsor of SBEC’s Unsung Hero celebration once again — a $3,500 investment. This year, WIN Waste has supported school yearbooks, an extracurricular trip for middle schoolers, athletic banners, Saugus baseball and hockey, local softball and baseball leagues, the police department and the fire department. In fact, during the last year alone, WIN Waste has invested more than $300,000 in support of Saugus community needs such as funding to support school and student needs, athletics, the Lions Club, celebrations at the Senior Center, the holiday tree lighting celebration, and, of course, Bear Creek Wildlife Sanctuary.

“We hope to continue working together to go beyond the essential waste services we provide and remain a proud partner to our host community in the future.”