Sharon faces key vote on regional waste authority

SHARON — Residents will be asked at a town meeting on April 16 to decide whether to join a nascent regional waste authority, as towns across the Northwest Corner consider a coordinated response to uncertainty over the future of a key disposal facility.

The proposal centers on the Torrington Transfer Station, where Sharon and other municipalities send household waste for consolidation and shipment to disposal sites.

The Northwest Regional Recovery Authority was formed in 2025 by the city of Torrington in anticipation of a change in oversight at the facility, as the state Department of Administrative Services prepares to end its temporary management of operations at the end of June.

While Sharon has a contract through June 2027 at the transfer station, it is not yet clear who will operate the facility after the state steps back, or whether existing arrangements will continue unchanged under new management.

“There’s a lot of gray area with the Torrington Transfer Station, so this gives us hopefully another option come July 1,” First Selectman Casey Flanagan said.

Regional response

The NRRA, supported by the Northwest Hills Council of Governments, is seeking legislative approval in Hartford to transfer ownership of the facility to a multi-town public authority that would oversee and operate the site on behalf of participating municipalities.

Supporters say the structure would allow towns to retain public control over a facility that serves as a regional hub for municipal solid waste, while providing more stability in pricing and long-term planning.

Salisbury, Goshen and Torrington have already joined the group, while other towns in the Northwest Hills region are weighing similar action. Cornwall is scheduled to vote on its own ordinance to join on April 17, one day after Sharon’s meeting.

Town finances

Also on the April 16 agenda is a proposal to establish a $7 million financing arrangement to support projects in Sharon’s 10-year capital plan.

The financing would function as a flexible line of credit, allowing the town to borrow funds as needed for infrastructure projects.

First Selectman Casey Flanagan said the structure would give the town more flexibility in timing expenditures while maintaining access to favorable interest rates.

The town reached out to four banks and selected NBT Bank, which the town already has a relationship with.The proposal still requires approval from the Board of Finance and a town vote before it can take effect.

The Selectmen will also ask voters to approve the use of state Local Capital Improvement Program (LoCIP) funds for several projects.

That includes $20,000 to support updates to the town’s Plan of Conservation and Development, a state-required long-range planning document that guides zoning and land use.

An additional $99,998 in LoCIP funding would be used to complete resurfacing work on Boland Road and West Woods Road No. 1, where base paving was completed last year.

Voters will also be asked on April 16 to approve the town’s audited financial statements for fiscal year 2025.