Frequently Asked Questions

911 should only be used for extreme emergencies, such as a medical emergency, crime in progress, serious motor vehicle accident, etc. For all routine non-emergency calls, please call 860-347-6941.

For non-emergencies, please call 860-347-6941.

The Middletown Police Department is open 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We never close.

The Police Department Headquarters is located at:

222 Main Street
Middletown, CT 06457

You can park in any stall on Main Street (metered) or in the City parking lot behind the police department. In the City lot, there is a $1 per hour charge.

Police reports are generally available 10 to 14 days following the incident. Many reports are available sooner.

To obtain an Accident Report click this link: Accident Reports | Middletown, CT

To obtain an Incident Report (or make a FOIA request) click this link: https://middletownct.justfoia.com/publicportal/home/newrequest

Some requests may incur the below fees:

• Certified Copy: There is a fee of $1 for the first page and $0.50 for each additional page.
• Non-Certified Copy: There is a fee of $0.50 per page.

Police reports are generally available 5 to 7 days following the incident. Police reports, when completed, may be obtained at the Records Bureau between 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There is a fee.

• Certified Copy: There is a fee of $1 for the first page and $0.50 for each additional page.
• Non-Certified Copy: There is a fee of $0.50 per page.

Pistol permit applications are available at the Middletown Police Department Record's Bureau.

The application outlines the appropriate steps an applicant will need to follow in order to obtain a pistol permit.

After completing the application, you can schedule an appointment using our online appointment system.  Click here to access the appointment system.

For questions regarding your pistol permit, please contact Officer Jason Bodell at 860-638-4095.

Fingerprinting is done for City of Middletown residents only. There is no charge for this service and no appointment is necessary. Please bring proof of residency (any mail or bill with name and address) and a valid photo identification. In most cases, you will need to provide the fingerprint cards.

Please call 860-638-4094 and leave a message. Your call will be returned by one of our Car Seat Education Officers.

Yes! The water that you receive from the Middletown Water Department is very safe to drink. We constantly monitor and test your drinking water. For additional information see our Water Quality Reports.

Residential users are billed four times a year; once in February, May, August and November. Larger water consumers and commercial customers are billed monthly.

Bills should be paid within 30 days from the first of the month in which you are billed.  Bills become delinquent 30 days past the due date and interest will be charged at the rate of 1.5% per month or fraction thereof.  If you choose to pay online, be sure to set up your auto pay before the February 1^st, May 1^st, August 1^st, and November 1^st billing dates to avoid late payment fees.  

There may be several reasons that your usage could be unusually high.  One of the most common issues is a leaking toilet or other leaky plumbing fixtures.  Please review Ways to Reduce Your Bill for more information.  If you still have questions, please call out Billing Division at 860-638-3501.

Please contact the Manager of Regulatory and Technical Affairs for all Water Quality complaints by calling 860-638-3545.

There are two types of sewage backup:

1. An internal plumbing blockage or problem which only backs up when using internal plumbing fixtures. If this occurs please contact a plumber. 
2. A sewage backup from the City sanitary sewer collection system. If this occurs contact the Sewer Department during normal business hours at 860-638-3500. After hours contact the Central Dispatch by calling 860-346-8621, they will contact the Sewer Department's on-call personnel.

If you are unsure, please call us.

Middletown currently has two active sources: the Mount Higby Reservoir and the River Road Well field. For additional information please review the Department's annual water quality reports.

The standard residential fee for a sanitary sewer service is $3,500. Other Fees may apply for commercial and industrial connections.  More information is available on our Connection Fee page or or by contacting the Engineering Division.

The standard residential fee for a new water service is $3,250. Other Fees may apply for commercial and industrial connections.  More information is available on our Connection Fee page or or by contacting the Engineering Division.

The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a community-based, civilian volunteer program committed to strengthen and support local public health infrastructure MRC volunteers assist their communities in preparing for and responding to public health emergencies. The Middletown MRC serves all of Middlesex County.

Anyone interested in supporting on-going public health needs and serving during times of natural or made-made emergencies and disasters can volunteer to be part of the MRC. Volunteers are active or retired medical professionals as well as non-medical personnel. They are your neighbors, friends and family members. You need not be a resident of Middlesex County or have medical background to be a volunteer with the MRC.

The MRC serves as an excellent place for networking and receiving valuable experience. MRC volunteers can utilize and improve their skills by supporting public health initiatives and preparing for community emergencies. All training and certifications are free and there is no cost for equipment.

Preparation and practice is critical for addressing a wide range of public health challenges and responding to emergency situations. The MRC can be called into action for planned community events or during emergency situations so periodic training and regular meetings are held throughout the year.

Upcoming meetings are listed. The meeting place is South Fire District. The time is 6:30 to 8 p.m.

• March 28, 2018
• May 21, 2018
• June 16, 2018
• July - No meeting
• August - No meeting
• September 17, 2018
• October 15, 2018
• November 19, 2018
• December 17, 2018

Complete the MRC Application Form (PDF). Once approved, you will receive orientation and be able to participate in trainings, exercises, meetings and events.

FEMA Flood Maps can be viewed in the Middletown Department of Planning, Conservation, and Development or you can find the property or area in the City of Middletown that you are interested in and select the Flood Plain Map option on the City's Web GIS mapping system.

The City of Middletown can provide you unofficial maps of your property through the new Web GIS Mapping system. 

Official maps of your property may be found at the Town Clerk's office since they record any changes to boundary lines, if a map was recorded and submitted to them in the past. For more information please call the Town Clerk's office at 860-638-4910.

The Planning department does not maintain this kind of information. We can only help you determine what zone your property is located in and what changes you are allowed to make to your property. The Assessor's office can provide you with basic information about your property, including lot size and dimensions. 

For more information please call the Assesor's office at 860-638-4930.

Go the City's Web GIS Mapping System to locate properties and generate customized maps.

The Town Clerk may have an old map on file if it was filed by an owner of the property. To find if any such maps exist, you must visit the Town Clerks office and ask to see their listing of maps, by street address (the two three-hole binders near the micro-film viewers in the deeds room). 

For more information please call the Town Clerk's office at 860-638-4910.

A setback is the distance between a structure and a property line, a natural feature, a road right-of-way, and other improvements. In all residential and rural zoning districts, setbacks are required from all property lines and roadways.

View the Zoning Setback Brochure (PDF).

Setbacks vary with zoning but can also be affected by further restrictions recorded on subdivision maps.

The front property line is the side containing the road right-of-way or easement. The rear property line is the line opposite the front line.

Reading the appropriate Sections relating to the appropriate Zone of Middletown Zoning Code can assist in determining what the setback requirements for a property in a particular zone are:

• Section 21: RPZ, R-15, R-30, R-45, R-60 Residential (PDF)
• Section 21A: R-1 Residential (PDF)
• Section 22: M Multi-family Dwelling Unit (PDF)
• Section 23A: MX Mixed Use (PDF)
• Section 24- PRD (PDF)
• Section 24A: MR (PDF)
• Section 25: IT Interstate Trade (PDF)
• Section 26: PL Park Land (PDF)
• Section 27: None (PDF)
• Section 28: Neighborhood/Rural Commercial Development Zone (PDF)
• Section 29: IRA Industrial Redevelopment Area (PDF)
• Section 30: ID Institutional Development (PDF)
• Section 31: RF Riverfront Recreation (PDF)
• Section 32: B-1 Central Business (PDF)
• Section 33: B-2 General Business (PDF)
• Section 33A: B-3 Business Office/Transition (PDF)
• Section 34: IOP (PDF)
• Section 35: I-1 Service Industrial (PDF)
• Section 36: I-2 Restricted Industrial (PDF)
• Section 36A: I-4 Limited Industrial (PDF)
• Section 37: I-3 Special Industrial (PDF)
• Section 38: Newfield Street Planned Retail Business Commercial Zone (PDF)
• Section 39: TD Transitional Development (PDF)
• Section 39A: IM Interstate Mixed Use (PDF)
• Section 39B: PSUZ Public Service Utility (PDF)
• Section 39C: SMH Substance Abuse/Mental Health Floating (PDF)
• Section 39D: DVD Downtown Village District (PDF)

You can also look at the City's Web GIS Mapping System which allows you to search for your property and find the zone

There is a large detailed zoning map available to be viewed in the Middletown Department of Planning, Conservation and Development

You can also email Michiel Wackers your location and we can send you a reply as to your zone. Please provide the street, street number and any nearby cross streets, or recognizable buildings or features nearby.

To find out if you can subdivide your property, you must meet the criteria laid out in Middletown's Subdivision Regulations. A copy can be viewed and/or purchased at the Middletown Department of Planning, Conservation and Development.

It is also advisable that you consult with the Planning division staff as to whether or not your property is eligible for a subdivision. You must first know the exact dimensions and the zone designation of your property. Dimensions of your property can found at the Middletown Assessor's Office and a property's zone designation can be found at the Middletown Department of Planning, Conservation and Development.

When you are beginning to look at putting an addition or deck on your home or a pool on your property, you need to first know what zone your property is located in and the corresponding setbacks that are associated with that zone. If you do not know the zone of your property you can find out by call 860-638-4840 or come view the zoning map at the Department of Planning, Conservation, and Development in the Municipal Building of Middletown.

Setback Requirements

Once you know your zoning view check Section 21 of the Zoning Code to find what the setback requirements are for your property. If you are unfamiliar with setbacks, this is the distance from your property line that you are not allow to put a structure.

When you have this information you can decide on the design and location of your addition, deck, or pool and plot this on a map (sample maps (PDF)). Fill out an application (PDF) and submit it with the correct fee. The Planning Division will contact you when it has been approved or needs further information.

Once you have your approval from the Planning division, you can go to the Building Department and request a building permit.

Helpful Resources

For more information, the follow resources can be helpful:

• Middletown's Developer's Guide
• Middletown's Site Plan Review
• Middletown's Zoning Code

Committees & Commissions

Also the following Committees and Commissions that make decisions relating to certain planning issues:

• Design Review and Preservation Board
• Planning and Zoning Commission
• Zoning Board of Appeals

Regulations concerning fences are governed by Section 12 and Section 13 of the Zoning Code.

The appropriate sections from the Zoning Code are as follows:

• 12.01 Visibility at Intersections in Residential Zones: On a corner lot in any Residential Zone, no planting shall be placed or maintained, and no fence, building wall other structure other than necessary retaining wall shall be constructed after the effective date of this section, if such planting or structure thereby obstructs vision at any point between a height of two and one-half (2 ½) feet and a height of ten (10) feet above the upper face of the nearest curb and within the triangular area bounded on two sides by the two street lines, or by projections of such lines to their point of intersection and the third side by straight line connecting points on such street lines (or their projections), each of which points is twenty-five (25) feet distant from the point of intersection of the two street lines. Poles, posts and guys for street lights and for other utility services and tree trunks, exclusive of leaves and branches, shall not be considered obstructions to vision within the meaning of this provision.
• 12.02 Fences, Walls and Hedges:  Notwithstanding other provisions of this Code, fences, walls and hedges may be permitted in any required yard, or along the edge of any yard, provided that no fence, wall or hedge along the sides or front edge of any front yard shall be over two and one-half (2 ½) feet in height.
• 13.04.04 Fences: Fences, up to six (6) feet in height, may be erected along the rear boundary, side boundary (from building line to rear boundary only) and front building line of a lot, and such fences shall not be deemed "structures" or "obstructions" for the purposes of this Code.

To know how high or how large you can build your house, you must know what zoning designation your property has. 

When you know the zone, you can use the following as a guide:

Section 60 (PDF) of the Zoning Code can show what kind of uses can be operated on a site within a residential zone. Most other commercial zones, acceptable uses can be found in Section 61 (PDF) of the Zoning Code.

In order to find out information concerning public housing or Section 8 in Middletown, please contact the Housing Authority at:
40 Broad Street
Middletown, CT 06457-3249
Phone: 860-346-8671
Fax: 860-347-0534

When you suspect that a zoning violation has occurred in your neighborhood, the best thing you can do is contact and explain the situation to the zoning enforcement officer in the Middletown Department of Planning, Conservation, and Development.

The Zoning Enforcement Office can be reached by calling 860-638-4840.

The following are frequent inquiries to our office and our normal procedures for deal with them:

• Drainage and Runoff
• Noise
• Poor Property Maintenance
• Unregistered Vehicles

To learn about what kind of permits are needed for different building projects, please review the Permits page and the Residential Permits page for more information.

Zoning Code Section 12.14: Accessory Apartment

Intent: To fulfill an increasing need for smaller, more affordable housing units in owner occupied, single-family homes while preserving the quality of Middletown's housing stock character of its neighborhoods.

Definition and Applicability: An accessory apartment is herein defined as a second dwelling unit within or attached to a single-family residence. An accessory apartment will be allowed as a permitted use in all areas zoned for single-family homes.

The accessory apartment will be approved only if the applicant has demonstrated that the proposed unit meets the following standards:

• The principal unit and the accessory apartment shall remain under common and ownership and shall be owner occupied at all times
• The accessory apartment shall be within or attached to the single-family residence with a common wall of at least 8 feet in width
• The accessory apartment shall not alter the basic character of the building as a single-family dwelling
• The accessory apartment must connect to the primary unit via an interior doorway. Additional front entrances are prohibited
• The accessory apartment must use existing unit's utilities and meters
• One driveway shall service both dwelling units. Off-street parking for both units must be provided with 3 spaces for the principal dwelling unit and 1 space for the accessory apartment
• The accessory apartment shall include its own kitchen, three-fixture bath and one bathroom
• The floor area of the apartment must be at least 425 square feet and cannot exceed 800 square feet and 33% of the floor area of the existing home
• The apartment shall comply with the Middletown Housing Code and all other applicable codes and ordinances
• The accessory apartment cannot be converted from a garage or other auxiliary building
• The home and apartment shall have only 1 street number

Yes, the economic development specialists keeps a folder on all vacant office, retail, and/or industrial space that may be available.

You can either look though the folder by visiting Planning, Conservation, and Development Office. The three-hole binder is located on the table near the reception desk.

You can also call our office and speak to the Economic Development Specialist on what spaces maybe available for your business, the phone number is 260-638-4840.

It is always advisable to consult with the Department of Planning, Conservation, and Development when considering to set up a business in Middletown. you will want to get information on the following issues:

1. Most importantly you need to see if the business you wish to set up in Middletown is allowed at all or to see what areas of the city you are allowed to operate.
   1. If you want to set up a business in a Business or industrial zone you should consult Section 61 (PDF) of the Zoning Code.
   2. If you want to set up a business in a Residential zone you will need to see if it is allowed by Residential Unit Business Pursuit permit or by one of Special Exception that can be found in Section 60 (PDF) of the Zoning Code.
   3. Section 61.05 of the Zoning Code to see what businesses are not allowed in Middletown.
2. Understand the Parking requirements for your proposed business. These are governed by Section 40 (PDF) of the Zoning Code.
3. Our department can also help in directing you to available space for you to set up your business.
4. Finally, you should see if any of the tax abatement or loan programs will be a benefit for your business.

Make sure that you also contact the following departments to learn about other requirements you may need to follow. To reach the Health Department, please call 860-638-4960. To reach the Building Division, please call 860-638-4870.

The zone designation of a piece of property, will determine what uses are allowed or not allowed. Business generally can conduct operations in the following zones:

• B-1 Central Business
• B-2 General Business
• B-3 Business Office/Transition
• I-1 Service Industrial
• I-2 Restricted Industrial
• I-3 Special Industrial
• I-4 Limited Industrial
• ID Institutional Development
• IM Interstate Mixed Use
• IOP
• IRA Industrial Redevelopment Area
• IT Interstate Trade
• Neighborhood/Rural Commercial Development Zone
• Newfield Street Planned Retail Business Commercial Zone
• PL Park Land
• TD Transitional Development

To find out what commercial uses are allow for each zone, consult Section 61 (PDF) of the Zoning Code.

Residential Zones allow only for very small scale types of business, that have been issued a Residential Unit Business Pursuit permit. Or what is allowed by Special Exception according to Section 60 of the Zoning Code.

Section 61 of the Zoning Code can show what kind of business can be operated on a site within the following zones:

• B1- Central Business Zone
• B2- General Business Zone
• B3- Business Office/Transition Zone
• I1- Service-Industrial Zone
• I2- Restricted Industrial Zone
• I3- Special Industrial Zone
• I4- Limited Industrial Zone
• IRA- Industrial Redevelopment Area Zone
• IT- Interstate Trade Zone
• Newfield Street Planned Retail Business Commercial Zone
• Transitional Development Zone

Most other zone will likely need a Special Exception in order to carry out a commercial operations. These can be found in Section 60 (PDF) of the Zoning Code.

The Downtown area, also known as the Central Business Zone (B-1) has stricter sign standards applied to it. The following aspects are required for any business that wants to install a sign in the downtown area:

• Awnings are permitted, but subject to the approval of the Sidewalk Conformance Inspector and Design Review and Preservation Board
• Free standing signs are not permitted
• Internally illuminated signs are not permitted, unless the design is a halo style or stencil cut sign of high quality that is approved by the Design Review and Preservation Board
• Projecting signs are permitted, but subject to the approval of the Sidewalk Conformance Inspector and Design Review and Preservation Board

The maximum height for a free standing sign is 10 feet above ground level.

Note that free standing signs are not permitted in the Central Business zone (B-1), also known as the downtown area.

Parking for businesses are regulated by Section 40 (PDF) of the Zoning Code.

Different business require different numbers of parking spaces and/or loading areas.

No business can be operated unless that business can provide and maintain the appropriate amount of parking required.

The City does offer the following to businesses:

• Tax Incentives
• Tax Abatement Program

Businesses Loans

• JOBS Loan Program 
• REINVEST Loan Program

Businesses interested in seeing what other incentives and programs are available should contact the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce by calling them at 860-347-6924 or by visiting their website.

The following steps should be taken to installing a new sign for a business:

1. The first thing you should do is take a look at and/or get a copy of the following:
   1. Initial Land Use Application (PDF)
   2. City Zoning Code: Section 48 Signs (PDF)
   3. Design Guidelines (PDF) (last page in this guide provides an overview of the process)
2. Then, using the information provided in the above documents design your proposed sign.
3. After your have designed your sign, submit your proposal that includes:
   1. A scale color drawing of the sign
   2. Provide a map and/ or a photograph of the location
   3. $25 fee
4. Submit your application at least a week in advance of the meeting to allow for distribution. Meetings are usually the 2nd Wednesday, so the first Wednesday is the usual cut off date.
5. Attend the Design Review and Preservation Board meeting to explain your proposed sign to the Board and answer any questions they may have. The Board will approve the project or make suggestions.
6. The Planning and Zoning Officials will take the Design Review and Preservation Board's advisory opinion and check on the proposed sign's compliance with Planning and zoning codes and regulations. You will be contacted as to whether or not your proposed sign was approved.
7. Once your application has cleared Planning and Zoning, you may take it to the Building Department to obtain a building permit.
8. Install your new sign.

The purpose of permitting this accessory activity is to allow certain small scale quasi-business undertakings by the dwelling occupant that will not influence the immediate neighborhood and would not be economically feasible if conducted in a totally business setting.

View the application form (PDF) to permit a home-based business.

Criteria

• The activity offered shall meet the following criteria:
  • Be conducted solely by an occupant of the dwelling unit with no more than one non resident employee on the premises and entirely within the dwelling unit, specifically excluding any area designated as a garage
  • Not presently any external evidence of the activity including a separate entrance or parking of any vehicle which displays any evidence, however, a sign shall be permitted no larger than that specified in the sign regulation identifying the activity
  • Not utilize more than five hundred square feet of the gross area of the dwelling unit
  • No equipment or process used for the activity shall create:
    • Electrical interference (visual or audible) with any radio, television, or telephone
    • Fluctuations in electrical line voltage off the premises
    • Fumes
    • Glare
    • Hazardous waste
    • Noise
    • Vibration
  • Not generate greater vehicular traffic than would ordinarily be associated with the dwelling location or attract more than four persons to the dwelling at any one time.
  • Only individual or unique physical items or services shall be created or provided. Sales associated directly with a service provided or a good produced directly on premises may occur at the premises provided the sale of such goods on premises shall not be advertised or constitute the primary business pursuit
  • Not involve repairing any item which would be brought to the dwelling
• Following is a list of business pursuit categories which may be pursued in residential units provided they do not violate any of the criteria:
  • Culinary activities such as: baking, cooking, and preserving food
  • Fine Arts such as:
    • Crafts
    • Model making
    • Painting
    • Photography
    • Sculpturing
    • Weaving
  • Office activity such as:
    • Computer programming
    • Consulting
    • Drafting
    • Telephone answering
    • Tutoring
    • Writing

Process

• A Residential Unit Business approval shall be issued for a 90 day trial period during which time the activity may be observed to make an initial evaluation possible.
• Upon issuance, the Planning and Zoning Department shall send a copy of the approved license to abutting property owners along with a letter explaining the license. The adjoining property owners have the right to request a further review by the Planning and Zoning Commission during the ninety trial period.
• If a review has been requested, all abutting property owners shall be notified of the time and date of the Planning and Zoning Commission review.
• If no objections by abutters have been filed during said ninety day period, the issued license may be permanent subject to licensee's compliance of the approved uses contained herein.

Only on rare occasions are committee meetings private.

Minutes of all committee meetings are available either through this website or at Middletown's Department of Planning, Conservation, and Development located in room 202 in the Municipal Building.

Tape recordings of certain committee meetings are available upon request at Middletown's Department of Planning, Conservation, and Development. Please call 860-638-4840 and see if a tape recording was made of the meeting you are interested in and to schedule a time for you to come by and listen. 

Copy of tapes can be purchased, call to see current cost per tape.

The City of Middletown currently has a number of active redevelopment initiatives underway. Plans and Requests for Qualifications (RFQs) are available below.

• Middletown's Development Plan
• Miller Street and Bridge Street
• The North End
• Waterfront

The following pages can help in understanding the zoning code of Middletown:

• Design Review and Preservation Board
• Enforcement Division
• Middletown's Developer's Guide
• Middletown's Zoning Code
• Planning and Zoning Commission
• Planning Division
• Zoning Board of Appeals

If your question cannot be answered here, then please email the Planning Department or visit the Planning Department at City Hall

The Middletown Department of Planning, Conservation, and Development handles the following issues:

• Building and Accessory Use (also check with the Building Department)
• Certificate of Occupancy (also check with the Building Department)
• Gas and Motor Oil, Sale of
• Home Occupation
• Inland/Wetland and Watercourse
• Land- Uses (also check with the Building Department)
• Liquor Application
• Signs (also check with the Building Department)
• Site Plan Review
• Special Exception Approval
• Swimming Pools (also check with the Building Department)
• Subdivision Approval

Listed are all of the other issues and what departments address them:

• Air Condition: Building Department
• Amusement Devices: Police Department
• Auctioneer: Town Clerk
• Bee License: Town Clerk
• Bingo: Police Department
• Birth Certificate: Health Department
• Blasting: Fire Marshall
• Bootblack: Police Department
• Burial Permit: Health Department
• Cremation Permit: Health Department
• Death Certificate: Health Department
• Demolition: Building Department
• Dog License: Town Clerk
• Electric: Building Department
• Excavation: Building Department
• Firewood: Park and Recreation Department
• Food/Beverage Dispensing: Health Department
• Fortune Telling: Town Clerk
• Games of Chance: Police Department
• Gyms, Use of School: Park and Recreation Department
• Hazardous Waste: Health Department
• Heating- Building Division
• Junk Dealers: Police Department
• Library Cards: Russell Library
• Marriage License: Health Department
• Picnic Area, Use of: Park and Recreation Department
• Plumbing: Building Department
• Private: Sewage Disposal: Health Department
• Recreational Area, Use of: Park and Recreation Department
• Revolver- Police Department
• Roller Skating- Town Clerk
• Rooming House- Health Department
• Solicitor/Peddler/Vendor's License: Police Department
• Sportsmen's License (Hunting, Fishing, etc): Town Clerk
• Theatre License: Town Clerk
• Weights and Measures Seal: Consumer Protection
• Well Drilling: Health Department
• Wrecker's License: Town Clerk

Location approval is a mechanism which allows the local level to indicate to the State that the site is acceptable for the proposed use. The primary considerations are in regard to traffic, and the location's proximity to schools and churches.

Requirements for formal applications are found in the Appendix of the Developer's Guide.

It is highly recommended that you consult with the Planning staff prior to making a formal application. If the site has a previous location approval, you may not need to go before the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Time frames are the same as for a variance.

A variance makes an exception to the Zoning Code due to conditions of unreasonable hardship. Variances exist to provide flexibility in the law. This flexibility is important to make provisions for uses which apply to the strict enforcement of the regulations but will pose no substantial harm to the overall public health, safety, and welfare.

It is recommended that you consult with the City's Planning Staff prior to making a formal application for a variance. In Middletown, the Zoning Board of Appeals can only grant bulk variances. This is because use variances tend to lead to the degradation of the Zoning Code. Therefore, in most cases, the Planning Staff will recommend to you that you seek a zone change.

The Zoning Board of Appeals must provide adequate notice prior to the required public hearing (refer to flowchart) and then hold the hearing 65 days from the day of receipt. A decision must come within 65 days of the close of the hearing and the hearing is to conclude 30 days after it commences. You and all other concerned parties have a 15 day appeal period from the day the notice of the decision appeared in the newspaper.

If the decision is a favorable one, you then should file the variance on the land variance on the land records and apply for a building permit. If it is not favorable, you may appeal the decision to the Superior Court.

Some City services, such as trash pick-up, are only available in certain areas of Middletown.  SeeClickFix is aware where a specific service is available and will limit requests for that service to the appropriate areas.

Some public resources are not maintained by the City.  For instance, state highways (like Route 66/Washington Street) are maintained by the Connecticut Department of Transportation.  SeeClickFix will not accept requests for services that are not provided by the City.

Certain issues, such as reporting unsanitary rental properties, cannot be addressed by the City without coordinating with the person reporting the problem.

If a request is a "public" request, anyone using the SeeClickFix system will see the problem pinned to the map and can follow its progress.  Potholes, for example, can be seen by everyone.  Public requests help reduce duplicate reports of problems.

If a request is "private", only the submitter and City employees can see it.

 In November 2023, the City of Middletown reduced the sanitation fees for property owners in the Sanitation District and shifted to a two-tiered billing system where the disposal cost of trash is included in the cost of required program bags. Customers must use the specified orange bags for trash. The City also added a curbside collection of food scraps. Food scraps can be put in a specified green bag and placed in the regular trash cart. Both the orange bags and the green bags are taken to a transfer station where they are sorted and the food waste is taken to an anaerobic digester where it is turned into clean energy and compost. The actual trash disposed of is reduced. 

• With the previous system, everyone paid a flat fee no matter how much trash they disposed of.  

• Now customers must use the required orange bags, which include the cost of disposal in the cost of the bag.  This way, customers pay for what they actually dispose of. Those who generate more waste pay more than those who generate less waste.    

• The orange bag is the receipt for the payment of the disposal cost.  

• The green bag can be used for food scraps and be placed in the same trash container as the orange bag.  This allows residents to separate out food scraps and save money by not putting food waste into the more expensive orange bag.   

• This type of food scrap diversion program is called “co-collection”. It is new to Connecticut, and is used in hundreds of communities to manage food scraps as a resource, not a waste.   

• Through this program, the City is expecting to reduce waste by at least 40% and control future costs as trash disposal expenses continue to escalate.  

• Requiring customers to use certain bags and putting the disposal cost into the cost of the bag, is called “unit-based pricing”.  

• Having two different colored bags with two different waste streams in the same cart adds convenience and reduces costs for collecting two different types of materials. 

This program will help reduce waste, increase recycling and control future cost increases.  The City is working in partnership with the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and has received grant funding for this specific project. Information on the program can be found at: https://www.middletownct.gov/201/Sanitation-Division and https://reducethetrashct.com/middletown/.

The City is working to achieve statewide waste reduction and diversion goals established in Public Act 14-94 and manage increasing trash disposal costs. According to DEEP, this strategy is the best way to achieve reduction and diversion goals and control costs.   Thousands of communities use unit based pricing for trash. Adding the co-collection of food scraps, offers a new, convenient service to customers. The State Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has encouraged communities to pilot this type of program through its Sustainable Materials Management Grant program. The City was a recipient of one of these awards.  

Trash disposal costs are increasing. Connecticut, and all of the Northeast, is experiencing a capacity shortage for trash.  This program is designed to control these costs by reducing waste and managing the waste more sustainably.  Some current challenges facing CT’s waste system include:

• The Hartford MIRA facility, one of the largest trash incinerators in Connecticut, shut down in 2022. The four remaining incinerators in Connecticut are all past their life spans and are likely to shut down in the next decade.  The loss of existing capacity and the inability to create new capacity are driving significant increases in trash disposal fees.  

• The CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection estimates more than 800,000 tons of waste are being shipped to out-of-state landfills due to capacity issues. This is very expensive and not sustainable.  

• Landfill capacity in New England is expected to drop to zero by as early as 2041.  No new incinerator facilities are opening because of public opposition.  It is extremely difficult to add meaningful waste disposal capacity in the region.  Only one new incinerator has been built in the US in the past 32 years (Florida in 2015). 

• When food scraps decompose in a landfill, they emit methane gas, which warms the atmosphere at a rate 30 times more than carbon dioxide.  58% of methane emissions released to the atmosphere from municipal solid waste landfills are from food waste.  Turning food scraps into clean energy and compost is cheaper and better for everyone.  

• The Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments designed a story map explaining more about the crisis. It focuses on their area, but the problems are the same across the state.  View it here: storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/be24e917780f42909ddb3248384a2b90

Expected benefits of Save As You Throw:

• The Sanitation District is expected to reduce waste by at least 40%.

• The addition of co-collection, where food scraps go in a different (green) bag and are placed in the trash cart, will increase the amount we can reduce. 

• Within the first month of Middletown’s Save As You Throw program, we collected almost 8,000 lbs of food scraps.  For comparison, we collect about 3,000 lbs per month at our food scrap drop-offs.  The drop-offs were a great first option for food waste diversion, but only the most committed use them. 

• Those who try to reduce waste, recycle more and separate food scraps will pay less than those who don’t.   

• This program will protect customers of the District as prices increase and disposal capacity dwindles.  Less waste will be less costly and more manageable. 

• With less trash, the District can consider other creative programs; once a week recycling collection, separate bag collection of small yard debris, what else? Tell us what you want! 

Experience shows we cannot continue doing the same thing and expect different results.  Just as other systems change, it is time to change the way we manage waste.  Thirty years ago, waste disposal changed with the implementation of curbside recycling. Now we know just recycling is not enough. Recycling has been stagnant for decades. We have to make greater and more varied efforts to reduce the amount of waste we generate.  The EPA and DEEP solid waste hierarchy prioritizes waste reduction and reuse first, before recycling and disposal. We should be reducing and reusing more than recycling and disposing.  This system prioritizes waste reduction.  More information on this is here: https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP-CCSMM. 

Residents and businesses that use a cart for trash must use the official orange and green bags for trash and food scraps.    

• Trash must go in the orange bag.   
• Food scraps go in the green bag. By using the green bags, customers can save money and help the environment.  
• Customers put both bags in the regular trash cart.  Please note, that green bags should not be put in the orange bags.  They each stay separate, but both go in the trash cart.  
• After the carts are emptied by the trash truck, the material gets taken to a sorting facility, where the green bags get separated and taken to Quantum Biopower where the food gets turned into clean energy.   
• Recycling stays the same.  Recycling DOES NOT go in any bag.  Acceptable recyclables get placed loose in the blue recycling cart. 
• Renters should check with their landlords.  Every rental agreement can be different. We are currently reaching out to property owners to encourage them, if appropriate, to pass on the savings to their renters either through a rent reduction or a certain amount of free bags.  

With the closing of the Hartford incineration facility, there is even less in-state capacity for trash and more waste is going out of state, increasing disposal costs. Towns currently going out for pricing are receiving rates of $120-$130/ton.  Until now, costs were under $100/ton for most communities in CT. It is expected that costs will continue to rise as capacity dwindles.

The Eastern CT Resource Recovery Authority (ECRRA) owns the Lisbon Trash to Energy facility.  The City of  Middletown is the only member of ECRRA.  Even though Middletown is the only member, ECRRA is a different and separate entity. It must adhere to certain laws and regulations as a waste authority.  Through the contract with ECRRA, the Sanitation District has the option of sending its trash to the Lisbon incinerator facility for a reasonable rate.  However, the transportation cost to deliver the waste to the facility almost doubles the cost. Competitive pricing was solicited in the fall 2023. The City reviews this option annually. More information on ECRRA is available on the City website.

The CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) formed the CT Coalition of Sustainable Materials Management (CCSMM) in January 2020. Middletown’s Mayor and staff were active participants in this Coalition.  The CCSMM conducted a separate working groups on several topics, including one on unit based pricing.  Information on this working group can be found here.  

• The CCSMM issued a Menu of Options to assist municipalities in dealing with the lack of capacity and increasing costs. Many of these options Middletown was already doing.

• The most impactful strategies outlined by this Coalition are: 

  • Diverting organics from the waste stream

  • Implementing unit-based pricing (a system of charging for trash disposal based on the amount disposed)

  • Passing extended producer responsibility policies.

An outcome from the work of the CCSMM was the release of the DEEP Sustainable Materials Management Grant program to help communities implement waste reduction programs that include food scrap collection and unit-based pricing.

Yes! There are over 30 towns in CT that have some type of unit-based pricing trash program. More recently, fifteen communities in CT received funding through the Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEEP) Sustainable Materials Management Grant (SMM) to implement unit based pricing and co-collection pilot programs. These communities include: Ansonia, Bethel, Guilford, Madison,Meriden, Middlebury, Newtown, Seymour, Stonington, West Hartford, and Woodbury. 

Check out www.reducethetrashct.com for a complete listing. 

While Middletown is the first pilot town in CT to make its program mandatory, it is far from the first community in the region to have a mandatory unit-based pricing program. There are over 7,000 communities across the US from small townships to cities with similar trash programs.  

More information on communities using unit based pricing can be found here.  

Your trash costs are based on how much trash you generate. The less trash you produce, the less you pay for trash. For example, if you use one 15 gallon orange bag a week, you only pay $1/week. If a household uses more bags, they will pay for more bags.

You can save money by reducing, diverting and recycling.

• Consume less. 

• Know what gets recycled in your cart.  Check out the recyclect.com website and recycle all you can. 

• Use the green bags for food scraps.  The less you put in your orange bag, the less orange bags you need to purchase. 

• Donate textiles.  

• Use the recycling center and recycling nook at City Hall. 

Tips for bag usage: 

• Fill the bags and pack your trash in them.

• Use the largest bag for disposal.  It is the most economical. 

• Put smaller non-required bags in the larger orange bag.  That is okay! 

• Invite Public Works to conduct a waste audit on your trash to get other ideas on saving money. Earn a $20 gift card to Reboot Eco once the audit is complete. 

The flat sanitation fee pays for operation, management and administration in the District and is determined by the number and size of trash carts you have. Larger trash carts have higher sanitation fees than smaller trash carts. If you have a larger cart or more carts, you pay more. If you currently have a 96-gallon cart, you can change to a smaller 64-gallon cart and pay less on your sanitation bill.  To change your cart size or for more clarification, call 860-638-4850.

We hope so! CT DEEP estimates that a combination of co-collection and unit-based pricing is the most effective way to cut down on the amount of trash that we produce. We are confident that, given the chance, this new program will save money on waste disposal and help the environment in the long term.

With unit-based pricing, how much you pay depends on how much you throw away. The cost is based on units disposed rather than on a flat fee charged to everyone or a system paid for through property taxes. Alternatively called “volume-based,” “variable-rate,” or “pay-as-you-throw,” the system treats garbage like any other utility—you pay for units used. Units of garbage can be measured by the number of bags or cans used, by the size of the container used, or by weight. Weight is seldom used in curbside residential programs because scales cannot maintain their calibration on the trucks. Most residential systems utilize a bag or tag system. 

More information is available at the following websites:

• http://payasyouthrow.org/

• https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Waste-Management-and-Disposal/CCSMM/Unit-Based-Pricing

• https://archive.epa.gov/wastes/conserve/tools/payt/web/html/index.html

• https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Reduce-Reuse-Recycle/Payt/Save-Money-and-Reduce-Trash

• Waste 360 Unpacking Recycling with Charlotte - Pay As you Throw (video) 

The orange bags cost more because they include the cost of disposal in the bag. The bag is the payment receipt for the cost of disposal. If you don’t use the orange bag, you aren’t paying your bill.  This method is set up similarly to other utility bills like electricity, where you pay for what you use. The cost of the bags cannot be compared to the typical bags you purchase anywhere because these bags include disposal costs, not just the cost of the bag.

This system is similar to purchasing a USPS box to mail a package.  The cardboard box may not be that expensive, but the cost to mail the box is.  The box itself may cost $.50 but the cost of the box  with the postage may be $10 because it includes postage.  

There are different ways to bill for trash services. Because of shrinking trash disposal capacity and the escalating costs of trash, the City switched to a two-tiered system, where the flat rate was reduced, and customers pay for the disposal costs through the cost of bags. This way, each household pays for what they dispose of: families that generate less waste pay less and those that generate more waste pay more.  

More information on this system can be found here.  

A comparison of the old, flat fee system and the new system are below.   Please note that because of increasing disposal costs, rates will not remain stable with the fixed fee system.  With no significant waste reduction, rates will continue to go up with no indefinitely.  

Orange trash bags and green food scrap bags both go into your trash cart.  The bags are collected together and go to a sortation facility where they are separated.  

• Orange bags go to a landfill or waste incinerator.

• Green bags go to the Quantum Biopower anaerobic digester facility in Southington where food scraps are converted into renewable energy and compost–nutrients for the soil.  

• Food scraps should not be treated as waste like the rest of your trash because they are not waste– they are a valuable resource that should not rot in a landfill or burn in an incinerator.  

• The green bags are priced at a fraction of the cost of the orange bags. The more food you divert, the more you can fit in your orange bag, and the more money you save. 

• Using green bags to divert your food scraps from ending up in a landfill is good for the planet and your wallet.  

As of January 2024, bags can be bought at the following locations: 

• Price Chopper, Guest Services Desk, 855 Washington St 

• Stop and Shop, 416 E. Main Street 

• Corner Stop, 221 Newfield St 

• Smith & Bishel, 155 Main St

• Walgreens, 633 Washington St

• City Hall, Public Works, 245 Dekoven Drive, Room 210

• Bags can also be purchased online here.

For a full list of stores, to purchase online, or find out how to buy in bulk, visit middletownct.gov/201/Sanitation-Division. Delivery options are available as well. 

Orange trash bags are sold in rolls of five and food scrap bags are sold in rolls of 10. There is no limit to the number of rolls that may be purchased.  

The City offers an assistance program for many different types of hardships. An assistance form can be filled out on line here or call 860-638-4858.  We can help.

Just as it is not fair if some customers are paying their bill and others are not; it is not fair if some are using the orange bags and others are not.  

Starting in January 2024, the City will do spot checks and not empty carts that are not using the designated bags. If they are not using the designated bags, they are not paying their bill. 

If your cart is not emptied and you are not using the orange bags, call the office at 860-638-4858.  When the trash is in orange bags, crews will come back to pick it up.   

No. The City does not generate profits from trash, recycling, or food waste collection.  The bags are purchased with pricing from a state contract.  The disposal pricing, included in the price customers pay for the bag, was determined through a Request for Quotation process authorized by the City Purchasing Office. Both went through an authorized competitive pricing process. 

The money from the bags pays for the purchase of the bag and the cost of disposing of the trash at the trash facility.  Because the City reduced Sanitation bills, if customers do not use the orange bags, there will not be enough funding to pay for the disposal of the trash. 

If the bags bring in too much revenue, that money stays in the Sanitation budget.

The Sanitation District is a government entity and does not make a profit.  It is also an enterprise fund, so all its revenue comes from customer fees.  It does not receive revenue from the general fund, nor does it give revenue to the general fund.

Yes. Sanitation District customers who use cart service are required to use the City's official orange trash bags. The green food scrap bags are optional but using them will save you money and help the environment.

With Save As You Throw, the City has switched to a two-tiered sanitation billing system: 

• A typical cart Sanitation bill was reduced by $59 this past November and will be reduced by another $59 in April (for a total reduction of $118 a year).  This shifts the cost of trash disposal from fees to the bags.

• The price of the bags includes the cost of disposal of the trash that is inside them.  If you do not use the orange bags, you are not paying the disposal cost of your sanitation bill.

If you generate an average amount of waste (2 orange kitchen-sized trash bags and 1 green food scraps bag per week is average for a family of four), you will not pay more for your trash disposal, as the cost of purchasing the bags will be equal to the reduction in your sanitation fee. 

Everyone has to bag their trash. The overwhelming majority of people use some sort of plastic bag.  This program is projected to reduce trash by an estimated 45%-70%.  Less trash means less bag usage. Also, because customers have to pay for each bag of trash they produce, they use their plastic bags much more efficiently and overall, use fewer bags.  In communities that have these programs, residents use, on average, one and a half trash bags a week.  By reducing trash, we reduce the use of plastic bags.  

Yes.  The official orange and green bags are purchased through a competitive pricing process approved by the City’s Purchasing office. The City piggybacked off pricing from a State contract.  This vendor provided the best pricing for the bags.  

The bags cost more because the cost of disposal is included in the bag. It is the trash disposal that is expensive, not the bags. The cost of trash disposal was solicited through competitive pricing. The cost of the bags cannot be compared to the typical bags you purchase anywhere because these bags include disposal costs, not just the cost of the bag.  

 In the future, the City can change vendors if they find one with better pricing.  

Place food scraps in your green bag, tie it up, and place the green bag in your trash cart.  Each household will have to design a separate system that works for them, just like we all did for recycling.  Check out the tips available at https://reducethetrashct.com/middletown/. 

Food scrap buckets and countertop collection containers are available at no charge at City Hall in the Public Works Department located on the 2nd Floor, Room 210.  The green 4-gallon bag fits in the countert op container, and the green 8-gallon bag fits in the 5-gallon bucket. For more information, please contact the public works office at 860-638-4858.

 Kitchen Counter Food Scrap Container   Five Gallon Bucket for the 8 gallon food scrap bag 

Food scrap buckets and countertop collection containers are available at no charge at City Hall in the Public Works Department located on the 2nd Floor, Room 210.  The green 4-gallon bag fits in the countertop container, and the green 8-gallon bag fits in the 5-gallon bucket. For more information, please contact the public works office at 860-638-4858.

If you have a backyard composter, keep using it! It makes more sense financially and environmentally to use that rather than the green bags. However, the green bags can be used for meat, bones, dairy products, and  other types of food waste that you may not want to put in your backyard compost.

Yard waste can be disposed of at the Recycling Center or in your backyard.  Brush and grass clippings are not allowed in your trash cart.  Grass clippings can be left on the lawn or brought to the Recycling Center and mixed with the leaves.  Branches under 6" in diameter can be brought to the Recycling Center or cut to four-foot lengths, bundled, and placed at the curb for collection. Brush collection is offered to Sanitation District customers year-round.  Call 860-638-4850 to add your address to the list for pickup. Smaller yard debris such as prunings or twigs can be brought to the Recycling Center and added to the leaves, composted in  your backyard, or placed in an orange bag and disposed of as trash. 

Put cat litter and dog pet waste bags in your orange trash bags.  You may want to collect cat litter in a different bag during the week and then put it in your orange bag when the bag is almost full.  The weight of litter will compact the trash under it and give you more space. 

For dog or other pet waste, collect pet waste bags during the week in an outside container and then deposit them in your orange bag just before trash day.  This will give you more room and make sure you use the orange bags as efficiently as possible.  

 All Sanitation District customers received a reduction in their bills when this program started in November 2023.  The reduction may vary, depending on the service you use.  If you feel you are using too many bags and it is too expensive, we can help. Customers may email recycling@middletownct.gov to schedule a waste audit where we can offer suggestions on how to reduce their waste. Residents that do a waste audit will receive a free $20 gift card to Reboot Eco. 

Items that are too large to fit into a 15 or 33-gallon size orange bag will need to be disposed of as bulky waste either at the Recycling Center or curbside, see details here: https://middletownct.gov/191/Bulk-Waste-Collection .  Please note for Sanitation District customers, brooms, mops and shovels can be bundled and left next to the trash cart.  Customers must call 860-638-4858 to notify the office so a special pick up, at no additional cost, can be made.   

• The Sanitation District also collects bulky waste and oversized trash curbside on a Wednesday and/or Thursday for $75 per pick up. This collection does not occur on holiday weeks and is suspended from mid October - March. 

• Bulky waste and oversized trash such as demolition and construction debris, wood, metal, appliances, furniture, and carpet can be brought to the Recycling Center for disposal.  There is a minimum charge of $10 which covers up to 150 lbs of material.  The following materials must be brought to the Recycling Center (these will not be picked up curbside):

  • Carpet (charged)

  • Computers (free)

  • Televisions (free)

  • Electronics (free)

• Mattresses and box springs are an additional $36 each for curbside pick up and must be in a plastic bag.  Mattress bags are available at Public Works in City Hall.  There is NO charge to take mattresses and box springs to the Recycling Center. 

• If you have items that are still in usable condition, they may be donated to a charity, such as Habitat for Humanity's Restore, Savers, Goodwill, or the Salvation Army, or placed on one of the websites or Facebook pages, such as the Buy Nothing Group or Freecycle, that offer items for free. 

NO! Be sure you are NOT including recyclables in your orange bags. Be sure you are NOT putting orange bags in your recycling carts. Recycling should still be placed loose in the blue recycling cart.  Recycling effectively will further reduce your waste, and reduce your costs.  Learn what may be recycled curbside here: https://www.recyclect.com/ and what can be recycled in Middletown here: https://www.middletownct.gov/190/Recycling.

Customers can request an additional recycling cart at no extra charge by calling the public works office at 860-638-4855.

NO! There is no bag for recycling. Recycling is still the same as it was prior to Save As You Throw. Never put recyclables in plastic bags, just put recyclable items directly into your blue recycling cart. The City’s curbside recycling service comes free along with your trash cart, so take full advantage of it!  

Additional carts are available at no charge. Call 860-638-4855 or email the Recycling Office at recycling@middletownct.gov  to request one.  For information on what is acceptable with curbside recycling visit www.recyclect.com. 

Garbage disposals can cause sewer backups and put more strain on the City’s wastewater system. 

• When food scraps are sent down the drain, they combine with other wastes in the sewer system and end up at the wastewater treatment plant. 

• Sending food scraps down the drain is one of the least preferred ways to manage food waste because the food decays rapidly in the sewer system and generates methane gas. Methane emissions from sewers are released directly into the atmosphere, contributing to the climate crisis. 

• When you put food down the drain, even with a garbage disposal, items such as bread, oatmeal, pasta, and rice can expand when wet and form a gelatinous paste that blocks up your drain.  

• The use of a garbage disposal can put an increased strain on existing sewer pipes and infrastructure due to oil and food waste clogs. This can result in expensive plumbing bills, especially in older buildings. 

• According to the EPA , sink grinders are also significantly less environmentally friendly.  Food is a valuable resource and sending your food scraps to an anaerobic digester facility is a much better option than putting them in the garbage disposal.
  
  
  
  
  

The City is not enforcing food scrap separation.  It is your choice whether to separate food scraps into the green bags.  It does save money for both the City and the customer, if you separate your food scraps and it helps our environment.  The City is checking for the use of the orange bags.  That is required. 

Yes! The green bags are separated at the sorting facility and delivered to the Quantum Biopower.  The trash is disposed by the contracted facility at an incinerator or out of state landfill.  By separating out the food scraps, that material is handled in a more sustainable manner, and it costs less.  

The food scrap diversion will be a very small burden that is offset by long-term savings and positive environmental impact. We don’t have the luxury to take waste disposal for granted.

The City is at a crossroads of accepting consistent and infinite increases in costs or adopting a system that has proven to control costs by reducing waste. The City decided to be proactive and try to change the system to handle the future increases in costs and meet the state’s recycling and diversion goals. 

We understand it is not perfect and want our residents to help make improvements. This program is not intended to be onerous to residents; it is designed to offer a convenient way to divert food scraps, which make up more than 20% of the waste stream, and incentivize residents to reduce their waste and recycle more.  We specifically need input on the landlord/tenant dynamic, improving outreach and other issues to be determined by the informal waste reduction citizens advisory group.  

This group is meeting the second Monday of the month at 6pm.  Information on the meetings will be posted here. Contact recycling@middletownct.gov or 860-638-4858 if you want to join.  If you don’t want to be part of a group but have comments, call or email us. We greatly appreciate the public’s input.

The Sanitation District was formed by Special Act No. 466, Section of the legislature and Chapter VII § 1 of the City Charter.  The purpose of the Act was to form a special taxing district to collect waste in one congregated area. This would allow a pooling of resources and keep costs low for customers.  The District includes all property owners, residential and commercial.  Costs have always been different for customers, depending on what type of service they use, but there is a base fee all property owners must pay. 

The costs of the District have been one of the lowest in the State and have kept pricing down throughout Middletown. The District has never charged additional fees such as extra fuel charges or COVID charges and it offers special services such as curbside bulky waste collection and free curbside brush collection all year long, and now, curbside collection of food scraps.  The Sanitation District does not make a profit and offers transparency and accountability, unlike private haulers.  

Customers have to pay according to the service they use. A typical family, using one trash cart picked up once a week, used to pay $199 every billing cycle.  This pricing was slightly lower for smaller carts, and higher for dumpsters. The price changes if you use more than one cart and if it is picked up multiple times a week.   

The Sanitation District is an enterprise fund, which means it’s funding is totally separate from the City’s general fund budget.  Its expenses are paid for entirely by the fees collected.  Generally, the budget is split into base costs (administrative & operational costs), collection costs (the cost of actually picking up at your property) and disposal costs. The disposal cost was removed from the fee bill and added into the bag cost.  The mandatory admin cost is the mandatory portion, per state law and city charter, for each property owner.

As a special taxing district, the Sanitation District must charge all property owners a fee, whether they use the service or not.  This service charge is necessary because it allows it to operate.  District customers have enjoyed a low sanitation rate for decades.  If someone chooses not to use the service, that is their choice, but they are diminishing the service for their neighbors.  The Sanitation District can keep prices stable because everyone is required to pay into it.  According to the Special Act of the Legislature and the City Charter, the fee is mandatory.

More information is available here.

Special Acts Available here: 

1951 SA 466 

1959 SA 397

1963 SA 346

The City of Middletown Charter, Chapter VII § 1 Sanitary Disposal District; Boundaries, also supports the City’s position that it is entitled to charge the maintenance and operation fee at issue.  It reads as follows:

Chapter VII: § 1 Sanitary Disposal District; Boundaries [Amended 11-4-2008]

The Sanitary Disposal District shall continue to be that portion of the City of Middletown as is constituted the Sanitary Disposal District on the effective date of this Charter, together with any other territory contiguous thereto which may hereafter be added in accordance with the provisions of this Charter. The expense for the maintenance and operation of said district shall be a service charge upon all property located within the district. The provisions of Special Act No. 466 (1951) of the Connecticut General Assembly not inconsistent with the provisions herein shall continue in effect.

This provision of the charter is available online at : http://ecode360.com/12335120#./12335120?&_suid=14006863172630953521803738973

All Sanitation District customers received a reduction in their bills when this program started in November 2023.  If you feel you are using too many bags and it is too expensive, we can help. Customers may email recycling@middletownct.gov to schedule a waste audit so we can offer suggestions on how to reduce their waste. Residents that do a waste audit will receive a free $20 gift card to Reboot Eco. 

Only property owners receive the sanitation billing, and thus receive the savings.  If trash disposal is included in the lease, the city is encouraging landlords to pass this savings onto their renters in the form of rent reductions or bags.  It is of great concern that many landlords have not done this. Renters are required to use the city bags.  To help alleviate this problem, the City is offering assistance to help renters, and any family dealing with hardship, to adjust.  Families experiencing hardship can apply for bag assistance here; https://www.middletownct.gov/FormCenter/Public-Works-7/Sanitation-District-Trash-Bag-Assistance-160.

Yes, as long as the hauler is registered with the City.  However, the customer must still pay the administrative fee, which for a typical one family home is $74.48 each billing cycle. The Sanitation District is a special taxing district, and the fee is mandated both by the City Charter and by a Special Act of the Connecticut legislature.  It is vital for keeping the sanitation funded.  As a non-profit municipal entity, the District offers the lowest waste disposal fees in the City.  

To figure out the cost of the orange bags we took the average weight for a full bag of that size and priced the bags at what it costs to dispose of that amount of trash. The green bags are offered at a lower cost to encourage food waste diversion.

A voluntary program won’t achieve the reduction in trash needed to save money. Most people won’t comply and costs will escalate with no end in sight.  Experience has demonstrated that there needs to be a financial incentive for people to reduce waste and recycle. 

The City started with the District because it has control of the fee bill there.  We have offset the fees for the trash disposal bags, the bags include the disposal cost,  by reducing the semi-annual fee; most households should see a reduction in their total bill (including the price of the bags).  We anticipate the reduction in fees to be offset by reduced disposal charges as the volume of waste goes down.  Also, the City is working with its own crews to monitor the success of the program. 

The City does hope to expand the program to other customers within the District, as well as residential customers outside the District, if the program reduces waste and results in a cost savings as anticipated.  The waste disposal challenge the City faces is a regional and national problem, and we are trying to address it now before the anticipated increase in disposal costs becomes reality.  The co-collection of food scraps is an additional service we are now able to provide;  it could reduce trash volumes by 20% or more.

No, all locations that use cart service within the sanitation district with curbside trash and recycling must participate in this program, including locations owned by larger institutions.   Any location in the District that uses a dumpster is currently not part of this program. 

The city is exploring offering these appliances for those that are interested.  However, they are expensive. They take up space in your kitchen.  Residents would have to pay in full or perhaps, pay a monthly charge for the appliance. There are no grants to give these away.  There is no evidence or experience demonstrating a large reduction in waste with the use of these units.  These may work for some, but they increase the cost per household significantly and it is a lot to spend when there is no guarantee they will be used.  Co-collection is a much more economical system. 

Also, these units are not composters.  They are dehydrators.   The end product cannot be used as compost.  Full details here.  

https://www.biocycle.net/electric-kitchen-composter-confusion/

https://www.compostingcouncil.org/page/foodscrap-dehydrators

All schools are required by law to recycle the mandatory recyclables.  All Middletown schools are set up for recycling and there is an additional program to divert food scraps from school kitchens.  MacDonough School has initiated a food scrap composting program in the school cafeteria.  FoodCorp workers are working to expand food waste diversion to other cafeterias as well. The success of each program depends on the level of participation.  We always welcome support from school staff, parents, and students to ensure its success.

Stonington has a two-tiered billing system as well and the cost of collection and administration is paid for in residents’ tax bills. The disposal cost is included in the cost of the bag. Stonington residents have been paying for the trash they generate through the cost of their colored trash bags since the 1990s. They are participating in the co-collection pilot program to better manage their waste.  

The City has changed the way its customers pay for trash.  Trash is now treated like a utility, similar to electricity, where you pay for how much you use. Instead of everyone paying the same flat fee, customers who throw away one or two bags a week, will pay less than those who throw away three or more bags a week.  Customers who reduce waste, recycle right and separate their food scraps will no longer subsidize those who generate more trash.  

All property owners using the Sanitation District cart service received a reduction in their November 2023 bill.  The fee was reduced to include only the operational costs of the District. The cost of disposing of the waste is included in the cost of the orange bag. This is why the cost of the bag is more and, yes, trash disposal is expensive.  If you are not using the required orange bag, you are not paying your bill.  

Since landlords received the cost savings, the City is recommending that they pass these savings on to their tenants by providing a reasonable amount of orange and green bags.  If the lease includes trash disposal services, this should be done. We suggest landlords provide their tenants with a supply of bags equal to the cost savings they received in their bill. This is equivalent to 52 green bags per year (1 bag per week) & 104 orange bags (2 bags per week) per year. This could be split into six month segments, since the billing occurs every six months. Tenants would be required to purchase any additional bags themselves if they use more than this amount.

The City has changed the way its customers pay for trash.  Trash is now treated like a utility, similar to electricity, where you pay for how much you use. Instead of everyone paying the same flat fee, customers who throw away one or two bags a week, will pay less than those who throw away three or more bags a week.  Customers who reduce waste, recycle right and separate their food scraps will no longer subsidize those who generate more trash.  

All property owners using the Sanitation District cart service received a reduction in their November 2023 bill.   The fee was reduced to include only the operational costs of the District. The cost of disposing of the waste is included in the cost of the orange bag. This is why the cost of the bag is more and, yes, trash disposal is expensive.  If you are not using the required orange bag, you are not paying your bill.  

Since landlords received the cost savings, the City is recommending that they pass this savings to their tenants by providing a reasonable amount of orange and green bags.  If the lease includes trash disposal services, this should be done. We suggest landlords provide their tenants with a supply of bags equal to the cost savings they received in their bill. This is equivalent to 52 green bags per year (1 bag per week) & 104 orange bags (2 bags per week) per year. This could be split into six month segments, since the billing occurs every six months. Tenants would be required to purchase any additional bags themselves if they use more than this amount.

If you are a renter, speak to your landlord about providing the required trash bags.  If they refuse, we are providing bags to renters who qualify.  Use our Bag Assistance form to apply.  We are watching this dynamic carefully and want to hear your how this is being handled in the community.  Please contact us at 860-638-4858 or recycling@middletownct.gov if you are having trouble complying with this requirement.  Please note, because of the increasing costs and lack of disposal capacity,  all of us have to rethink how we manage our waste.  We all have to be responsible.  It is very important, that all waste and recycling regulations are followed properly and other actions are taken to reduce the amount of trash that is sent to landfills and incinerators.  If you have ideas on waste reduction, let us know! 

The Sanitation District was formed to collect waste in one congregated area which allows for a pooling of resources and keeps sanitation costs low for customers. The costs of sanitation in the Sanitation District have traditionally been some of the lowest in Connecticut, and have kept pricing down throughout the rest of Middletown.

Before SAYT, the typical sanitation bill for a family in the District was $400 annually. Since SAYT started, a typical household producing an average amount of trash (two 15-gallon orange trash bags and one 8-gallon green food scrap bag per week) will have an annual sanitation cost of $397. The actual cost now depends on how many bags are used during the week.  If a family averages less than two kitchen size bags, or one large 33 gallon bag a week, they are paying less.  If they generate more waste, they are paying more.  

In comparison, private haulers outside the District charge approximately $450 annually.  

With SAYT, the city has the potential to reduce trash disposal costs, as customers reduce waste.  This waste reduction will help control costs, as they continue to escalate.  This effort will pay off in the long run.  Other communities who use this system have been able to keep their prices stable as others have had to increase pricing as the costs have escalated.  The City also does not make a profit. Revenue that is generated goes directly into paying the expenses.  

Contact the Public Works Department at 860-638-4850. 

The City Sanitation District is in a contract through December 2024 to take municipal solid waste to a transfer station facility in Southington where it costs $115 a ton.

Recycling costs are tied to the recycling materials market indexes and change monthly based on how the markets are performing. In addition to the market pricing, there is a fixed processing charge to sort and bale the materials for market.  For the fiscal year of 2023, the processing fee was $90.63 for the City.  Years ago, the City received a revenue for recycling, but that has not been the case since 2017.  The actual cost per ton fluctuates between $70-$90. 

Bottles with a deposit are not separated from the rest of the recyclables. These are factored into the overall price that the City pays.   The Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) sort and bail thousands of tons of recycled materials per day.  

Containers that are not returned for the deposit are called unclaimed deposits, or escheats, and these monies accumulate from containers that are either thrown away or recycled through curbside programs.  These funds are paid to the State of Connecticut, with a portion returned back to the distributor or deposit initiator beginning FY 2023.  

More information on the bottle bill material can be found here. 

Answers to Questions from the Sanitation District Commission meeting on 11/28/2023

Press Coverage of Announcement on Nov. 3, 2023 

• Channel 30
• Channel 8
• Press Release