'Sign and Drive' Event Planned for Trash Petition

The organizer of an in Hamilton is hoping to convert the electronic signatures to ink and paper on Saturday.

Mike Massimi organized an online petition earlier this month, gathering signatures from residents who oppose the new SMART trash program, which will , likely beginning in March. Massimi said he is opposed to the biweekly collection of trash.

On Friday, Massimi said he has teamed up with Bruce Wadleigh, who has already begun a separate petition that also opposes the new trash plan. Wadleigh said he already has about 50 signatures.

The electronic petition has 182 signatures on it, with “almost all of them” from Hamilton residents, Massimi said.

He sent a message to the people who signed the online petition though the website that administers it, change.org, asking them to stop by the between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday to sign a “hard copy” of the petition. His hope is to add to the names he collects on to Wadleigh’s petition.

Massimi said he is hoping for three possible outcomes from the petition. He is hoping that either the Board of Selectmen revote and reverse the plan or that Selectmen agree to put the plan to voters at the Annual Town Meeting in May, or Massimi said he would submit 100 signatures to hold a Special Town meeting.

At least 100 signatures from registered voters are needed to hold a special town meeting, according to Town Clerk Jane Wetson.

If Selectmen agree to put it as an article on the Annual Town Meeting warrant, Massimi said he would also ask that the rollout be delayed until after the meeting.

“We’re going to try to get as many names as we can,” Massimi said, calling Saturday’s events at the American Legion a “sign and drive event.” He’ll be outside the Legion, collecting signatures from drivers while they stay in their car.

He decided to do it at the Legion versus someone’s home, where it might create additional traffic in a neighborhood, or stand outside , where many of the shoppers may not be from Hamilton.