By Theresa Knapp 

Holliston is on the path to securing a third-party vendor to remove pet waste from several locations along the Holliston Rail Trail which is part of the larger Upper Charles Trail system. Currently, the waste is removed by volunteers. 

At a meeting of the Select Board on Oct. 7, Chairperson Tina Hein said town officials met recently with the Friends of Holliston Trails which hoped the town could contract a third-party vendor before Nov. 1.  

“I think that the Trail is something that we value a an asset here in Holliston,” said Hein. 

Town Administrator Travis Ahern said, “We’re looking for a third party to take this over and we have four locations that we know are non-negotiable; we have an additional six locations that are ideal but this is going to come down to costs.”

The required pickup locations include Lowland Street and Fawn Road Crossing, Blair Square, Arch Street, and Cross Street. 

The additional sites being considered include Hopping Brook Road, Mayflower Landing, Monroe Drive, Chestnut Street, Summer Street, and Woodland Street. 

Ahern said, “I think what we’ll find if we try to stick to four [locations] is that you will end up with trash accumulating along the way and probably complaints.” 

The town received two written proposals. “They each have long-term municipal clients, they each have a trac record, it appears that there’s a market for this,” said Ahern. “Overall, it looks like the cost to us is going to be, depending on the 4-10 locations, about $4,000 to $9,000 per year.” 

Ahern noted there is a $5,000 Rail Trail line item in the current FY25 budget, though those funds are typically used for tools or small projects along the trail “to supplement what the Trails Committee, as opposed to the Friends of the Trails, have at their disposal.” 

Ahern reported he had spoken with Robert Weidknecht, Chair of the Holliston Trails Committee, “And [Weidknecht] did confirm that they could probably go this year without tapping those funds although we have to consider what that looks like for FY26.”  

The Select Board voted unanimously to direct the Town Administrator to work with the Friends of the Holliston Trails to make a recommendation for the board to consider at a future meeting.