Groton ― The town plans to put this year’s funds from the surcharge on “nip” bottles of liquor toward solar trash compactors, trash barrels made of composite materials, and a vehicle to pick up trash, as well as give a portion of the funds to the city.

The state has a 5 cent surcharge on miniature liquor bottles, or nip bottles, and towns must use the funds received for bottles sold within the municipality toward reducing waste or the impact of litter, according to the state Office of Legislative Research.

The Town of Groton received about a $46,000 payment this year and expects to receive a second payment of about $46,000, due to the sale of the bottles in Groton, said Town Manager John Burt.

The Town Council is proposing to allocate 15% of the funds to the city, which has three liquor stores, and then to split the town’s remaining funds equally between the Parks and Recreation department for solar compactors and trash barrels at local parks and to the Public Works department to save up for a small trash vacuum vehicle.

The council at its Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday voted to move the proposal to a vote at its Monday, Nov. 6 meeting. If approved, it would next go to the Representative Town Meeting.

Burt said the number of trash compactors and barrels will be decided once the town receives the final amount of funding.

Parks and Recreation Director Mark Berry had requested four solar-powered trash compactors; two for Poquonnock Plains Park, one for Esker Point Beach, and one for Calvin Burrows Field. He wrote in the email request to Burt that having compactable containers at locations with high quantities of trash would reduce travel times and the frequency of trips that staff make to the parks.

Berry also requested trash barrels made from composite materials for the parks division, which currently has about 68 metal barrels, to “eliminate having to replace the metal barriers that rust out and eliminate having to annually repaint the barrels.”

Public Works Director Greg Hanover said the small trash vacuum vehicle, essentially a small tractor which would suck up trash along the side of the road, is estimated to cost between $65,000 and $150,000, so the town will have to put aside money over time before it can purchase one.

The councilors on Tuesday voted five in favor, with three abstentions. Councilors spoke in favor of the ideas, but some had concerns, including deciding on the full funding before the town received the second payment, and they preferred to only allocate the first payment received so far this year.

City of Groton Mayor Keith Hedrick said the city has not made any decisions yet on how it would allocate its funding, but options include installing solar trash compactors and hiring part-time workers to help pick up bottles around the city. The city is evaluating which sites have the most challenges.

Last year, the town received about $79,199 in funds and split that between the Beautification Committee and the Public Works’ solid waste fund, which was for the purchase of solar compactors for downtown Mystic, according to Burt.

k.drelich@theday.com