RUMFORD — A public hearing on proposed changes to the weekly curbside solid waste collection rules is set for 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, at Rumford Falls Auditorium, 145 Congress St.

Town Manager George O’Keefe told the Select Board on Sept. 24 that Archie’s Inc., of Mexico, doing business as J&J Disposal, will provide a 65-gallon container for each residence. No garbage bags or mismatched containers will be allowed at curbside.

The Select Board will present the proposed new regulations when it meets after the hearing, O’Keefe said, and if approved they would be effective sometime in November.

Archie’s will deliver the containers, which are also called toters, O’Keefe said.

“Nobody will have to come down and pick them up. And they won’t be required to pay for their first one. If the container provided is too big for a resident to handle, we’ll have smaller containers that may be provided as well,” the town manager said.

By using toters, which can be grabbed by a hydraulic arm of the waste collecting truck, O’Keefe said the company will save on labor costs that could help hold down future costs to the town for the contracted service.

“The approach is that a 65-gallon container should be sufficient for one household. We are literally limiting that to one container per household per week,” O’Keefe.

The town manager stressed that the proposed regulations are the same as other Maine towns of similar size with municipal curbside collection.

“If trash toters were not already in widespread use elsewhere in other cities and towns in Maine with municipal curbside collection,” he said, “we would not be considering it. The change is for the sake of street cleanliness and to help keep costs under control.”

O’Keefe told the board he was surprised to learn that nearly all buildings with seven or more units in town are already using dumpsters paid for by the landlords. That practice will continue.

The town will send letters to all multifamily building owners to let them know about the proposed new regulations.

There will be no change for the 18-gallon blue recycling bins that are in use.