Controlled Scavenging at Transfer Station Backed by Selectmen

That discarded bicycle or lawnmower at the Transfer Station can now be yours after the Board of Selectmen approved a system of controlled scavenging on Feb. 4.

According to Transfer Station Manager Dave Poulson, since a policy of no scavenging was implemented, residents have come to the station requesting items.

He explained that he and his staff have bought into the requests, and the process has been strictly monitored by Transfer Station staff.

People have asked Poulson for bicycles, golf clubs, dog cages, light fixtures – you name it.

"There are folks out there who really use this stuff," Poulson said.

The policy to prohibit scavenging was implemented to prevent liabilities and those who are seeking to scrap or broker items.

Poulson said that he believes a controlled system could work.

"I think we could monitor the transaction, we can ensure everything is done right, (and) if we have any suspect that it's shaky then the answer is 'no,'" he said.

Poulson explained that the goal is to inhibit residents from either digging through the pile or taking things apart – such as trying to get the wheel off of a lawnmower.

"That's when you get into a lot of the liability issues," he said. "I'm trying to make it air-tight so there's no issues where the scavenging could be interpreted that way.

He said the policy will be an "all or nothing" approach, where you either take the whole item or none of it.

In the past month, Poulson said he has retrieved items for three residents. In some cases, items are safely away from the pile.