Decision on Transfer Station Hours is Delayed

Responding to both a petition and complaints from residents, Selectmen once again spent time trying to figure out the proper solution for hours at the Transfer and Recycling Station.

A sitting board of four members voted 2-2 on whether to change the current format – four days at 10 hours each – to a design of five days at eight hours each. One of those five days would have later hours.

The board now awaits the swing vote from Selectman Phil LoChiatto, which will come at an unspecified later date, possibly next meeting.

Board Chairman Bruce Breton, who summarized the complaints as a concern over the long gap created with the station being closed on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, sided with the status quo, or the current hours.

"I personally don't think it's broken," he said. "I think we accomodate more people than I think we have ever accomodated."

The current hours have been in operation for over a year after the board voted for the four days and with them a reduction of four operating hours per week to save the cost of overtime pay.

Siding with Breton was Vice Chairman Ross McLeod, who wondered how the station not being open on Tuesdays makes a noticeable difference in people's lives.

He added that nobody has commented that they visit the Transfer Station more than once a week, which he said undercuts the argument that the gap causes problems since those individuals would visit during the week and again on Saturday.

Transfer Station Manager Dave Poulson advocated for no change in the current hours, saying that the town has to have some regimentation on hours.

He said that a continuity with days and hours needs to remain, or the Transfer Station's operation will suffer.

Poulson, like McLeod, said he also doesn't understand why the one extra day is so important and makes a difference to somebody.

He also explained that the Transfer Station was open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. for five days a week between 1990 and 2001 and there were no complaints from the public.

Those hours were bumped down to 44 and most recently 40 due to budget restrictions.

Selectman Roger Hohenberger pushed for change from the current hours, saying that he has heard more complaints in the past year than he has during his entire career in Windham.

He said that sitting and doing nothing is doing a "massive injustice."

McLeod argued that he has heard only three complaints in the last year, and has heard more in previous years from residents unhappy about how the hours were not the same each day.

Hohenberger disclosed that he receives curbside pickup, which comes once every week, and he understands having a smelly garage six months out of the year. He joked that he has to get pickup to avoid having a smelly Corolla.

Not including Poulson, the Transfer Station has four employees, although one is a driver and is typically on the road.

Poulson said that 1,500 users have their waste brought to the station by a provider, while there are 3,000 total users on any given week.

He said that he has observed no increased traffic on Wednesday compared to any other day.

One suggestion, brought up by Windham resident Alan Carpenter, was to get creative and get the station opened up an hour early with one employee.

Both Poulson and Transfer Station Supervisor Dennis Senibaldi disagreed with that idea.

Senibaldi cited the safety concern of having one person opearting heavy hydraulics.

"What happens if you're down there, something happens and there's no one else around?" Senibaldi said. "I've had more people tell me the (current) hours are counducive to what they do then not."

Carpenter countered that the intent of his idea was to have one person not operate equipment, but rather get the gates open and get opeartions ready.

Carpenter advocated for a change in the hours, saying that he doesn't know anybody who likes the current format.

Poulson stressed that if a change is made, to stick with a Tuesday through Saturday schedule due to operations.

Another issue that appeared in complaints to the town circulated around holiday closings, specifically Thanksgiving. The town has opted to close the Transfer Station in the last two years. The four members did not indicate whether that procedure would change.

That single day would cost $1,600 to pay the four employees.