June 5, 2024 – Stafford, CT
You asked, and the Board of Selectmen (BOS) heard you. At Wednesday’s meeting, John Whetton, the Foreman at the transfer station, presented a plan to test Sunday hours. He suggested a two-month trial period during which residents could drop off their waste during a five-hour window on Sundays.
Whetton says it would cost between $4,500 and $5,000 in overtime and would give his team time to assess what other unknown costs may be an issue. For instance, Whetton said his team may need to spend more time hauling trash out of the transfer station earlier in the week to make room for added traffic.
Director of Public Works Devin Cowperthwaite said this is really about the convenience factor for residents. He doesn’t expect people to create more trash; he expects them to change their behavior when they drop it off.
The plan was enthusiastically received by the board and a few people in the audience, though there were a few questions. Selectman Rick Hartenstein asked where the money for the overtime would come from. Morrison said, “There is money in the transfer station budget to do that.” Whetton explained that his department has realized significant savings thanks to the reduced volume of trash they are seeing. Cowperthwaite also said that, on the recycling side, the town is now being paid for cardboard again. It doesn’t create a profit but does reduce the cost associated with disposing of the cardboard.
In fact, the transfer station is one of three departments the town expects may come in under budget this year. There was some discussion about whether this year’s savings would be retained in next year’s budget, but Whetton was optimistic a permanent change could be absorbed. “We’re living within our means, and we do generate revenue,” Whetton pointed out.
Worried that the program would be popular and suddenly end before the change could be made permanent, Selectman Kurt Vail asked if the pilot could be extended to 10 weeks so the board could get data at the end of eight weeks. There would then be two weeks for the BOS to enact a more permanent change.
Whetton and Cowperthwaite said that they could stick with the eight-week plan and report back to the board in six weeks, or perhaps even earlier so that the board could make a decision before the pilot period ends. They also suggested taking a couple of weeks to enact the plan and finalize the details.
So, as of right now, the BOS has voted to start the Sunday experiment in July, with a plan to assess the success before the eight-week pilot ends.
Get your garbage ready!
UPDATE: The Transfer Station has announced the pilot will begin on July 14 and end on September 1, 2024. They will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.