Select Board members discussed several proposed improvements to the town’s transfer station, including possibly extending hours by adding an additional day, during their meeting Tuesday.
Board members discussed multiple issues compiled as a “wish list” for the department and agreed to talk about some of the solvable issues with Department of Public Works Director Peter Goewey to see which ones might be implemented using existing town resources or employees.
Among the changes discussed were adding a credit card machine, installing three-phase power, painting lines on the transfer station roadways to better direct traffic flow, a larger transfer station shed and adding hours on Wednesday evening. Transfer station employee Steve Beaulieu said most of the items were not immediate needs, but would ease ongoing issues.
Some issues, said Select Board Chair Sean Talbot, were likely out of reach for this year, such as installing three-phase power, which would require major infrastructure upgrades. Others, he said, were more achievable.
Regarding opening the transfer station Wednesday nights, Selectman Jason Somero asked if, with only two employees at the transfer station, they would be willing to take on additional hours, noting that the current Saturday time is often overflowing.
“To have two people there, you guys are stretched to the max. You can only ask so much of people,” Somero said.
Beaulieu agreed that the current schedule can be overwhelming, and there may be need for additional hours or an additional worker.
“I just can’t keep that pace up,” Beaulieu said.
Beaulieu said an option to pay by credit card is something customers often request. The town could purchase a credit card processor at a minimal cost, but the transfer station would also require a Wi-Fi booster in order to operate it.
“We would like to be able to offer that,” Beaulieu said.
Town Administrator Debbie Deaton said the town could purchase a credit card processor, which would require a small user fee to use, or could look into alternatives such as a mobile credit card reader like Square.
The board and Beaulieu also discussed the transfer station shed building. Beaulieu said it’s currently functional, but he would like to see some improvements to improve cooling conditions, such as functioning windows, or replacement with a slightly larger shed.
“It’s crowded, but it works. If we were to hire a third person, I don’t know where that third person would go,” Beaulieu said.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 603 -924-7172 ext. 244 o r asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.