New schedule for Dennis transfer station to go into effect Oct. 10, closed Mondays and Tuesdays
DENNIS — In a 3-2 vote, the Select Board approved new hours for the town's transfer station.
Starting Oct. 10, the transfer station, located at 100 Theophilus F Smith Road in South Dennis, will be open Wednesday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., a press release from the town said.
The station will be closed Mondays and Tuesdays, as well as all legal holidays and the day after Thanksgiving, the release said.
The schedule is permanent, and will not change throughout the year.
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No more schedule changes expected
Dennis Solid Waste and Recycling Committee proposed the new schedule to the Select Board at a Sept. 20 meeting.
"A consistent schedule throughout the year will avoid confusion and facilitate operations," committee member Michele Kryimes told the board. "This means that occasionally due to federal holidays, and additional days recognized by the town, there will be some four-day weeks.”
The board's reception was mixed, but Department of Public Works Director Michael Lavin said as long as the new schedule remains the same throughout the year, adjusting shouldn't be a problem for staff and residents alike.
"When I've spoken with our staff, consistency is key," Lavin told the Select Board at its Tuesday meeting. "Let's pick it and stick with it."
The transfer station changed summer operating hours in July 2021 due to staffing shortages, then-Department of Public Works Director David Johansen said in a letter to the Select Board, a problem still plaguing the department, according to Lavin.
Lavin told the board the department struggles to recruit seasonal workers in particular, leaving gaps in coverage for the busy summer months.
Hiring staff has been a problem
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"We just don’t have the people coming. When you’re starting at $7.50 an hour, and you can work at the convenience store for $2 more per hour in the air conditioning, it’s not the most desirable place to work," he told the board. “It’s a problem everywhere. I wish our market was different."
Anyone with questions regarding the new transfer station schedule is encouraged to reach out to the transfer station at (508) 760-6230.
Contact Sarah Carlon at scarlon@capecodonline.com. Follow her on Twitter: @sarcarlon.
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: New schedule for the Dennis transfer station on the horizon
