City plans review to review use and set appropriate schedule
By Ed Nadolski
Editor in Chief
A Burlington alderman is concerned the city’s recent decision to reduce hours at the community compost site comes at the busiest time of the year for yard work.
“With the reduction in hours and daylight, I (fear we’ll) see people dumping things anywhere and everywhere,” Alderman Tom Vos said during Tuesday’s Common Council meeting.
The city recently announced that as of Sept. 12 it would reduce the number of days from four to two that the compost site at 746 Maryland Ave. will be open.
City Administrator Carina Walters said officials had difficulty hiring someone to fill the site attendant position and had to resort in some cases to paying regular Department of Public Works employees overtime to supervise at the site.
The greatest hurdle, she said Tuesday, has been the fact the attendant had to work every Saturday and Sunday during from April through November.
Vos suggested hiring at least two people who could share that position and alternate weekends.
Beginning Tuesday, the compost site will be open two days per week – Tuesdays from 3 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Walters said those hours were based on observations of the busiest times at the site.
The compost site has been open Saturdays, Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Walters said city workers will closely monitor the situation as the season draws to a close and will adjust hours as needed.
“If we need to adjust that we will,” she said. “We’ll monitor the counts and expand (the hours) as needed.
“I think for a short-term period, this will work,” she added.
She said the best scenario would be for the city’s new public works director to fully review the situation and make a recommendation that balances city resources and the desires of residents.
The city lost DPW Director Jim Bergles to Waterford in July and is in the process of finding his replacement.
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