Councilors were approached by a resident who wanted the Swap Shop reopened. The Swap Shop was before my time on the Council, but my understanding was that it was facilitated by volunteers, and over time, the volunteer base dried up. From my experience as a resident, I know that some individuals misused the facility.
There are towns with freebie barns currently in service (York and Berwick come to mind). I believe York's is only open once a month to make it more manageable, and I will try to find more information about how they structure it.
Our Transfer Station is grappling with urgent issues concerning staffing, resident behavior, and traffic flow. It's imperative that we find solutions soon to ensure smooth operations and a better experience for our community. Recently, the station had to close early twice due to staffing shortages; with only three employees, illnesses can severely impact operations. Additionally, we need assistance with paper recycling and addressing residents who attempt to bypass using Town bags. As a recent town Facebook post indicated, we've had to station an employee at the paper recycling bin due to misuse. Individuals throwing styrofoam, diapers, and laptops into paper recycling not only contaminate the batch but also incur additional fees for the Town.
In my perspective, having these basic needs at the Transfer Station as such an issue prevents us from offering additional services, such as reopening the Swap Shop. We hope that we can have your support as we work through the budget process to ultimately work towards providing a material exchange.
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