By Chris Frost
Eagle Times News Editor
CLAREMONT NH — The Claremont City Council received an update about the operation of the city’s transfer station during its meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 8. The update highlighted difficulties experienced by DeCamp Waste Services since it began operating the facility.
DeCamp will soon switch to curbside trash pickup because residents are behaving poorly.
Public Works Director Alex Gleeson said he received a 90-day notice from DeCamp, advising it will cease operations at the station.
“This is a reflection of their inability to manage very challenging customers that come through the door,” he said. “It’s a safety issue for their staff and them.”
He said DeCamp called the Claremont Police Department and the solution is to stop providing transfer station services and go to residents directly.
“There will be no additional charge to the city and everything stays as it is,” he said. “Residents will get stickers, almost like they did with the punch pass as they did previously at the terminal locations. They’ll put those stickers on their bags, wherever they live, and [DeCamp will] pick up whatever day that would be.”
He said that presents challenges with brush and waste-oil pickup.
“We talked to DeCamp and agreed that the first Saturday of every month they’d open the transfer station gates and they’d do brush, leaf, electronics, waste oil and large items like refrigerators,” Gleeson said. “The contract is still in place and they’re still providing service to the city; it [just] won’t be everybody driving up there.”
He said the goal is for residents to have less facetime with the DeCamp staff.
“This was the easiest solution,” he said.
DeCamp representative Kacey Gardner told the council that they made the “difficult decision” based on the behavior of many who visit the transfer station.
“I want to thank everybody that has come and been kind,” she said. “It will be sad not to see them on a regular basis and there have been a lot of very generous people who have come and apologized for their fellow citizens.”
She said it wasn’t a quick decision and noted the change won’t cost the city more money.
Councilor Spencer Bachelder, who also apologized for resident’s behavior, asked if they had videos of incidents or police reports noting he’d “like to see them.”
“I have a handwritten sheet of people we watch for because of our history with them,” Gardner said. “It’s not detailed but we know who they are.”
“They’re name calling,” Gardner said. “We have a 14-year-old who was working up there and that was the final straw when they decided to swear at and call a 14-year-old a name [when he] was choosing, on a Saturday, to work, be responsible and do the right thing. Multiple people, that particular weekend, decided he was overcharging or didn’t like the way he was presenting the pricing and called him names.”
Gardner said the abuse the employees take is inappropriate.
“It’s not your average, ‘oh gee, this is highway robbery.’ Its name calling and threatening,” Gardner said. “We value our employees and can’t stand for that anymore.”
Councilor Jonathan Stone offered his sympathies, acknowledging the decision was forced by residents harassing and bullying DeCamp’s staff. “I’m very sorry you are experiencing this from patrons who are citizens of Claremont,” he said.
Assistant Mayor Deb Matteau said she was “incredibly disappointed” that people have responded to the council’s decision to privatize the transfer station’s operation by abusing DeCamp’s employees.
“It’s just ridiculous,” she said. “It angers me that you were put in that position and you shouldn’t be.”
Councilor Nicholas Koloski has seen comments where people put smashed recyclables in their trash bags because they don’t want to spend an additional three dollars to dispose of it properly.
“That’s not something you berate people at a transfer station about,” he said.
The last day of the transfer station will be open to the general public will be Jan. 9. Plans to educate the public on curbside collection are still being developed.
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