BIDDEFORD — Residents heading to Biddeford’s transfer station/recycling center take note: the days and hours it will be open are changing, starting Feb. 8.
Proponents say the change at the 371 Hill St. facility will mean a consistent schedule every open day.
The new hours are 7 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. The transfer station/recycling center will be closed Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays.
While the transfer station will be open four days each week instead of five, altogether it will be open 39 hours a week, rather than the current 37.5 hours, proponents said.
The city council discussed the matter and took an initial vote in December and a final vote on Jan 10.
The public works department recently moved to a new, four, 10-hour work day schedule, and City Hall hours were changed to four days a week in June — City Hall is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays. It is closed on Fridays.
City Manager James Bennett at the December meeting told councilors employee recruitment and retention is linked to the four-day week.
Councilor Martin Grohman voted against the proposal at the December session, but in favor on Jan. 10.
“I’ve had a cross section of outreach on this both in for and against,” said Grohman. “There’s been some dissatisfaction with the reduction in hours (overall) of city services and some are meshing the change in City Hall in this.”
He said he hopes the city will “work hard with the communication on this,” and noted the transfer and recycling center will be open longer each week, with more consistent hours.
Councilor Bob Mills said he also heard from people and told them the change was on a trial basis.
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