Pomfret waste center open; Putnam joins next year

By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
POMFRET — Oct. 18 and 19 the town’s Bulky Waste station opened for Pomfret residents.
First Selectman Maureen Nicholson said the opening went well and Pomfret residents were lined up a half hour before the facility on Nora Lane opened.
It will also be open to Pomfret residents Nov. 15 and 16 and then shut down for the winter.
Putnam will be sharing the facility come spring. “We wanted to sort things out” with a soft opening, Nicholson said. “We wanted to do a few of our own and then bring Putnam in,” she said.
Pomfret and Putnam have been in negotiations for a while. As part of the agreement, Putnam did the paving work at the facility.
Because Pomfret doesn’t want to take money at the facility, Nicholson said they are working on a possible system where Putnam residents can get a permit at the Town Hall.
Putnam didn’t build its own, she said, because it’s too expensive for each town to build one. It’s also expensive to run. “You don’t need one in every town,” she said. Partnering with a town nearby saves taxpayers money. It’s fiscally responsible. Pomfret is nearby, “so that makes sense for Putnam and Pomfret to partner on the station.”
Meanwhile Putnam will hold a Bulky Waste Day for Putnam residents only, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 9 at the Putnam Middle Schools. ID required.

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