The company has taken multiple steps to stop the dumpster from stinking, according to the Board of Health.
ADAMS, Mass. — Health official commended Big Y for its response to multiple complaints about a smelly, dumpster citing a variety of steps the supermarket took to alleviate the odor.
According to Code Enforcement Officer Scott Koczela, Big Y management installed an elastic sealer to keep trash from infiltrating into the ground, sanitized the area, installed wheel stops to move the dumpster closer to the trash chute, increased pick-up frequency and is now holding trash in back rooms on muggy days. The result is only "quick, passing" smells that no longer qualify as a public nuisance.
"I don't smell anything. Every once in a while you'll get a quick whiff," Koczela said on Wednesday. "I really feel as though they are doing all they can."
The dumpster's smell was a cause of many complaints during the hot summer — mostly from a nearby apartment complex. The issue came to a head recently when the board threatened the company with fines for every substantiated complaint.
Board of Health Administrative Assistant Susan Foster created a log to document every complaint, findings and weather conditions. Koczela is still being called out to the site often but he said there is no lingering smell.
Chairman Richard Frost said he, too, has made several stops at the site and have found no substantial issue. He credited moving the dumpster closer to the chute as a major reason for the reduction in smell.
"They have been so aggressive in trying to take care of the problem," Frost said.
In other business, Koczela said town officials from various departments will be meeting to discuss issues at the Dugout Motel. Police, fire, building inspectors and the Board of Health each have found issues with the Howland Avenue motel.
Koczela said he performed a recent inspection with both the Fire Department and building inspector and while he found little of concern to the Health Department, the other departments had issues. A meeting is being set up for Thursday with all departments and the chairman of the Board of Selectmen to discuss ways to handle the various issues.
"There are going to be some major changes on the horizon," Koczela said.
One major issue they found was that most of the tenants were staying there for long-term housing, sometimes up to three years, which turns the motel into a boarding house. Boarding houses are not allowed in the town's zoning bylaws but the motel could apply for a special permit. Additionally, the rooms are only big enough for one person while entire families are living there so a special permit would require only one person per room.
Police have also had issues with a high volume of calls to there as well as some major drug busts. The Fire Department found issues with the residents being given hot plates to cook on and multiple carbon dioxide detectors failing.
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