Trash cans in the business district might not be emptied while trash truck is being serviced.

Reduced pickup in store   for Berlin unless workers can dump cans manually

By Cindy Hoffman, Staff Writer

(Oct. 19, 2023) Berlin’s trash truck is going into the shop for 14 days. Jimmy Charles, the director of Public Works told the Berlin mayor and Town Council last week that the hydraulic components on the truck are wearing out and the truck will be going to a shop in Salisbury.

The truck went out of commission on Oct. 17. While the truck is being serviced, the sanitation staff might have to pick up trash manually and will not be able to do the street cans, Charles said.

Councilman Dean Burrell expressed concerns with putting people in compromising positions where they could possibly get hurt by picking up the trash manually.

Charles said the truck runs five days a week. On Mondays and Fridays, it picks up 50-75 cans in the downtown area and the parks.

Between Tuesday and Thursday, the truck picks up 500-700 cans a day.

The truck is five years old and Charles reported that these types of trucks last anywhere from five to six years. He is exploring options to find a second automated truck.

The current truck cost about $275,000 when it was purchased.  A new truck will cost about $300,000, according to Charles.

“We are going to have a conversation in November about buying a truck in November 2024,” Charles said.

The truck will be out of commission through Nov. 3.