"Not a dime to spare," Hollis Public Works Director Joan Cudworth told the Select Board, as Hollis Brookline News reported on September 25, 2026. "But we did it." She was talking about the Rocky Pond Transfer Station. Voters approved a $2.4 million warrant article to rebuild it, and the project came in "right at $2.4 million."
Most people at the dump won't see the wall first. They'll see the attendant. Since October 1, anyone heading to the Still Good table meets someone who checks for a transfer station sticker and looks over what's being dropped off. The town described this change a year and a half ago, and the reason comes down to a simple fact about how Hollis pays to get rid of its trash: it pays by weight.
A Dump Built on Top of the Old Dump
The squeeze at Rocky Pond goes back decades. In an April 2025 interview with Hollis Brookline News, Cudworth put the size problem plainly: the dump had stayed the same size for decades. The town kept growing and the work area didn't. The retaining wall holding it all up sits on top of the town's previous landfill.
Cudworth spent 18 years working at the transfer station before she became DPW Director, so she knows the site well. She had been reporting cracks and stability concerns in the old wall for several years before the project got going. Jennings Excavation did the rebuild and kept the station open the whole time. Cudworth called it "the most neat and tidiest construction site I've ever seen."
Here's what the finished project added:
- 16 more parking spaces, one of them accessible
- A marked walking path through the yard
- New lighting and security cameras
- Roofs that protect staff and keep the trash dry
- More room to move vehicles and equipment, plus some new green space
- Space set aside for future expansion
Two of those features cover more than they first appear to. The cameras deal with a problem Cudworth raised in 2025: "we do have a lot of people that sneak in after hours and try to dump." The roofs keep the trash dry, which matters at a station that pays by weight.
Why the Swap Table Got an Attendant
In the same 2025 interview, Cudworth said the trash bill depends on what the trash weighs. Talking about food scraps, she said that if more households kept organics out of their trash bags, "Our trash disposal rates would go way down. Because it's based on weight."
The swap table runs into the same math. It has "long been a well-used town resource," the paper wrote, and Cudworth agreed it is "very popular." Her concern was what ends up there. "If it's really broken, throw it in the trash," she said. The worse problem is rain. "When this stuff gets wet, it costs you the taxpayer twice as much to get rid of it, if not three times, because it weighs that much more." A box of paperbacks left out in a storm can end up as wet trash that costs two or three times as much to haul away.
The 2025 article also described plans to cut down on misuse, "including potential staff presence to address out-of-town users and those without proper transfer station stickers." That staff presence is now in place. Here's how the 2025 concerns line up with the 2026 rules:
| What DPW described in April 2025 | What changed when the table reopened October 1, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Out-of-town users and drivers without stickers at the table | An attendant checks every vehicle for a valid sticker |
| Residents who need a sticker | The same attendant sells them on the spot |
| Lithium-ion batteries hidden in toothbrushes, sneakers, razors and musical greeting cards | Items are screened for lithium-ion batteries before they're left |
| Too much left at the table at once | A request not to bring all your Still Good items in one trip |
The battery check goes back to a statewide ban on lithium-ion batteries in regular trash, which took effect July 1, 2025. Cudworth called the batteries "very expensive to dispose of." The September 2026 report gives the other reason for screening them at the table: to lower the risk of a battery-related fire.
The New Route, in Order
The table is in the same spot on the lower level. It had been closed since the end of April, so getting there will feel new to many people. According to the town's September 24 notice, the route goes like this:
- Enter from the top of the transfer station and drive down the side road.
- Stop for the attendant, who checks your sticker and looks over the items for lithium-ion batteries.
- Park past the sand pile.
- Leave your items, but not your whole garage at once. The town asked specifically.
- Take anything that carries a disposal fee down to the lower part of the station and pay at the new shed.
- Exit from below onto Rocky Pond Road.
DPW staff will also be enforcing the station's existing rules, including the one 30-minute visit per day allowed under RSA 41:11. The rule isn't new. With the yard reopened and staff watching more closely, more people may simply hear about it. The town has asked for patience while the new routine settles in.
The Piece Still Being Sorted Out
One piece of equipment didn't arrive as ordered. The trash compactors at Rocky Pond belong to the Souhegan Regional Landfill District, not the town. The district paid about $200,000 for a new compactor, and the manufacturer, Marathon, delivered a 600X instead of the 600XW the district had ordered.
The difference comes back to hauling costs. Cudworth said the narrower model lets some trash fall to the side instead of getting pushed fully into the container, so it packs less tightly. Looser packing means more loads to haul. For now, the district has promised to keep moving Hollis's 50-yard containers at no extra cost to the town and to cover the extra loads. Marathon agreed to pay for either a retrofit or a full replacement. A retrofit would take about two weeks for parts, then welding, and the manufacturer confirmed it would not void the warranty. Cudworth said she preferred a new compactor, as ordered.
As of the September 25 report, the district had not announced which option it chose.
Where the Rest of the Fall Pile Goes
Some of what piles up in October doesn't belong at Rocky Pond, or at the swap table.
Leaves and brush. The separate Stump Dump at 275 Depot Road takes leaves, grass, compost, manure and brush under five inches thick at no charge. It's for Hollis residents and material from Hollis only, and it doesn't accept commercial vehicles. The town's recycling handout, last revised in March 2024, lists Stump Dump hours as Wednesday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Hazardous waste. The 2026 regional collection schedule lists Saturday, November 7, in Nashua, from 8 a.m. to noon. The fee is $20 per vehicle, which covers up to 10 gallons or 20 pounds. Latex paint, used oil, asbestos and smoke detectors aren't accepted, according to Hollis Brookline News.
Big items. The town fee schedule lists mattresses, refrigerators, air conditioners and dehumidifiers as no-charge items. Fee items now get paid for at the new shed on the lower level.
Hours. The same March 2024 handout lists the transfer station as open Tuesday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday noon to 7 p.m., and Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It doesn't give holiday hours, so check with DPW before Thanksgiving week.
The fall cleanout at Rocky Pond now goes in the order the town has laid out. Batteries stay home, broken items go in the trash, fee items go to the shed, and only things someone else could actually use go on the Still Good table.
Clearing out a garage often comes before a bigger change, like getting ready to sell or downsizing to a smaller place. If you're sorting out what to keep, what to donate and what to haul to Rocky Pond before listing a Hollis home, Marianna can help you plan that prep so it fits your timeline. Reach out to Marianna Vis Realtor and schedule a consultation.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
