PARIS – Talk of closing the Brown Street transfer station an additional day each week apparently has generated little interest – only a few people attended a public hearing on the matter Wednesday.

Norway-Paris Solid Waste Inc. is considering limiting the station hours to accommodate a budget shortfall, according to its board of directors. There is not enough staff to run the station properly, or enough money to hire more staff, transfer station General Manager Alison McCrady has said.

Paris resident Bob Ripley was one of the few members of the public to speak Wednesday.

“My concern is that … I work between 60 and 70 hours a week, and my day off is Sunday,” he told the board. “I feel it should be open when the taxpayers can make use of it.”

But commercial hauler Archie Garneau said that because the station is closed from Sunday through Monday, he often has a backlog of waste by Tuesday afternoon.

“It’s going to be tough if they close another day during the week,” he said.

Garneau pointed out that the station is serving taxpayers through his business as well, even though the people choose not to carry their waste to the station themselves.

Cindy Madore of Paris asked how the waste corporation’s budget was cut and said such an action was a tremendous mistake.

“The dollars were cut from the budget by the town of Paris – your town,” board member Art Hill said before encouraging Madore to become more politically involved.

Ripley asked if the money was cut, or whether a requested budget increase was denied.

Hill said Paris chose not to fund $10,000 of this year’s budget request. Because of the way the waste corporation’s bylaws are written, he said, Norway then did not have to honor a matching $10,000 increase.

Board member Joe Bracy pointed out that a budget increase of only 3.5 percent was requested. That, Hill said, was to cover rising costs associated with things like health insurance.

The board did not take any action on the transfer station hours Wednesday.

“I’d like to add the fact that nothing has been set in stone,” board member Scott Emmerton said as the hearing drew to a close.

No mention was made of when the board would make a decision.

Barbara Payne was the only member of the Board of Selectmen at the hearing.