Above: If you’re looking to buy your sticker in person, don’t go to the Transfer Station or DPW. The Town Clerk’s office is again issuing the stickers – in person, through the mail, or online. But, if you aren’t a senior, act today before the fee goes up.
Today marks the last day that most residents can buy this year’s Transfer Station permits without an extra fee. And to accommodate last minute shoppers, the Town Clerk’s office is staying open until 5:00 pm today. (It normally closes at noon on Fridays.)
Other options for purchasing the stickers are online registration and a mail-in form. It’s a bit late for the mail-in form for most. But Town Clerk Jim Hegarty tells me that forms postmarked today will make the early bird cut. So will any forms dropped in the Town House’s green drop-in mail bin by the end of this weekend. (That’s by the entry on the parking lot side of the building.)
Of course, if you are 65 or over, you have some extra time since there is no fee added to their free stickers for missing the deadline.
Unfortunately, the Town’s phone lines are acting up today. But hopefully, you have no reason to call about the issue since you should be able to find all the info you need here. For more details on purchasing this year’s sticker, scroll down.
But first. . . another year means another “sticking point”.* This year’s sticker controversy has been over the size. But that’s being resolved.
I got a complaint from a reader when stickers first started arriving this year. The new ones are literally twice the size of last year’s. 2″x3″ stickers were replaced by 3″x4″ ones.
I followed up with Town Clerk Jim Hegarty who explained that the old stickers made it too hard for Transfer Station employees to read the license number written on them. But, it looks like resident complaints convinced him to adopt another solution. Stickers will be returning to the original size. (Make that recent size. Until ten years ago, the stickers were small circles.)
Hegarty posted a response to a comment in an open thread yesterday:
Replacement 2018 transfer station stickers have been ordered and they will be the exactly the same size as in previous years but with a different layout so the DPW workers can better see the license plate number.
When we receive the new stickers in about 2 weeks, we will mail the new smaller stickers to everyone who has already purchased a 2018 sticker. Residents can then choose to use either the large or smaller stickers because both will be valid for access to the Transfer Station in 2018.
The new stickers will have the same sticker number, have the same license plate written on it, and the border will be the same color as the large sticker.
Anyone purchasing a sticker today will have their current 2017 sticker automatically extended until 10/15/17 so they can continue to use the Transfer Station until the new stickers arrive.
Now back to the important details on how to buy your stickers.
Prices and options are basically the same this year as last. Remember, starting tomorrow the price for under 65 shoots up $50 for full access permits and by $25 for the recycle only permits. Here are details from the Town’s announcement in July. :
Southborough Transfer Station Stickers. . .
- Buy your sticker online at www.01772clerk.com (NO surcharge for using a credit card!)
- Or mail your check payable to Town of Southborough and the completed application to:
CITY HALL SYSTEMS
3 Rosenfeld Drive
Hopedale, MA 01747
- Or stop by the Town Clerk’s Office.
Monday/Wednesday/Thursday 8am – 5pm, Tuesday 8am – 7pm, Friday, 8am-noon. [Extended until 5:00 pm, today, 9/15.]
- No paperwork needed!
- The cost remains the same as last year:
- $200 for 2 All Access stickers. [$250 after 9/15]
- $50 for 2 Recycle stickers. [$75 after 9/15]. . .
- Only current residents who are listed on the town census can buy a sticker. . .
Where do I put the sticker?
- Outside of the driver’s windshield or
- On the bumper on the driver’s side.
Questions or suggestions? Call the Town Clerk’s Office at (508) 485-0710 x 3005.
townclerk@southboroughma.com
* In past years, when the DPW sold the stickers, residents got riled up over the color of the sticker (pink), new rules over how and where to buy the stickers (an extra fee was added for going into the DPW), and changes in rules to the placement of stickers.
Wow, was I ever surprised to receive new smaller transfer station stickers in the mail this weekend. (I must have missed this post announcing it). THANK YOU to the town for replacing the oversized, super gaudy ones that were issued in the summer. It really did look like a billboard on my small car.
I genuinely appreciate that they took the time to re-issue smaller, tidier ones. (In the months since I received the oversized one I’d developed an outsize case of compact, printed permit envy when I spotted them on other cars leaving me to wonder why on earth Southborough couldn’t issue something similar).
The letter which accompanied the new stickers was also quite nice and demonstrated they had really listened to residents. I was impressed that they re-issued them this year instead of asking us to wait for a solution in 2018. Thanks to everyone who made this happen. :-)