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Select Board sets year-round Recycling & Transfer Station hours with a Friday half‑day to aid staff retention

5578921 · August 13, 2025

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Summary

The board voted to change RTS public hours to Tuesday–Thursday and Saturday 7:00–16:00, and Friday 7:00–12:00 year‑round (effective Sept. 1) — a modest reduction from prior full-year hours — citing staff recruitment and operational alignment with contracted RTS work.

The Needham Select Board approved new year-round public hours for the Recycling and Transfer Station (RTS) on Aug. 12, voting to open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a Friday half-day from 7 a.m. to noon. The schedule takes effect Sept. 1.

Why it matters: The change aligns RTS public hours more closely with a 40-hour staff workweek and aims to improve staff recruitment and retention for employees who work a Saturday‑heavy schedule. Staff and the town manager said the adjustment preserves the busiest weekday and weekend hours while offering greater staff work/life balance.

What the board discussed: Town Manager and DPW staff reviewed survey results gathered as part of a larger RTS operations study. Staff said the proposed schedule would reduce RTS public hours by an estimated 22 hours per year compared with the current non-summer schedule but would add early-morning access (an extra half-hour each morning) and would be more favorable to staff who currently work longer Saturday shifts. Board members and residents debated trade-offs: some argued for more public notice and further testing given that Friday afternoons are well-used by residents; others said staff retention and predictable, consistent hours are important and that the hours are not a large change overall.

Implementation and next steps: Staff said a consultant (Tetra Tech) will return later this year with more analysis and recommendations from the RTS operational study; any future structural change would take time to implement. The board’s vote stores the new hours as the official year‑round schedule while the broader RTS study continues.

Ending: The board approved the measure on a majority vote and directed staff to post the new hours and to continue outreach tied to the ongoing RTS study.