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Select Board directs staff to craft options to standardize town-hall public hours and consider late-night access
Summary
Board members discussed inconsistent hours across town-hall departments and directed staff to prepare scenarios that would standardize public hours (recommendation: a 40-hour minimum for departments) and include options for one evening per week for public access.
Select Board members and administrative staff discussed the town hall's hours of operation, noting that different departments currently operate on slightly different schedules (examples cited: some offices open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., others 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with a half-day on Friday). Residents have raised confusion when parts of the building are open but the public-facing office they need is closed.
Staff summarized options used by comparable communities (staggered shifts, a single 40-hour standard, occasional late nights) and cautioned against a 12-hour shift model. Board members expressed general support for at least a 40-hour baseline for public-facing departments and asked administration to develop several scenarios, including one that provides a single late-evening hour (board members suggested 6 p.m.) for service access. The board asked staff to return with cost, staffing and security implications for each scenario.
No immediate vote was taken; staff and the town administrator will prepare proposals for a future meeting.
