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Selectboard debates office hours and staffing shortages ahead of election season
Summary
Board members discussed complaints about reduced office hours, part‑time staffing levels, upcoming elections that require staffing, training needs, and possible budget overage authorizations to cover payroll; they agreed to revisit numbers next week and to avoid closing the office without board action.
Board members spent a significant portion of the meeting reviewing changes to town office hours, ongoing staffing shortages and the implications for elections and public service. Concerns centered on public complaints about limited hours, the number of part‑time employees currently scheduled, and the risk that existing payroll lines will be exhausted before upcoming elections.
"We've had a lot of complaints about the hours," one selectboard member said, and other members repeatedly stressed that "you cannot close the office" without the board's authorization. Members discussed training requirements for a replacement if a current employee cannot continue and considered whether to authorize overexpenditure of payroll lines to ensure coverage for elections; the board did not authorize any immediate overexpenditure during the meeting but asked staff to return next week with precise figures.
The board also discussed options for recruiting (seeking nearby trained part‑time candidates) and for temporarily reallocating hours among existing staff. Members agreed to examine costs and return with exact numbers so the board can decide whether to extend hours or authorize temporary overspending in advance of the next elections.
