Beginning in September, the Recycling and Transfer Station will be operating under a new weekly schedule that will have it opening a half-hour earlier but closing on Friday afternoons.
Effective Sept. 1, the RTS will be open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Tuesday through Thursday and also on Saturdays. It will now be open from 7 a.m. to noon on Fridays.
The RTS will still be closed on all Mondays. It will also be closed on Sundays, except during fall leaf season when it will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. during all of November.
The schedule changes were tested in a pilot back in 2019 but implementation was delayed by the impacts of COVID-19. They are being done mainly for staff recruitment and retention purposes, said Town Manager Katie King.
The change brings the RTS employees’ work schedules into closer conformity with those of other town employees. In 2024, Needham followed the lead of other municipalities and moved away from standard Monday through Friday, 9-to-5 work schedules for employees who work in Town Hall, the Public Safety Administration Building and Rosemary Recreation Complex.
The changes did not alter the total number of hours worked on a weekly basis. It added hours to employees’ schedules between Monday and Thursday while allowing them to end their work week on Fridays at noon.
“Having that half-day Friday is really meaningful for them,” King said of town employees.
The fact the RTS is open on Saturdays was a complicating factor that delayed the implementation of the schedule changes.
“Because of the unique nature of the recycling transfer station, we paused at that time and said we would continue the conversations, both with the board and our employees,” King said during the Aug. 12 Select Board meeting when the changes were approved.
“We did come to agreement with our public works staff about a modified proposal on the hours,” she said.
“We don’t take lightly that people really love the RTS and they want to access it as often as possible, and that is real,” King said.
“The goal here is balancing a few things. This really is staff recruitment and retention. We don’t have an RTS without our staff.”
The Select Board approved the scheduled change by a 4-1 vote, with member Josh Levy opposing the change, noting that early Friday afternoons are among the RTS’ busier times.
Other members noted that on weekdays residents often form a queue outside the RTS prior to the current 7:30 a.m. opening. They suggested that moving the opening time to 7 a.m. might provide some residents more time to find their way to the RTS as part of their weekday commutes.
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