Recycling Center Employees Petition to Change Hours

At the June 3 meeting of the Nottingham Board of Selectmen the Town Administrator reported that the Recycling Center’s staff had collected the signatures of 330 people visiting the Recycling Center on a petition to end the Recycling Center’s summer hours.

Selectman Shirland pointed out that it was unknown how many people the staff asked to sign the petition refused to do so. There was no discussion of whether the employees’ actions were in violation of any law or town policy. RSA 98-e allows public employees freedom of speech on the job, although there are restrictions on electioneering.

A discussion ensued, which Chairman Morin cut off because the Recycling Center was not on the agenda. The Town Administrator noted that the operating plan on file with the state since 2013 says that the center may only be open from 6 am to 6 pm. There was a discussion about whether these times were mandated by the state. Selectman Decker noted that the center had had summer hours long before 2013. [Many towns offer hours outside the hours of 6 am to 6 pm, so the hours in the town’s operating plan appear to be in disregard of the town’s own practice, not hours mandated by the state.]

The board agreed to schedule a public hearing on the question during its first meeting in July.

Photo byTown of Nottingham