North Las Vegas: City Hall will be closed on Fridays

Diana Sahagun

Friday, Oct. 8, 1999 | 10:06 a.m.

North Las Vegas City Hall will soon be shutting its doors on Fridays, shifting its operations to a four-day work week.

The change stems from a recent city audit by Ralph Andersen and Associates, which found inefficiencies in the way the city conducts business.

For the last two years City Hall has remained open five days a week but only kept full staff on hand four days a week. Employees work 36 hours a week, either Monday through Thursday, or Tuesday through Friday.

Subsequently, on Mondays and Fridays, there is a "skeleton crew" of half staff at City Hall, City Manager Pat Importuna said.

The short staffing prompted complaints from residents who come to City Hall and are turned away because the appropriate staff member is unavailable, he said.

According to the audit, it would cost the city an additional $3 million to fully staff city offices five days a week. At Wednesday night's City Council meeting, officials decided a four-day work week was the only way to reach stay within budget.

The main concern among council members was how the four-day work week would affect the high number residents who pay their water bills in person and in cash at City Hall. City Finance Director Vytas Vaitus has said that more than 900 people pay their water bills in cash.

Council Member Shari Buck said she hates to see the city shut down on Fridays but sees it as the only option.

"After the audit showed the city was just not operating efficiently, it just validated the fact that we're going to have to go to a four-day work week," she said. "My only concern is that we're making sure we are providing services to customers."

The city is discussing ways to accommodate residents who pay their water bills in cash on Fridays.

One option would be installing a new computer system at nearby Municipal Court, which operates Tuesday through Friday, to allow for the collection of water payments. A finance employee would work Fridays to collect water bill payments, and make change for customers, Vaitus said.