Friday, Dec. 14, 2001 | 8:44 a.m.
A four-day work week at North Las Vegas' City Hall has been one of the best ways to attract employees, but Mayor Michael Montandon said city officials should be available Monday through Friday in the long run.
"I believe we need and deserve a five-day work week," Montandon said. "Virtually anyone who works at City Hall prefers a four-day work week. I'd prefer that, too, but I don't have one."
Sharon Powers, the executive director of the North Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, recently suggested expanding the city's work week to make it easier for businesses that deal with City Hall.
"Business does not operate on a four-day work week and needs to have access to city services during a normal five-day work week," she said, adding that several chamber members have brought up the issue.
"If (City Hall) were in fact open on Fridays, perhaps the time that it takes businesses and developers to get their process through the system would be lessened," Powers said.
City officials countered that they've not heard any complaints and said a four-day work week was more efficient. The city of Henderson also works on a four-day schedule.
"We've been back and forth on that issue," said Jacque Risner, the city's community development director, adding that city officials abandoned a staggered shift work schedule a couple of years ago because it caused a decline in service.
Brenda Johnson, the city's spokeswoman, said North Las Vegas didn't have the money to pay all employees for an extra four hours a week right now. While the city's work week currently has 36 hours, a five-day work schedule would bump it up to 40 hours.
Montandon said expanding the work week would obviously involve extra costs, but "you simply have to work that out," he said. He added, however, that he didn't expect a change to come anytime soon, since it also involved changes in labor union contracts that can only be changed as they come up for renewal.
The city's police, fire and detention departments work around the clock, and the library and Municipal Court run on a Tuesday through Friday schedule, Johnson said. She added that other city services, such as plan checks, could possibly move to a five-day schedule sooner than all of City Hall to accommodate businesses.
Residents already can pay the water bills at the court on Fridays, and city officials are working on setting up payment centers at grocery stores as well as credit card payments over the phone.
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