Editorial: Growing up is hard to do

Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2006 | 8:58 a.m.

While North Las Vegas remains one of the nation's fastest-growing cities -- gaining about 1,200 new residents a month -- its city government continues operating on a 29-year-old schedule that closes city offices on Fridays.

A story in Monday's Las Vegas Sun notes that North Las Vegas City Manager Gregory Rose agrees with results of a 2005 audit, which, among other things, says the burgeoning city should be operating on a five-day, 40-hour week, rather than the four-day, 36-hour week that has been in place since 1977.

The change would allow one more day to obtain building permits and business licenses and to have building plans checked. But Teamsters Local 14 opposes the idea. The union represents about 500 North Las Vegas employees in jobs that include building inspectors, park maintenance workers and civilian positions at the police department and detention center.

Union and city officials already are in federal arbitration over pay raises and insurance costs -- issues that could not be resolved when the Teamsters' contract expired July 1. A union official told the Sun that the Teamsters also oppose the five-day work week, and that the issue likely will end up before an arbitrator.

Rose told the Sun that he is confident the city can offer workers fair pay for the extra hours. And he is willing to create a schedule in which employees retain a four-day week by working Monday through Thursday or Tuesday through Friday.

Growth is a fact of life in the Las Vegas Valley. All of the area's municipalities and residents have had to make adjustments. Henderson city offices used to be closed on Fridays. But Henderson officials have made changes that keep most offices open Friday while still allowing employees to work a four-day week. North Las Vegas officials seem willing to work out a similar schedule. We think the city's employees should be flexible as well.

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