PORT ANGELES — In an attempt to reduce expenses, the customer service desk at City Hall, where residents pay utility bills, will cut back its hours beginning June 1.
The change will save the city between $15,000 and $20,000 a year, said Yvonne Ziomkowksi, city finance director.
The new hours will be 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday.
City Hall itself will maintain normal hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The change in hours will not cause any layoffs — there are four customer service and city clerk employees — but one of those employees will begin working six hours a day rather than eight, said Ziomkowksi.
She added that the customer service employees will also reduce their lunch breaks from one hour to 30 minutes.
The goal is to reduce overtime, allowing staff meetings to be held during regular hours on Fridays, she said.
She added that the change in hours will also allow employees to focus on collections processing, possibly reducing write-offs, and more timely posting of payments.
Ziomkowski said city staff in July or August will begin addressing whether layoffs or hiring freezes will be needed in 2010.
She said the city is holding off on replacing positions for two police officers, one paramedic and two dispatchers until late this year to save money.
The cuts in hours are necessary due to the poor economy, she said, especially with a projected drop in city sales tax revenue of 10 percent this year.
“We have to start small,” she said.
“I think it’s responsible management to look at all areas and not ignore some area because we feel it is too small.”
Customer service
The City Council approved the change in a 6-1 vote Tuesday, with council member Cherie Kidd opposing the move.
Kidd said she voted against the new hours because it would make the customer service desk less accessible to residents.
“I believe we have to tighten our belt, but I believe this is absolutely the wrong move to make,” she said.
“I don’t believe this is how we want to serve the citizens of Port Angeles.”
While there are several ways to make utility payments when the customer service desk is closed, residents will not be able to open or close a utility account or apply for a payment program when the desk is not open.
When the customer service desk is closed, residents can pay their utility bills by:
• Mailing the payment to City Hall, 321 E. Fifth St.
• Dropping the payment in a receptacle in one of three locations — inside City Hall, in the parking lot outside the building or at Grandview Grocery, 802 S. C St.
• Setting up an online account.
Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
