SEQUIM — The Sequim Civic Center and its departments will see new hours starting Sept. 1.
Sequim City Council members voted 6-0 with John Miller absent July 10 to change the city building’s schedule to 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, from the present 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays though Fridays, starting Sept. 1.
The civic center is at 152 W. Cedar St.
City staff said there have been some issues with overtime and a lack of coordination between departments that open at different times.
City Manager Charlie Bush said Sequim tends “to be an earlier town than a later town.”
“For those folks who do work in our town, it’s hard to get city services if you work 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.”
Bush said the biggest adjustment will be for the police department staff who operate around the clock.
City Councilmen Bob Lake and Ted Miller wanted to consider staying open later once a week for residents, but Bush said he wants to study that because that brings up scheduling issues.
Hours will be reflected in all city departments in the Civic Center including the Police Department and the Department of Community Development.
The change in hours reflects the regular hours before the Civic Center was constructed.
City Councilwoman Pam Leonard-Ray said she felt the earlier time was easier and when she was a volunteer in the city, “it wasn’t that busy after 3 o’clock anyway.”
She also felt staying open late one day a week didn’t make sense.
“It’s a complex issue,” Bush said. “There are a lot of elements to it.”
He plans to analyze service data going forward to see whether a change in hours is needed later.
For more information on the city of Sequim, visit www.sequimwa.gov or call 360-683-4139.
