Special to KRTN Multi-Media
Colfax County Going to a Four-Day Workweek
Monday through Thursday Work Schedule
Extended County Office Hours
Beginning March 1, 2017, the Colfax County Court House and administrative offices will extend its official work hours to include early morning and evening times Monday through Thursday. Residents can conduct County business at the Courthouse anytime between 7:00 am and 5:30 pm.; Monday thru Thursday. All offices will be open through lunch. These additional County hours will allow residents to maximize their time with more flexible hours to visit the County offices. Colfax County prides itself on offering residents progressive services and is proud to be first in the county area to implement this exciting new initiate.
The Colfax County administrative office will be closed on Fridays. However, public safety departments will remain operational which include Colfax County Sheriff and the Vigil Maldonado Detention Center.
Assuring seamless customer service is a top priority for the County and we will continue providing community services that are needed. Without making this change, the County will be faced with other cost saving measures ie layoffs and furloughs. Either of these options would reduce our ability to maintain current service levels. Even with this action, the County will face other challenges to maintaining our service level depending on what the State does to the local governments in the State budget cycle. Colfax County Management is making every possible effort to be proactive in the face of budget cuts.
Extending our customer hours beyond the traditional 8:00 am to 5:00 pm workday will make Colfax County Government more accessible to our residents; and, the change will especially benefit our working residents, who will now be able to take care of business at the Courthouse without having to take time off during their busy work days. Additionally, with all offices staying open thru lunch, the public will have access two additional hours a week above the previous schedule. County employees will continue to work 40 hours a week.
UPDATE
By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Multi-Media
According to Colfax County Manager Mary Lou Kern the expected savings are coming from utilities savings and vehicle expenses. Kern noted that San Juan County went to a four day work week and after very close cost tracking saw a six percent savings mostly in utility costs.
So far Kern has only heard two complaints from employees with all other comments being positive about the move. The county much like the city relies heavily on taxes for most of its income but the expected state budget woes will effect grant monies and capital outlay projects. The other concern Kern has heard comes from the title companies wh are concerned about filings on Friday when the offices will be closed.
Kern hopes to give this schedule about a year to see how it works but if there are too many problems it could only last six months then the county would go back to the old schedule.
