Officials take no action on four-day work week

Curry County commissioners on Tuesday took no action on a proposal to put three of the county’s offices on a four-day work week.

The matter came before commissioners at their regular monthly meeting Tuesday.

County Manager Lance Pyle presented the proposal to the commissioners citing other counties in the state have adopted a four-day work week: Quay, Torrance and San Juan.

The offices involved would be the assessor’s, clerk’s and county manager’s offices. The Curry County road department has been on a four-day work week for some time now.

Under the proposal the work week would run 7 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Monday through Thursday with 45-minute lunch breaks. It was proposed that the schedule be run as a trial until this September.

Members of the county assessor’s office voted 5-2 against a four-day work week despite the proposal.

Curry County Assessor Candace London told commissioners that a number of her staff members have small children and there were child care concerns as the work day started before child care centers and school begin.

Assistant County Clerk Adrian Ancira told commissioners the four-day week proposal got positive feedback in the clerk’s office.

But Alissa Jones, president and CEO of Curry County Abstract and Title said to commissioners, “Please don’t pass this.”

Jones said a large number of real estate closings happen on Fridays and a four-day week for the offices that real estate and title companies use would be “detrimental” to those industries.

Clovis Realtor Brett Johnson said, “The business world does business five days a week.”

District 1 Commissioner Bobby Sandoval said he was for anything that would make county employees happy as long as it wasn’t detrimental to constituents.

District 5 Commissioner Robert Thornton suggested a four-day work week would be good for the departments having retention problems like the sheriff’s department and detention center but those departments weren’t part of the proposal. Thornton did not favor the plan.

District 3 Commissioner Chet Spear said in the seven years he’s been a county commissioner the idea of a four-day work week for some of the county’s employees generated the most phone calls he has ever received over any issue.

“Taking a day away is not in the best interest of the county,” Spear said.

The matter came to a close as the five commissioners voted unanimously to take no action.

In other matters:

• There was a pointed discussion between commissioners and part of the team working on the Curry County Courthouse renovations over change orders on the project.

Dave Puritz from the Albuquerque-based NCA Architects reported that due to an error by a subcontracting structural engineering firm on the project a portion of rebar had been left out of the plans resulting in an additional expense to the project of $15,661.74.

Thornton believes the county shouldn’t have to pay for the mistake; it should be the responsibility of the firm responsible for creating the plans.

County Attorney Daniel Macke said he would have to review the contracts.

County commissioners voted to approve the change order but also to have the matter reviewed by attorneys, engineers and the insurance company involved in the project.

• Curry County Events Center General Manager K. C. Messick reported that the center is ready for the Clovis Community College graduation ceremony Friday.

Messick said flooring has been power washed and that a lot of cleaning has been done after the large water main break April 23.

Messick said an insurance adjuster from Phoenix had arrived and was looking into the matter.

District 2 Commissioner Tom Martin asked Messick if he had any idea why a water main on such a new building would break.

“It’s very puzzling,” Messick said. “No one has any answers.”

Thornton said he looked at the break and he had no answers either.

• Clovis Emergency Management Director Dan Heerding requested a disaster declaration from the county. The request centered around damage from the April 29 grass fire northwest of Clovis that destroyed four homes and a number of outbuildings. The declaration would make it easier for homeowners to get assistance from the Federal government. Commissioners voted unanimously for the declaration.

• Commissioners also voted unanimously on a countywide fireworks restriction on “missile type” fireworks for 30 days.

“I’m usually not a fan of things like this,” Thornton said, “but we have extreme conditions.”