By COREY NOLES
Statesman Staff Writer
BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Should city water and street employees work the same hours as City Hall employees?
At least one Bloomfield alderman thinks so.
Alderman Kim Johnson said during a recent meeting of the Board of Aldermen that she feels the staggered hours between the two departments makes it difficult for residents to have water turned on.
Currently, the Water/Street Department, which consists of four full-time employees and one seasonal summer employee, begins their day at 7 a.m. and leaves at 4 p.m.
The two full-time workers at City Hall, on the other hand, work from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Their work days are the same length, only the hours are staggered by half of an hour.
In previous years, water/sewer employees have worked "summer hours" during the hot months allowing them to arrive at 6 a.m. and finish their day at 3 p.m.
Johnson stated that people who work in factories and other places aren't given different hours for the summer.
Johnson's concern, she said, is for residents who come in toward the end of the day and need their water turned on.
She said that if a resident comes in shortly after 4 p.m. while City Hall is still open they shouldn't have to wait until the next day to have their water turned on.
Water/Street Superintendent Justin Bell said he typically works until 4:30 p.m. anyway and is almost always available in those instances.
City Clerk Kari Standley said she has on multiple occasions had to call Bell to take care of those types of issues and he has always come back if he was already gone.
"Since [Bell] has been on board, he has been good to call and ask if we need him before we leave.," Standley said. "If I get a deposit at 4:30, if I can reach Justin, he takes care of it."
Bell said he was concerned that his department coming in later could actually have a detrimental affect on the city's water customers.
He said that when his workers arrive in the morning they have various jobs -- backflushing the water plant and getting readings from various lift stations among other things -- that take approximately an hour and a half each morning.
"The later we start that stuff, the later we get around to the work orders," Bell said.
Bell added that he was willing to do whatever the city decides they need his department to do.
Johnson stressed the need for continuity within the city between the departments. She added that if a resident comes in and pays a deposit, they shouldn't have to wait until the next day, or in some cases, even Monday.
Mayor Donna Medlin asked twice during the meeting if the board wished to make such a motion, but the board took no action.