Del Mar implementing new, greener City Hall hours
By Crystal Crawford
Mayor, Del Mar
Good news for all you early birds! Beginning Jan. 12, 2009, City Hall will be opening earlier and closing later. Our new hours will be 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Fridays.For as long as anyone can remember, City Hall has been open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. This traditional schedule has put many City employees on our freeways and roadways during peak traffic hours.
As part of the City’s “go green” initiative, we are working to reduce our carbon footprint and do even more to preserve the environment. Flexible work schedules such as this 9/80 schedule have been utilized for years by other communities and are recognized as reducing vehicle trips during peak commute hours, easing traffic congestion and reducing vehicle emissions that contribute to pollution and global warming.
The majority of public agencies now offer a 9-day/80-hour work option. Participating employees will still work 80 hours in a two-week period by working an extra hour Monday through Thursday and eight hours every other Friday. Half of the city employees on the 9/80 schedule will alternate being off every other Friday.
The City is striving to continually improve service delivery and accessibility to City services in a business friendly manner. This new alternative work schedule will benefit the community by allowing citizens to complete City business earlier and later than with our previous, more traditional hours.
City Hall and Public Works Departments will be participating and have developed schedules to ensure coverage of key responsibilities. The City’s Sheriff, Fire Operations, Marine Safety, and other patrol functions and emergency services all work specific work schedules in order to provide needed public safety coverage to the City and will not be effected by the change.
I look forward to hearing the community’s feedback on the change. Please send your comments to me anytime at
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