In efforts to better serve its customers and employees, the City of Independence is making adjustments to its public hours schedule at City Hall. Beginning July 5, new City Hall office hours will be Monday-Thursday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. to 12 noon.
The Monday through Thursday schedule includes reopening City Hall over the noon hour, which City Manager Kelly Passauer said had been voiced as a request by several community members needing to conduct business during their lunch breaks. She anticipates another advantage of the schedule change to be improved employee satisfaction. While City Hall staff will continue to maintain a 40-hour work week, the adjusted hours offer these “public facing” employees a Friday schedule with more personal time, similar to what is experienced in other departments where employees work alternating shifts throughout the week.
“Our organization’s strategic plan directs us to prioritize recruiting and retaining a strong workforce and finding creative ways to do so,” Passauer said. “In today’s climate where nearly every sector is experiencing staffing challenges, it’s never been more important to pay extra attention to our workplace culture and build in flexibility.”
Passauer said the hours change is expected to have minimal impact on customer service, noting that City Hall currently gets very little walk-in traffic after 4 p.m. Additionally, same-day service requests will still be accepted if received by 12 noon, as is the usual policy. Requests made after noon Monday through Thursday require an after-hours service charge to be completed the same day. On Fridays, after-hours services will not be available.
For customers who wish to make bill payments outside of regular business hours, the City’s free phone system is available (in both English and Spanish) by calling 1-844-215-7377. Customers may also manage their bills online at www.IndependenceKs.gov (select Online Bill Pay).
***Please note: City Hall will be closed on Monday, July 4, for the holiday and trash pick-up services will shift to the next regularly scheduled day.