HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-06-10; Changes to Public Counter Hours at the Faraday Center (Districts - All); Rocha, LauraTo the members of the:
CITY COUNCIL
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June 10, 2021
To:
From:
Council Memorandum
Via: Geoff Patnoe, Assistant City Manager · ·
{city of
Carlsbad
Memo ID #2021118
Re:
Honorable Mayor Hall and Members of the City Council
Laura Rocha, Deputy City Manager, Administrative Services
Gary Barberio, Deputy City Manager, Community Services
Mike Calderwood, Chief, Carlsbad Fire ~artment
Changes to Public Counter Hours at the araday Center (Districts -All)
This memorandum provides reason and rationale for changing the public counter hours at the
Faraday Center from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on
Friday, to 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except city-observed holidays.
Background
The departments of Finance, Community Development, Human Resources, and Fire all have
public-facing counters or counter presence at the Faraday Center. Since Jan. 21, 2000, the
Faraday Center has been open to the public from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through
Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, except city-observed holidays. In March 2020, in
response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Faraday Center was closed to the public, forcing the
impacted departments to develop new and inventive ways to continue to conduct city business
with its customers.
This re.suited in the quick development of initiatives such as more on line services and the use of
plan/permit drop-off/pickup areas. Most of these process improvements have resulted in
positive outcomes and will likely continue to be implemented following the COVID-19
pandemic. Observing the value and success of these initiatives, staff is seeing an opportunity to
seamlessly modify its public counter operating hours in a way that will improve overall staff
efficiencies while still maintaining quality customer service.
Discussion
The points below help support the value and need in changing the Faraday Center public
counter hours to 8 a.m . to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except city-observed holidays.
• Staff finds that many customers will likely continue to utilize the on line and/or plan
· drop-off and pick-up service, thereby reducing the need for customers to come to the
public counter for in-person services. However, staff will still need time to process those
service requests. The added 30 minutes of time in the morning and afternoon provide
staff time to respond to phone messages, emails and mail and collect and start
processing plans that have been dropped off or submitted online for processing.
Administrative Services and Community Services Branches
1635 Faraday Avenue I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 760-602-2783 t
Council Memo -Changes to Public Counter Hours at the Faraday Center (Districts -All)
June 10, 2021
Page 2
Without this change, staff will be required to complete these tasks if/when there is
opportunity between assisting counter customers.
• Carlsbad Municipal Code §2.08.050 sets forth the city's official business hours, which is
"between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays."
These hours are also consistent with the hours City Hall is open to the public.
• Changing h_ours allows for increased flexibility with staff coverage at public-facing
counters. With nine hours of open time to the public versus ten, this increases options
for staggering staff shift times and/or preparing for opening each day.
• The proposed public counter hours generally align with neighboring North County
cities.1
Next Steps
Staff will begin implementing the new Faraday Center public counter times starting
June 15, 2021.
cc: Scott Chadwick, City Manager
Celia Brewer, City Attorney
Paz Gomez, Deputy City Manager, Public Works
Kristina Ray, Communications & Engagement Director
Jeff Murphy, Community & Economic Development Director
Judy Von Kalinowski, Human Resources Director
Ryan Green, Finance Director
Maria Calendar, IT Director
Tom Frank, Transportation Director
1 City of Encinitas -7:30am-5:30pm (M-Th); 7:30am-4:30pm (alternating Fridays, partially staffed);
City of Escondido -8am-Spm (M-F);
City of San Marcos -8:30am-4:30pm (M-F);
City of Oceanside -7:30am-Spm (M-Th); 7:30am-4pm Fridays;
City of Vista -7:30am-5:30pm (M-Th); 7:30am-4:30 every other Friday