HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-012 Ordinance amending the City of Yakima Municipal Code Chapter 1.09: Office HoursORDINANCE NO. 2021-012
AN ORDINANCE amending the City of Yakima Municipal Code Chapter 1.09 Office Hours
WHEREAS, the City of Yakima wants to ensure that the hours of operation are consistent
with both the needs of the public and the needs of the City; and
WHEREAS, employees working at public -facing counters need time to both open the
counter and also close the counter during their work day; and
WHEREAS, to accommodate the staff time necessary to properly open and close public -
facing counters, as well as keep the official hours of operation the same, in number of hours the
public can utilize in -person services at the City, the official office hours of the City should be
shifted; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Yakima finds that it is in the best interest of the
City of Yakima and its residents to shift the office hours of the City from 9:00am-5:00pm to
8:30am-4:30pm; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF YAKIMA:
Section 1. Chapter 1.09 Office Hours of the City of Yakima Municipal Code is hereby
amended to read as follows:
Chapter 1.09
OFFICE HOURS
Sections:
1.09.010 Office hours —Generally.
1.09.020 Office hours —Saturday.
1.09.030 Office hours —Police and fire departments.
1.09.010 Office hours —Generally.
All elective and appointive offices of the city of Yakima, except the offices of the police
department and fire department, shall on all business days be opened from at least 8:30
a.m. until 4:30 p.m.; provided, however, that all of such offices, other than the city clerk,
the office of finance and budget and customer service, may close from twelve noon until
one p.m. on such business days. (Ord. 93-41 § 1, 1993: Ord. B-1253 § 1, 1951).
1.09.020 Office hours —Saturday.
All city offices of the city of Yakima, except the police and fire departments, shall be
closed on Saturdays and no officers or employees of the city, except in said two
departments, and except in the event of special emergency shall be required to work on
Saturdays.
This section is adopted pursuant to RCW 35.21.175 vesting in the city council the
authority to prescribe by ordinance the hours during which all city offices shall be kept
open for the transaction of business. (Ord. B-1510 §§ 1, 2, 1953).
1.09.030 Office hours —Police and fire departments.
1
The office of the police department and fire department shall remain open continuously.
(Ord. B-1253 § 2, 1951).
Section 2. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect 30 days after its passage,
approval, and publication as provided by law and by the City Charter.
PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL, signed and approved this 6th day of July, 2021.
ATTEST:
Publication Date: July 9, 2021
Effective Date: August 8, 2021
2
Patricia Byers,
BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
YAKIMA, WASHINGTON
AGENDA STATEMENT
Item No. 6.H.
For Meeting of: July 6, 2021
ITEM TITLE: Ordinance amending the City of Yakima Municipal Code Chapter
1.09: Office Hours
SUBMITTED BY: Sara Watkins, City Attorney
SUMMARY EXPLANATION:
The current Yakima Municipal Code section outlines the general office hours of the City to be
9:00am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday. Public -facing counter employees, including those
who take payment during the day, need adequate time to open, set up, close and take down the
counters, including accounting for the payments received that day. To make sure there is enough
time to do so, the City is requesting that the official hours of the City be shifted 30 minutes earlier,
opening at 8:30am and closing at 4:30pm. Divisions and departments can be open hours in
addition to the official hours, but not less than the official hours. Additionally, the code indicates
that the health department is required to be open on Saturdays. The City does not have direct
control over the Yakima Health District's hours of operation, nor does it have its own health
department, so that section was removed.
ITEM BUDGETED: NA
STRATEGIC PRIORITY: Public Trust and Accountability
APPROVED FOR SUBMITTAL BY THE CITY MANAGER
RECOMMENDATION:
Pass ordinance
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Upload Date
D Ordinance - YMC 1.09 Office Hours - redline 6/18/2021
D Ordinance - YMC 1.09 Office Hours - changes accepted 6/18/2021
Type
Ordinance
Ordinance