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Moose Jaw City Hall’s public access hours will be extended to 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., effective July 2.
Coun. Carla DeLaurier introduced a motion during Monday night’s city council meeting to resume in-person public business hours. Her original motion proposed hours of 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding statutory holidays. It also proposed funding the added cost of Commissionaires from vacancy or procurement savings totalling $17,500.
However, DeLaurier amended her motion to change the hours to 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and to shift the funding source to the City Manager’s Contractual Services budget. The changes followed a report from city administration that outlined the reasons behind the reduced hours implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic.
DeLaurier said she wanted to support staff by giving them time to start and end their day without public interruption while still offering more convenient hours for residents.
Before March 2020, City Hall was open from 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. That changed during the pandemic, with City Hall closing to the public from March 17 to July 20, 2020. When it reopened, hours were reduced to 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
On May 31, 2021, the city announced new public access hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with staff still working 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. to answer calls and emails.
This is at least the third time council has debated public access hours since 2021. During the May 13, 2024, meeting, the issue was referred back to administration for further information. It was also during that meeting that the Good Neighbours Group appeared before council with concerns about the limited hours.
At the June 10, 2024, meeting, council voted in favour of keeping the existing 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. schedule.
Coun. Heather Eby, who voted against the extended hours initially, supported the revised motion.
“I am more inclined to support it now that it’s been revised to 8:30 to 4:30, because I really do agree that staff needs that time to get going in the morning and answer emails, put out a few little issues that have come forward, and then at the end of the day to wrap things up,” she said.
City Manager Maryse Carmichael said the current hours allow staff to manage a growing volume of digital and virtual service requests more efficiently.
“Of course, because it’s at any hour of the day, it changes the way our employees respond to requests from residents and business owners,” she said.
Coun. Patrick Boyle agreed technology is reducing the need for in-person visits, but said the city isn’t yet ready to reduce hours permanently.
“That’s not to say there isn’t a world — and I actually would prefer this — where the in-person services probably get adjusted when we’re in a more digitally mature state,” Boyle said.
Carmichael noted that the financial department is most impacted by the public hours, as the current schedule allows staff to focus on internal work like cash balancing, financial reporting, utility billing support, and correspondence without interruption.
Reduced hours have also made it easier to cross-train staff and manage shortages between departments.
Eby also reminded council that City Hall remains open during the lunch hour, which offers convenience many other offices do not.
City administration said extending the hours would nearly double the city’s Commissionaire costs. Before 2020, the city also incurred about $5,500 annually in overtime due to customer service demands in the financial department. If the hours were extended now, the city would need to budget an estimated $3,000 for overtime in the remainder of 2025.
As for funding the $17,500 needed for Commissionaire services, administration said there are currently no savings from vacancies or procurement. Known vacancies have already been accounted for in the budget, and others have been used to offset overtime costs.
Carmichael said the City Manager’s Contractual Services budget has about $12,000 remaining.
“We’re nearly five months into the 2025 fiscal year, and some funding was used already for a STRAP planning consultant. That’s been completed, and I don’t foresee a need for more funding this year,” she said.
Council passed DeLaurier’s motion unanimously.