County Office Hours Changes Get Initial OK : Cost cutting: Employee plan passed by supervisors would institute nine-hour days with every other Friday off. It would reportedly save up to $2 million.

A new employee work schedule that would virtually shut down county government every other Friday and reportedly save up to $2 million was tentatively approved Wednesday by the Board of Supervisors.

About 9,000 county employees--excluding sheriff’s deputies, firefighters and court employees--would work longer, nine-hour days Monday through Friday with every other Friday off, if the “9/80” plan receives final approval.

A report prepared by the county administrative office said the alternative workweek could save the county millions of dollars by reducing overtime and sick leave and lowering maintenance and utility bills.

“The result is a better public access and greater productivity for less cost,” the report states.

But Chairman Roger R. Stanton, who cast the only vote against the idea, said closing government’s door every other Friday could fail “to meet the public’s expectation” of what government is supposed to do. It would, he said, “be like closing the doors 10% of the time, 26 workdays a year. I don’t think that is realistic, and I don’t think the public will stand for it.”

Offices that would be closed include the county assessor, recorder and health and social services. The Environmental Management Agency, where people submit plans and take out permits, would also close.

Supervisor Harriett M. Wieder, who favored the idea, said: “It takes time to get used to the new hours, but it has worked in other places.”

Wednesday’s action, described as a “straw vote,” came during the second day of hearings on the 1992-93 county budget, which has been plagued by revenue shortfalls and Sacramento’s failure to pass its own budget. The nine-day, 80-hour plan would be ratified when the supervisors approve the final county budget next month.

Part of the savings under the plan would come from synchronizing the various schedules now used in county government offering Monday, Wednesday or Friday as the day off, according to the report. The existing schedule causes “frequent internal delays” and “requires time-consuming follow-up to accomplish even the most rudimentary tasks within and across agencies and departments,” the report said.

In addition, the county could save $87,000 a year in custodial services because buildings would not have to be cleaned every other Friday, it said.

Wieder said a main benefit of the proposal was that it reduced the number of automobile trips by county employees, which would result in less pollution and cleaner air.

But during a heated debate, which Wieder described as an “interrogation” by Stanton, he challenged some of the report’s claims.

“I don’t agree with the report, and you are entitled to know why,” Stanton told Wieder. “I wanted you to know; I looked at the report.”

Stanton questioned the estimated reduction in custodial costs if there were no plans to lay off some janitors or renegotiate outside contracts.

“I don’t believe the $87,000,” Stanton said. “Scratch that one off.”

He also challenged the estimated savings in utility and overtime costs and sick leave. At one point, he questioned whether the plan was nothing more than a “morale builder” for the county work force.

But Supervisor Gaddi H. Vasquez said the proposal had nothing to do with boosting morale, but was a means to save money in a time of “catastrophic budget cuts.”

“We are not pioneering this program,” Vasquez said, adding that other city and county governments are using the plan and that “it has increased the efficiency of government.”

Supervisor Don R. Roth said the alternative work schedule is “not a fad.” He said he has received many letters expressing concern that the closure of the county recorder’s office every other Friday could pose problems for those who need to record documents. He suggested that the plan be implemented and studied to see if it works.

Supervisor Thomas R. Riley said he was skeptical of the work plan but that Stanton’s opposition convinced him that he should vote for it.