For Civil Servants, Holiday Doesn’t Start Till the 4th

America’s most patriotic holiday falls on a Tuesday this year, but if bureaucrats across Ventura County plan to declare an inalienable right to a four-day weekend, they are not letting on.

“There’ll be no massive walkouts,” said Nancy Jioras, accounting supervisor for the city of Ojai. “The city manager wouldn’t allow that. We’re still open Monday and we can serve the public with whatever they need.”

Even though civil servants say they’re working Monday, somebody, clearly, will be taking the day off. Recreational facilities around the county already expect to be swamped that day--Los Robles Golf Course in Thousand Oaks is no longer accepting reservations, and the state Department of Parks and Recreation reports fully booked campgrounds.

“I would hope people don’t call in sick,” said Richard Rojas, chief ranger with the state’s Channel Coast parks district. “My staff better not.”

Businesses, banks and local government will be closed Tuesday, the Fourth of July. But on Monday, the day before Independence Day, public servants and service-sector employees from Ojai to Oxnard and Santa Paula to Simi Valley vow they will be ready to serve you.

“You can come and pay a water bill, get a business license,” said Carol Green, assistant to the city manager of Ventura. “We’re going to be here.”

But most public employees aren’t hiding the fact that they won’t be putting in overtime Monday so they can speed home and start dunking chicken in the barbecue marinade. Not so lucky are city officials in Santa Paula, who have decided to hold their regular City Council meeting Monday at 7:30 p.m., despite the holiday the next day.

“I just had that realization this morning,” said Santa Paula City Council member Robin Sullivan, who learned the bad news Friday. “I guess Monday isn’t a holiday after all.”

Local government employers said some employees have requested Monday or even the whole week off as vacation days, which means that some staffs may be leaner. But among workers, it was fashionable to say they would be toughing it out.

“I’ve heard some people are taking Monday off,” said Ernie Moore, a deputy county clerk. “Nobody in our office is, per se.”

And employers don’t count on letting workers pull any fast ones. No partying at the public’s expense. When a worker takes Monday off, he or she loses a vacation day.

“We only get the Fourth off,” said Nona Young, personnel administrator for Simi Valley’s 519 employees. “If their supervisor can authorize them to be gone, they can make it a four-day weekend, but that would be a vacation day.”

In an example of strict bookkeeping, Ventura County will deduct two hours of vacation time on the Fourth from its 2,400 employees who work 10 hours a day, four days a week. That’s because the county’s 4,600 other employees, who work a normal workweek, get eight hours of paid holiday time.

“Well, that’s the way it is,” said Ron Komers, director of personnel for Ventura County. “People who work a 10-hour day should get the same amount of time.”

Workers who manage to duck the office on Monday won’t exactly be luxuriating in a tropical climate. The National Weather Service is calling for coastal temperatures in the upper 60s and low 70s, though inland spots could hit the high 80s.

Park officials across the county are gearing up for the legions of working stiffs turned campers, swimmers and surfers come Saturday. Rojas said his park district has already hired more than 200 seasonal employees to bolster the permanent staff of 50.

“It is the inauguration of summer,” Rojas said. “People want to get out there to begin working on their tans and get some rest.”

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FYI

Sunday’s Ventura County Edition will publish a comprehensive rundown of the county’s fireworks shows, complete with details on where the biggest and brightest will be.

* BLUE MONDAY

Employees throughout the Southland can’t catch a break on the 3rd of July. D1