As children across the Española School District rushed home Dec. 19 for their two-week vacation, many city employees did the same. Thanks to some extra days off, the city’s workers’ annual leave coincides with local students’ winter vacation, beginning Dec. 20 and running through Jan. 3.
The City Council unanimously granted workers’ administrative leave on Dec. 26, 27, 28 and 29. A letter from interim city manager Joe Duran to the Council states, if workers wanted to take off the two days preceding Christmas and the two days after New Year’s Day, they could request the time off as a part of their personal administrative or compensatory leave.
Given that City Hall was closed Dec. 23 and 24 — and Duran said it will be closed Jan. 2 and 3 — many city employees will get a total of 16 days off, including holidays and weekends.
Duran’s letter stated the administrative leave was a part of “an effort to save energy during the holiday season.” In an interview, he gave another reason for the extended break.
“This is the slowest time of the year, so most people just want to be with their families,” he said.
Duran said the extra days off will also save the city money in operating costs.
In terms of making sure city services continue to run through the holidays, Duran figuratively made a list and checked it twice.
He said certain employees are putting in time during the administrative leave period, to make sure the city keeps running. He said Administrative Service Director Joyce Sandoval came in to work Dec. 23, to work on the city payroll, while Duran fulfilled his other role as building inspector and performed a final inspection on former mayor Richard Lucero’s new commercial property on the corner of Riverside Drive and East Pueblo Street.
Duran said all water meters were checked before the administrative leave started and won’t necessitate another reading until after the holiday season.
He said standby crews for water and wastewater are ready in case of emergency. If they are needed, he said citizens can get in contact with the E-911 Center. The employees will, in turn, notify one of the standby crews.
As for Española’s police and fire departments, Duran said they would work through the administrative leave. But they will eventually receive their vacation time.
Duran said public safety employees will be free to use the four administrative leave days at a later date after the holiday season ends.
Public Safety Director Eric Garcia said the holiday leave system for public safety employees was “fair.” He said public safety employees can take the four days of holiday leave any time before June 2014, as long as they receive prior approval from their supervisors.
Garcia said he wishes his employees could take time off with the other city workers, but their duties don’t allow it.
“We can’t just tell the criminals who do shenanigans to take a week off,” he said.