Beginning today, the hours at Sarnia's city hall and transit office are 8:30am until 4:30pm.
CAO Margaret Misek-Evans says they were open until 5pm in the past, but notes trimming 30 minutes off the end is a better use of resources.
"From our observation, the peak times for walk-in traffic are between 8:30am and 10am, and from 11:30 and 1pm," says Misek-Evans. "There is fairly low volume during that last half an hour. So, it does contribute to overall savings if we're not having to schedule staff time and overtime to cover that last thirty minutes."
Misek-Evans says the public works office is still open from 7:30am until 4pm.
In the meantime, the city is working to implement an automated phone service which is expected to be in place by mid-February.
There will still be a "live answer" option but residents will also be able to choose a department by pressing a number.
