* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

August 17, 2005

Contact:  Precinct 3 Commissioner Mark C. Carpenter, (817) 790-5333

Change in Work Hours Saves County Money

 Alvarado – The office hours of the Johnson County Precinct 3 Road and Maintenance Facility are changing effective Monday, August 22, 2005.  The new office/work hours for the road and maintenance facility will be 7 am to 5:30 pm, Monday through Thursday, and the office will be closed on Fridays.  With the rising costs of fuel and energy more than doubling since he took office, Commissioner Carpenter began looking for ways to increase efficiencies in work processes while saving energy costs as well.  After analyzing the current work levels, fuel consumption, and costs to keep roads paved and maintained, Commissioner Mark C. Carpenter determined that by working four 10-hour days, rather than five 8-hour days, the county will be saving money and getting more work done. 

 Commissioner Carpenter cited many examples of the efficiencies and cost savings of the new 4-day work schedule:

• Increased Haul Truck productivity – Current work production allows county workers to haul 60 loads of road material each week.  With the new 10-hour work day, there is enough time to haul an extra 4 loads of materials each week, resulting in 200 tons of additional road material availability for use in Precinct 3 each week.
• Increased Road Seal Coat productivity – Under the current work schedules of 2 loads of asphalt per day for 5 days, the precinct 3 work crew can haul a maximum of 10 loads per week which is enough to seal approximately 20 miles of road per week.  With the new 10-hour work day, the capacity is increased to 3 loads/day for 4 days, resulting in the ability to seal approximately 24 miles of road per week  - an increase of 4 miles of road per week.
• Decrease in travel time means increase in productivity – In the current work schedule, county employees travel to and from roads that are being worked on at least 5 times per week.  With the new schedule, they would only travel a maximum of 4 times/week to and from job sights, resulting in less time and fuel spent traveling and moving equipment and more time actually spent working on road repair and maintenance.
• Savings on Equipment Wear – Under the new schedule of working 4 days per week as opposed to 5, translates to one less “cold start” on equipment per week, a major contributor to equipment wear.
• Increased coverage during work week - With the office open longer on Monday through Thursday, until 5:30 pm, more citizens will have the ability to call or come by after their work day ends.

 “Employees are thrilled with the change in hours”, says Carpenter.  “By driving to/from work 4 days per week rather than 5 days, employees can save up to 20% in their personal fuel costs.  I’m very pleased with the changes in hours that will benefit everyone:  County taxpayers benefit by the increased efficiencies and cost savings.  Employees benefit with fuel cost savings and by having a 3-day weekend every week.  And the environment benefits with the use of less energy.”