Hoping to reduce fuel and utilities costs, the executive arm of Vanderburgh County government on Tuesday endorsed a trial four-day workweek for Highway Department employees.
County Commissioners Jeff Korb, Bill Nix and Troy Tornatta voted 3-0 at the 5 p.m. meeting to approve a "letter of understanding" between the county and Teamsters Local 215, which represents Highway Department employees.
If union members vote to accept the temporary change to their contract, it will become effective Aug. 4 and continue through Oct. 31. The commissioners and Highway Department officials would review the plan by Oct. 15 and decide whether it would continue.
The plan would mean four-day workweeks with 10-hour days, which Highway Superintendent Mike Duckworth called an efficiency measure.
"The thinking is, in our research, we use an average of $967 worth of fuel every Friday," Duckworth told the commissioners. "... I can't give you an exact approximation on utilities because those have fluctuated quite a bit, but we think there will be some savings in regard to shutting the operation down on four days a (week) as well."
On Fridays, as is now the case on Saturdays and Sundays, Highway Department crews would be on call to respond in case of storms or other emergencies.
"To the most part, (Local 215 officials) have been receptive," Duckworth said, noting that a few union members oppose the idea.
Duckworth said last week the Highway Department has been so hard hit by increased fuel costs that it has just enough money for fuel to get through August. Department crews pave county-maintained roads, patch potholes, plow snow, replace culverts and damaged guardrails and mow brush and grass on rights of way.
"From January through May, we averaged about $17,000 in fuel costs, and it was $27,000 in June because we're paving now," Duckworth said last week.
Mirroring a nationwide trend, increases in the price to pave roads forced Vanderburgh County to cut the county-maintained roadways it could repair during the April-to-September orange barrel season by more than a quarter.
County Council President Marsha Abell said budgets are crafted months before the January-December budget year begins. Abell said gas prices were significantly lower when the 2008 budget was passed in September. Abell, who has endorsed Duckworth's plan, said the rising cost of asphalt also has hit the department hard.
With about 55 department employees collectively driving about 800 miles a day to and from work, Abell said they also will reap savings on fuel.