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Resident presses council on public‑works training costs and four‑hour Friday schedule; officials take no action
Summary
A resident urged the council to investigate high training expenditures in the Public Works department and to end a four‑hour Friday schedule that he said forces customers to pay after‑hours fees for water service. Council heard the concerns during public comment but took no formal action.
During the public‑comment period of the April 1 meeting, resident Steve Thomas (3642 West 4800 South) criticized Royce City Public Works for what he characterized as wasteful spending on training and questioned a four‑hour Friday work schedule for water and public‑works crews.
Thomas compared Royce City’s training expenditures (which he said totaled “over $50,000”) with Ogden City’s training spending of “$104” during a similar period and asked why Royce City sent employees to distant conferences when local training resources exist. He also raised operational concerns about a four‑hour Friday schedule in the water department, saying it results in after‑hour fees for customers who request service early on Fridays and asking why crews are not scheduled Monday‑Friday 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
“We're literally paying people 10 hours a week to watch the sun come up,” Thomas said, adding, “That’s just insane,” as he urged the council to consider changes that he said would save taxpayer money and eliminate extra fees for residents.
Council did not take immediate action on the public comment. During the earlier consent‑items discussion, a staff member (finance staff, name not specified) explained that the city's “miscellaneous revenue” line includes items such as cell‑tower revenue and proceeds from surplus vehicle sales, which can vary year to year.
What’s next: The council did not schedule a formal follow‑up on the citizen’s concerns during the meeting. The resident asked the council what would be done to “correct these habits going forward”; staff did not commit to an agenda item at the meeting but the comment was recorded in the minutes.
