SCHENECTADY City Hall to continue opening at 8 a.m. BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter
Summer is almost over, but the early-morning hours at City Hall are here to stay. The City Clerk’s office will continue to open at 8 a.m., thanks to the high demand this summer as residents picked up birth certificates and other important records before work. This summer, the city managed the 8 a.m. opening by closing an hour early. But starting next week, the office will close at 5 p.m. Residents have long asked for 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. hours, but the city couldn’t afford it until Deputy City Clerk Eileen Versaci volunteered to work a staggered shift. She will come in at 8 a.m. every day; City Clerk Carolyn Friello will come in at 9 a.m. and close the office at 5 p.m. “We get a lot more business before people go to work,” Versaci said. “Frankly, we get a lot more revenue.” Friello said the revenue spike is likely temporary — residents who need a birth certificate will buy it at some point even if the office is closed until 9 a.m. “But some of them may have to take time off from work to do it,” she said. “8 a.m. is more convenient for them. We do have people who want to come in before they go to work.” City funeral directors launched a special plea for the early hours. They’re regulars at City Hall, where they must file a death certificate and get a burial permit before each funeral. City officials have been discussing staggered shifts for months and approved Friello’s idea on Tuesday.
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