If you have business at city hall that’s pressing, you’d better take care of it by this Thursday.

That’s because the non-paid furloughs combined with the every other Friday closure and the Thanksgiving holiday means the offices will be closed from Friday, Nov. 20, to the morning of Monday. Nov. 30.

No services can be stopped or started during that time period. The Manteca Police Department’s front desk will keep its normal hours except on Thanksgiving, Nov. 26, and Friday. Nov., 27. Both days are holidays.

The first three days of next week are part of the non-paid furlough days that municipal workers agreed to in a bid to save the financially strapped city money. The balance of the furlough days will be taken during Christmas week and New Year’s Day. Employees opted to take furlough days during the holiday season but have their pay adjusted monthly so there would be a minimal impact on services.

The furlough savings are the equivalent of a 3.8 percent across-the-board pay cut.

“We picked these two weeks because that is when historically we have the least amount of customers,” said City Manager Steve Pinkerton. “(We’ll) evaluate it afterwards.”

The city switched to alternating Fridays off at the start of 2009 to increase hours the rest of the week to accommodate citizens needing to access city hall. A city study showed Friday is the lightest day for citizens to access city offices.

The day after Thanksgiving is a negotiated holiday along with Thanksgiving itself.

All essential services will still operate – police fire, refuse collection, and the wastewater treatment plant.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, e-mail dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com