By MIKE CORN

mcorn@dailynews.net

GOVE -- Rising fuel costs are changing the face -- and pace -- of government in Gove County.

But not how it might be expected.

Instead, the Gove County Commission has agreed to put the county on a four-day work week, expanding hours from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with a half-hour off for lunch. The offices will be open Monday through Thursday.

The new hours take effect Monday.

The change will involve everyone except the court system, the weed department and the sheriff's office. The road and bridge department might switch back to a five-day work week once winter comes around, Gove County Commission Chairman Mahlon Tuttle said.

It's not uncommon for road crews in rural counties to switch to four-day work weeks during summer months, something Ellis and Sherman counties, for example, have done for years.

But it is uncommon for general county offices to switch.

"I think it's a good idea as far as energy costs and making it accessible to the public," said Judy Moler, general counsel and legislative services director for the Kansas Association of Counties.

Moler had not heard, nor could she find any other cases where county offices have gone to the four-day work week.

Gove County's switch was brought up last week at a meeting between the Trego County Commission and department heads. The idea received a lukewarm reception there.

The change was approved by Gove County Commissioners at its May 13 meeting.

The goal, Tuttle said, is to help reduce fuel costs for employees who work in the county office building, which houses the clerk, treasurer, register of deeds and appraiser's office.

Tuttle said he had been resistant to the idea, but with the spiraling cost of fuel, his opposition softened.

He's hoping employees will be able to shave at least 20 percent off the cost of fuel, simply by not needing to drive to work on the fifth day.

The county should save costs because road and bridge crews, many of whom have county-owned trucks to drive to and from work, also won't be driving that extra day.

The county also will be reducing its energy use for heating and cooling for an extra day, much as they do now for two-day weekends.

Tuttle said he would have preferred uniform hours of operation, but some offices simply weren't able to make the switch.

Courts must be open the same hours as state agencies, the weed department is dependent on weather conditions and the sheriff's office, which contracts with Logan County for after-hours dispatching services, was limited on what could be done because of that contract.

In effect, the Gove County Courthouse will remain open five days a week; the county office building, where the general offices are, will be open four days a week.

"We're going to do this year-round," Tuttle said.

But that doesn't mean it won't be evaluated in the future to determine if its working.

The request for the change came from the county offices, primarily as a result of the high fuel costs.

Road and bridge employees voiced concern about longer hours during the winter months because of shorter daylight hours and because many are smaller farmers, and the early hours would force them to feed cattle in darkness all winter long.

"It's going to be kind of an experiment," Tuttle said. "But I can't help but think it will save the employees a bunch. I think there will be some building savings, too."