Office hours will remain the same for Jamestown's secretary/treasurer Diane Helbig for now, but a committee appointed by council will be studying the best hours for the borough office to be open.

In August, some council members said residents complained that Mrs. Helbig's office hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday weren't late enough in the day for them to pay utility bills or conduct other business with the borough. So council changed her hours to 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Mrs. Helbig, who lives in West Fallowfield Township, Crawford County, refused to comply with the new schedule, saying she was hired seven years ago with the stipulation that she be able to leave in time to get her two children off the school bus. She began her fourth two-year term in January.

In September, council gave her three weeks to start working the new hours or they would advertise for her replacement.

"I have never received any complaints myself, and I've never heard it brought up at a council meeting until August," said Mrs. Helbig, adding she has attended almost every council meeting since she was hired. She explained that people who need to pay water or sewer bills after 3 p.m. could put their payment envelopes in a slot in the door of the municipal building, mail it or pay it at First National Bank. The Liberty Street bank branch is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays and from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Fridays.

In September, council came up with an alternate schedule of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, with council members working from 3 to 5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

A petition with 29 names and a letter from the Jamestown Municipal Authority supporting Mrs. Helbig's former hours were presented to council Tuesday night.

"The authority was quite angry about it," said Albert Drake, who has chaired the municipal authority for eight or nine years. "She has been a real good secretary. When she took this job, things were in pretty bad shape. With the help of some councilmen at the time, she got things in order."

Drake learned Wednesday that he was appointed to the study committee, along with Mayor Esther McClimans, council President Floyd "Bud" Owen, and Councilman Doug McElhaney. Both Drake and the mayor said Mrs. Helbig has worked beyond the call of duty in her service to the borough.

"She spent a lot of hours working out of the office last fall to get releases from residents to allow contractors on their property during the water system project," said Mrs. McClimans, who took office in January. "She may not have been there during some office hours, but it wasn't like she was taking off. She was working. She was also visiting homes in the evening on her own time."

Mrs. Helbig confirmed that she did work more than her normal 27 to 30 hours a week on her own time during the fall, and has done that before when necessary. "I have never accepted overtime pay from the borough," she said.

The mayor said the committee may survey residents via phone, letters or home visits and it won't cost taxpayers any money.

"I just want to do what's best for the community. Once we do our study, we'll go by the consensus. We'll see if we can go back to the original hours or leave them as they are. She's an excellent secretary. We don't want to lose her," Mrs. McClimans said.

Mrs. Helbig did not want to comment on the present situation but said she hopes "council can take into consideration the seven years that I've put into this borough and realize my experience and knowledge are worth more than a couple hours in the afternoon."

McElhaney did not return phone calls and Owen could not be reached.