The staffers at the Sacramento Neighborhood Services Department are exactly the kind of people who will greet you with a root beer float.

In a break between two shifts of hosting neighbors and providing root beer floats on Thursday, Neighborhood Services Department Director Vincene Jones talked with The Sacramento Press. The department, which works with residents to address issues in Sacramento communities, held an open house at its new digs at City Hall.

Jones explained her priorities and also addressed the city’s recent budget cuts. In response to cuts, the department laid off an analyst and a neighborhood resources coordinator. The layoffs shrunk the size of the department to a staff of nine people.

Throughout the summer, the department will host "community hours" at various locations in the city. Residents can speak to the department's staffers about neighborhood issues at the "community hours." For more information about "community hours" and other Neighborhood Services programs, contact the department at (916) 808-6789.

The Sacramento Press: When you talk to residents, what are some of the issues you hear about frequently?

Vincene Jones: Right now, what they’re concerned about at this particular point in time [are the impacts] of the budget. They’re concerned about their parks and their community centers — you know, not being able to get those services. A lot of people asked us today: You know, you lost folks [through layoffs]. Because there are folks that they miss that work with us. There’s no department that was left untouched [by city budget cuts]. They wanted to know how they could help. They wanted to know if they could volunteer to help us.

[The Neighborhood Services Department] supports the Neighborhood Advisory Group. ... The [department] puts people in place and helps them with their neighborhood associations, helps them with their problems, facilitates the arguments between neighbors, or between the city and neighbors.

The folks in Midtown right now have a different focus. I know they’re very concerned about the nightlife, and noise issues that go on. But they didn’t express that here. Today was a happy time. Food always makes people happy.

SP: What are the department’s current priorities?

VJ: My priority right now is — and what I’m trying to do is — take a look at the most important things that this department should be doing, because we did lose people. So, my priority is staying just above water so that ... we're not out of the vision of the community. I still want to be the eyes, ears and helpful hand for the community.

But there are some things, of course, we’re not going to be able to do. You can take [staffers] and you can work them only so much before they become ineffective. So, I’m taking the things that [community members] look at most. They like information; they like you to definitely return their phone calls back. They like you to be at their neighborhood associations [and] help them plan. If there’s a real big problem, [they like you] to help facilitate that. ... So, we’re kind of like an information highway. ... I’m working right now on a piece because I want to let neighbors know what we can and what we cannot do. ... I’m putting Neighborhood Services in different locations in the community, so that we’re available at different times. ... I think you have to try to find little ingenious ways to make sure that we stay in touch with the community and give them what [they] need.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.