BELLEFONTAINE NEIGHBORS, Mo.—The city of Bellfontaine Neighbors may be back open for business starting Monday, after a nearly monthlong employee walkout essentially shut down city hall and city services with the exception of public safety. 

An unsigned letter from city employees blamed the walkout on the impact of understaffing, saying they’ve been “working beyond reasonable capacity to try and keep the city functioning.”

Mayor Dinah Tatman confirmed that employees returned to work Friday to prepare for reopening city hall and the adjacent recreation center on Monday. She would not disclose what brought the employees back, saying she was unable to tell city aldermen at a meeting Thursday night that ended without a quorum.

One alderperson who was not at Thursday’s meeting, Alease Dailes, told Spectrum News on Friday that Tatman hasn’t given her or the board information about budget expenses, and that employees should have received pay increases through existing city ordinances. Dailes said she still doesn’t know why employees walked out, and is concerned that they’re going to be paid despite having walked off the job. 

Tatman told Spectrum News the employees, who stopped working on October 28, would use comp time, paid time off and vacation.