> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Toiling away while a city sleeps it off - URL: https://www.smdp.com/toiling-away-while-a-city-sleeps-it-off/ - Published: 2007-01-29T16:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T23:55:15.000Z - Author: Melody Hanatani - Tags: Government & Politics, Main St, #archive-import *Cleaning up after most have cleared out* CITY HALL In the late hours of the evening — when the 405 Freeway is finally decon-gested, when parents are ready to call it a night, and when City Council is just about to wrap up another lengthy discussion on some kind of a new ban — Edgar Johnson is only halfway done with his shift. Listening to a portable music player, he goes about sweeping the floors, refilling the paper towel dispensers and dumping the legislative trash. With a meeting discussion blaring in the background, Johnson sometimes finds himself intrigued by the conversation in Council Chambers spilling into the hallway. He’ll hit the pause button, stop what he’s doing momentarily and sit down to listen. “Sometimes the subject matter really interests me,” said Johnson, a 27-year custodial veteran of the city. When the clock strikes 5:30 p.m. and city employees are ready to call it a day, the second shift begins in the world that is City Hall. As the cars file onto Main Street, a handful of custodians pull out their mops, sponges and floor polishers, preparing for another night of prepping City Hall so Santa Monicans can work, file, gripe, negotiate and supervise. Every night, approximately 18 men and women in custodial services pull the late shift in five of the city’s facilities — City Hall and the four branch libraries — to keep the city running smoothly every day, according to Glenn Schriver, the custodial supervisor. It’s a job that might not require a doctorate degree, but nevertheless presents its challenges. It’s a physically strenuous job where employees must alter their body clocks to adjust to the late night and early morning hours. It’s also a job, though derided at times, that’s rewarding and every bit as important as any other position in City Hall, Schriver said. A custodial supervisor in the city for five years, Schriver began his career in Disneyland 22 years ago, cleaning the park after hours before ascending the ranks to operations manager. The father of two spends his time off volunteering for the American Cancer Society and is the vice chairman of Relay for Life in Santa Monica. A SPACE TO GROW The custodial life also presents its opportunities to grow within the city. A relative newcomer to the scene, Todd Gibson started working in the city about 18 months ago and was recently promoted. He will soon serve as the supervisor of Open Space in the city. Working the late hours in City Hall has it’s benefits. The custodians who proudly stroll down the hallways must have the ability to work independently as well as in a team atmosphere. At 11:15 p.m. every night, the custodians meet back in the lobby of City Hall, updating Schriver on the areas they’ve cleaned and what has yet to be completed. Following the break, the custodians resume their work, either teaming up to clean an office or working individually. The alone time presents custodians the opportunity to think about other things as they’re busy mopping away. “We see a whole lot of stuff at night,” Gibson said with a smile. The custodians who work together find topics to fill the quiet, like family life, politics and world issues. For many of the workers who have been with the city for decades, the night crew is like a second family. They’ve also found friends in night time City Hall regulars like the City Council and other board members and commissioners. In the almost three decades that Johnson has worked for the city of Santa Monica, his entire career has been spent in City Hall. “Most of the people who come here know me,” Johnson said during his break last Tuesday night. After making a stop in Detroit to work in the automotive industry in the 1970s, the Alabama native came to California. In 1980, Johnson got a job working as a custodian in the city of Santa Monica, starting his position making $4.55 an hour. He’s seen many custodians come and go over the years, many leaving because they could no longer physically handle the late night shift. “The job is not stressful and the pay is OK,” Johnson said. “I’m never the type of person to keep changing jobs.” Once he reaches 30 years even, Johnson plans to retire and start traveling. Traveling seems to be a favorite among many of the custodians here. A favorite stop for Thomas Williams, a five-year veteran of the city, is Las Vegas. With his kids asleep at night,Williams finds custodial work as the perfect profession to free up time during the day to spend with his children. Married for 18 years with six children, three of whom are grown, Williams loves the family-like atmosphere the job provides. During his alone time at night, Williams tries to keep his mind on his work and listens to music as the time quickly goes by. The iPod is a popular item among custodians, but Juan Tellez manages without one. Having worked in Santa Monica for almost six years, Tellez, married for 33 years with two children, was busy polishing the floor on Tuesday night after the City Council meeting adjourned. “I’m happy with just concentrating on the things I have to do,” Tellez said. Planning to retire in three years, Tellez is an accomplished runner, having ran eight miles every day since Aug. 8, 1988. “I guess that’s why I like to run eight miles,” Tellez said with a laugh. Twenty-two years after he started working in custodial services, Schriver can still recall why he finds it easy to stay up late at night. As a child, he loved to stay awake into the wee hours of the morning, watching “Saturday Night Live.” Working the late shift was only natural. He takes pride in his work, taping letters of thanks for a job well done on the walls of his office. Next to the letters sits a hat from his days at the Magic Kingdom and newspaper clippings from articles pertaining to custodial services in Santa Monica. “There’s nothing like watching the sunset and looking back at City Hall and the work you’ve just done,” said Schriver after midnight on Wednesday, standing outside just as the sprinklers began their shift. *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 29, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/012907.pdf?ref=smdp.com)