By Elizabeth Cloutman

Los Altos Hills Town Hall offices closed a half-day early Friday in order for staff to rid themselves of some unwelcome residents - two species of termites as well as some beetles.

Exterminators tented both the town hall and council chamber buildings Friday afternoon to exterminate the subterranean and dry wood termites and their beetle companions. The tents remained in place until Sunday, and the 44-year-old town hall building was open for business again Monday morning.

“There’s evidence of damage,” said City Manager Maureen Cassingham. “(Also), they’re swarming the office, which means they’re colonizing, and that means they’re ready to leave the building and go elsewhere in the area. It’s a good neighbor policy to eliminate them now before they go elsewhere.”

Thursday night, the Los Altos Hills City Council approved Cassingham’s request for $5,160 to pay for exterminating the invading insects.

The insect infestation, a reoccurring problem over the past 20 years, had become severe within the last month, Cassingham said. The termites were flying about inside town hall offices and dropping on desks, and piles of their fecal matter accumulated in the building.

“(The termite problem) is a precursor to show the need for a new town hall,” she said.

The termite invasion comes just weeks after the city council decided to move forward with designs for a new $3 million town hall that the city is asking residents to fund through private donations.

The city expects to break ground for the new town hall next June. Officials said construction should take two years.