But... can’t it just fill a queue? Don’t get me wrong, this still feels like the likeliest explanation, it just raises more questions.
It /could/, yes. But then one has to also understand how govt. IT development works. You only get, barely, just what you ask for, and nothing more. So the likely reason for no queue is that whatever PM was responsible for writing the requirements that the IT contractor developed towards did not think to add a queue for 'after hours' requests.
And now, it is likely without a 'development budget' (as the bean counters considered it 'done' when it met the initial requirements) and with no 'development budget' allocation, there is no way to get a queue added.
Short username the equivalent of a low /. number. Unfortunately, -1 Insightful isn't possible in the more groupthinky HN.