Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : City Hall Shutdown Every Other Friday Urged : Santa Clarita: The council will consider the proposal as an alternative to employees’ staggered scheduling.

City offices would shut down every other Friday under a proposal to be considered by the City Council on Tuesday.

Employees proposed the scheme as an alternative to staggered schedules that now leave city offices half-staffed on Mondays. City department heads say the current system slows productivity and makes it difficult for residents to contact city employees.

Santa Clarita placed employees on modified schedules two years ago to help meet standards established by the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The AQMD requires companies with 100 or more employees to reduce the number of trips they make in cars to work by encouraging car-pooling or alternative transportation, such as public transit or bicycling.

Santa Clarita has about 185 full-time employees. Under current scheduling, they work 80 hours over nine days rather than 10, with every other Monday off.

With half of the staff absent the first day of each week, it is often difficult for those who are working to perform their duties as they try to cover for missing employees, according to staff members. It is also a problem when supervisors and their employees work alternate Mondays.

“Frequently, when a member of the public calls or comes in to City Hall for certain services on that Monday, they find that the person or persons they need to see are not available,” Assistant City Manager Ken Pulskamp said in a report to the council.

“It is both difficult and confusing to explain to the public that staff works an 80-hour period while the appearance under our current system is that they are frequently missing from their posts.”

If approved, the new schedule would shut down city offices every other Friday and extend their hours other days from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The move would also better align city schedules with Los Angeles County Public Works, Regional Planning and other offices that are closed every Friday.

Not everyone in City Hall supports the proposed change, however.

Councilwoman Jan Heidt warned about the public perception that city employees would be working fewer hours.

“It goes against my grain to think we wouldn’t have the city open five days a week,” Heidt said.

If approved, the new schedule would take effect in February or March.