Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Council Adopts ‘9/80’ Work Format for City Employees : Government: City Hall will close every other Friday as shifts are compressed in a bid for cleaner air.

Beginning as early as April, City Hall will be closed every other Friday so that the city can meet regional standards for cleaner air.

The City Council voted 3 to 2 Tuesday to approve the plan, which compresses a two-week, 80-hour work period into nine days. Council member Jan Heidt and Mayor George Pederson voted against the controversial plan, known as the “9/80” work schedule.

Aimed at reducing rush-hour traffic and thereby improving air quality, the plan fulfills a requirement of the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

Previously, half the city’s staff had been off every Monday to meet the requirement. But in the wake of the Northridge earthquake, the city returned to a standard Monday-through-Friday, 40-hour work schedule.

The new plan will take effect depending on when workers return to the earthquake-damaged City Hall. It could be as early as next month.

Critics of the present system of having reduced staffs on Mondays--perhaps the city’s busiest day--say both productivity and efficiency are affected.

“In a nutshell, the program hasn’t worked very well,” Assistant City Manager Ken Pulskamp said.

He said the new plan would alleviate some of those concerns, such as half of the staff being off the day before Tuesday meetings of the City Council. He said all staff members would be available in an emergency situation.

But one council member said shutting City Hall for a day would damage the public’s perception of city government.

“I think people are buying availability with their money, not hours,” Heidt said. “I can see I’m going to lose this one . . . . but I can’t support this.”

Councilwoman Jill Klajic said that regardless of whether the plan is the most efficient use of time, it is worth trying.

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