The McCall City Council discussed a proposal to pilot a compressed four-day workweek for city staff and asked staff to draft a detailed policy and pilot plan for future council review.

City Manager Forrest Bookwalter and HR manager Tracy Melvic presented options including four 10-hour days, rotating schedules to preserve five-day public coverage, and expanded office hours (for example 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.) on working days to preserve public access. Bookwalter said the policy aims to offer a nonmonetary benefit that can help with employee recruitment and retention without increasing wages.

Staff presented results from an internal survey of about 25 respondents: 64% found a compressed four-day week "very appealing" or "somewhat appealing," 16% were neutral and others were less supportive. Bookwalter said some departments already use alternate schedules in season (public works 4x10s in summer, police 12-hour shifts) and that operational differences will require department heads to design coverage plans. He recommended a six-month pilot with metrics to track employee satisfaction, absenteeism, overtime costs and public satisfaction.

Council members raised practical concerns: continuity of services on Friday, coverage for meetings and public hearings, seasonal or emergency workload (snow removal, parks programming), and perceived equity across office, public-facing and field staff. Several councilors asked that department heads retain flexibility to adopt models appropriate to their staffing and operations, and that employees who cannot participate regularly should be provided alternative arrangements so perceived inequity is minimized.

Council did not take a formal vote but directed staff to return with a draft policy, a proposed pilot design, a midterm review after three months and a final report at pilot conclusion. Council also asked staff to consider how council meeting schedules and staffing for those meetings would be handled during a pilot.