St. Albans council weighs shifting Public Works to four 10-hour days to cut overtime; committee to return with cost analysis

The St. Albans City Council discussed a proposal from the Public Works Department to reduce overtime costs by moving crews to four 10-hour workdays and to revise the large-item (extra) pickup schedule.

Council members debated trade-offs between potential overtime savings and resident convenience. Several members said they would accept 10-hour shifts if the change demonstrably reduced overtime costs but urged that the city preserve the extra large-item pickup that many residents expect on Fridays. Council members repeatedly stressed that the city should not create confusion for residents by changing regular weekly pickup days without clear communication.

Public-works staff explained that the lot conditions at some sites require more preparation and that overtime still may be necessary for snow or other emergencies. Staff described current practices for holiday weeks (service shifts one day back) and acknowledged the need for a clear operational plan if the 4x10 schedule is adopted. The council also discussed alternatives such as rotating which employees get which days off and preserving a skeleton crew for customer calls.

Rather than adopt a schedule at the meeting, the council directed the public-works committee (with council members who attended and assigned staff) to return with a detailed cost estimate and a recommended schedule that balances overtime savings with resident service expectations. The committee was asked to “crunch the numbers,” provide a dollar-value estimate of any savings from 4x10 shifts, and propose a schedule that retains Friday large-item service or an acceptable equivalent. The committee will report back at the next committee meeting or the next council meeting, per council direction.