Lake County sets regular meeting calendar and courthouse office hours; board discusses 4x10 workweek and elected-official exceptions

Lake County commissioners on Jan. 24 adopted resolutions that set the board’s regular meeting schedule and the courthouse administration’s official office hours, and they discussed whether to study a four-day, 10-hour (4x10) schedule for county employees.

County Manager Tim Bergman presented the regular-meeting resolution (2025-03) as part of the annual administrative package. Bergman said the resolution provides legal compliance with Colorado open-meeting rules and creates a predictable calendar for staff and the public. The board adopted the resolution on a 3–0 vote.

On office hours, commissioners approved Resolution 2025-04, which designates the county’s regular business hours and specifically keeps county offices open through the lunch hour for public access. Bergman noted that while some Colorado counties have experimented with a 4x10 schedule as a recruitment and retention tool, elected offices such as the clerk of court and sheriff are explicitly exempt in practice because those offices must be available to serve the public and the courts.

Staff and clerk’s-office remarks

County staff and the clerk’s office told the board that staffing constraints had previously limited the clerk and recorder’s ability to stay open at lunch. A clerk’s-office staffer said, “It was because we were really shorthanded,” explaining why the office had not been open over lunch in the recent past. Commissioners discussed surveying department directors and staff to assess whether a 4x10 schedule or other flexible-hours approaches would preserve public access and not adversely affect operations.

Why it matters: The meeting schedule and office hours determine when residents can access services and when decisions will be taken. Commissioners emphasized the need to balance staff retention benefits from flexible schedules with public access to services delivered in person.

Next steps: Staff will survey department directors and county employees about the feasibility of a 4x10 schedule, and will bring findings back to the board. The board also directed staff to pursue a further conversation with elected officials whose offices carry statutory duties outside regular business hours.

Ending: The resolutions were adopted unanimously; staff will follow up with a report on staffing feasibility and community impacts before any change is made to business hours.