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Everman staff reports positive results from four-day workweek trial; council reviews website vendor proposal and holiday events
Summary
City staff told the council a three-month trial of a four-day workweek produced strong employee-survey results but energy savings are mixed with a concurrent smart-thermostat upgrade. Council reviewed a proposed CivicPlus website replacement (six-phase, ~4–5 months) and approved plans for a Nov. 30 holiday market and Dec. 5 tree lighting.
City staff presented operational updates at the Oct. 8 Everman City Council meeting, reporting on a three-month trial of a four-day workweek, a proposed municipal website replacement, and planned holiday events.
On the four-day workweek trial, staff reported results from an internal employee survey in which 84% of affected employees said their work-life balance improved and 100% said they preferred a four-day week over five. Staff said 80% reported reduced stress and 76% reported increased productivity; 20% said they would be likely to leave the city if it returned to a five-day schedule. Staff also said customer access has been maintained by adjusting hours and staying open later on cutoff days to serve residents. Regarding energy use, staff reported reductions but cautioned that the municipality also installed smart programmable devices at the same time, and that the relative contribution of the schedule change vs. device upgrades cannot be precisely separated.
The council also reviewed a proposal from CivicPlus to manage and redesign the city website. Staff presented two options: a premium template (less customizable) and an "Ultimate Designs" fully customizable platform. Staff recommended the customizable option, noting CivicPlus offers integration with meeting management, 24/7 support, and assistance cleaning up an old domain that still shows outdated pages. The project is expected to include six phases and take about four to five months to implement.
Staff presented planned holiday activities from the Christmas committee: a holiday market on Nov. 30 (10 a.m.–6 p.m.) with proposed vendor fees of $50 for booths with power and $40 without power; an ice-skating rink will be available at the market, and live music and additional vendors are planned. The traditional Christmas tree lighting is scheduled for Dec. 5 at 6 p.m.; a new stage is expected to be constructed by Thanksgiving and will be used for the lighting. A civic-center film night is scheduled for Dec. 23; a Rosary event on Dec. 12 was noted as a facility rental from a community group.
Staff framed the website project and schedule changes as operational improvements without immediate budget increases; the holiday events are largely supported through fundraising rather than direct city dollars.
The council did not take action on the four-day schedule or the website at the meeting; staff said policies remain in effect from the trial and that procurement and implementation steps will follow the normal process if council directs next steps.
