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Sandpoint Council approves pilot to close City Hall to walk‑in traffic on Fridays
Summary
Sandpoint’s City Council adopted a six‑month pilot to add an optional 4/10 schedule for most city hall administrative staff and close City Hall to walk‑in traffic on Fridays while keeping services by appointment; council set a target start of April 10 and required public notice.
Sandpoint’s City Council voted unanimously on March 18 to amend the city personnel policy to allow a four‑10 work schedule for city hall administrative offices and to close City Hall to walk‑in traffic on Fridays, while maintaining staff availability by appointment.
The change, presented by Central Services Director Cheryl Hughes, applies to city hall administrative offices but does not affect police, fire, parks, buildings and grounds, or public works field crews. Hughes said staff would continue to work 40 hours per week and would be reachable for scheduled inspections and appointments on Fridays. "While again, while the city hall building will be closed to walk‑in traffic on Fridays, city staff will continue working their full 40 hours a week and remain available by appointment on those Fridays," Hughes said.
The council’s action follows a reassessment after an earlier 4/10 pilot paused in December; Hughes said the directors redesigned the approach to avoid the staffing coverage problems that ended the prior trial. Directors at the hearing described the change as a recruitment and retention tool: Deputy Community Planning and Development Director Bill Dean said flexible schedules are effective at retaining employees and allowing staff to concentrate on complex permitting work, and Public Works Director Holly Ellis noted the arrangement could improve permit efficiency.
Finance Director Sarah Lind told the council that roughly 70 percent of utility payments already arrive by electronic means and that two drop boxes remain available for paper payments; she said payments made in the drop boxes or online over a Friday would be posted Monday and would not be considered late. "We are about 70% of our payments come in for utility billings through an electronic means," Lind said.
Council members asked for robust public notice and a soft rollout. Mayor Jeremy Grim and councilors agreed to target an implementation date of April 10 with a press release, website and Facebook notices, a note on water bills, and a posted front‑door notice; the mayor also offered to be available by phone during the initial weeks. Councilmember Kyle Shriber moved the ordinance amendment into effect (motion seconded by Councilmember Joel Espiro) and the council approved it by roll call (all councilors present voted yes).
The policy will be treated as a six‑month pilot; staff will collect feedback and track appointments, missed walk‑ins and operational impacts, and return to council if the pilot proves problematic. Supporters said the change is intended to be neutral for residents — with appointments and online services preserved — while improving staff morale and recruitment. The council requested that staff ensure clear instructions for residents about how to make Friday appointments and monitor any service gaps.
The amendment text references section 14, hours of work, subsection F of the personnel policy and directs staff to issue public notice before the closure start date.
Next steps: staff will issue a press release and front‑door notice, place information on the city website and social media, include a notice on a utility billing cycle, and begin the pilot on or near April 10, with follow‑up reporting to the council.
