Keystone Heights council agrees to observe two state office closures during holiday season

At a Dec. 16 special meeting, the Keystone Heights City Council discussed whether to match recently announced state office closures and indicated by consensus that city staff should have Dec. 26 and Jan. 2 off.

Mister Booth, a city staff member who summarized the item, said the governor announced additional state closures and noted the citys personnel policy, last drafted in the 1990s, does not currently list those days. He told council members he had not cross-referenced a dedicated list of state holidays against the city policy but brought the item for guidance.

A council member who has served previously on the council urged adopting the state holidays for consistency, saying, "Whatever the state says, we're gonna do the same thing." Another council member cautioned that state agency holiday schedules vary by region and agency, noting some agencies observe different religious or regional holidays.

The council discussed staff overtime and the administrative benefit of consistent scheduling across government employers. One council member asked for a formal vote rather than mere consensus; another moved to adopt the two state dates for staff closures and the council signaled agreement by consensus.

The council directed staff to place a related item on a future agenda to review the 2026 holiday schedule and any needed personnel-policy updates. No formal roll-call vote on the change was recorded in the transcript; staff confirmed they would follow up in a January agenda.

The item was presented as administrative guidance consistent with the councils stated goal to align city operations with state practice and to reduce confusion for residents and employees.