Wausau City Hall. MWC photo by Mike Leischner
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — Wausau’s Human Resources Committee has voted in favor of another test run for summer hours at City Hall.
After a trial in 2024 showed promising results among city staff, Alders have voted to collect more data by opening 45 minutes earlier and closing at 12:15 on Friday afternoons. City Clerk Kaitlyn Bernarde said staff felt that opening earlier in the day during the summer was more productive. “In 2024, we opened Monday through Thursday at 7:15. The resounding response from staff was that they preferred to start every day at 7:15. There are already other departments starting [their day] at 7:00, 7:15, or 7:30 throughout the year, such as municipal court. I believe Water and DPW [also] start earlier than 8 AM.”
But Alders, including Terry Kilian, said the feedback they’ve received has been less than supportive. “Last year, I had five or six people very upset after they came to City Hall and it was closed. Not everyone has the ability [to know] when City Hall will be closed. I had negative feedback regarding last year’s pilot [program], and I had two phone calls this week opposing this pilot program. The feedback I got was pretty strong.
“They said we pay the city staff to be there from 8 AM to 4:30 PM,” added Kilian. She also noted that most of the feedback she received was unsolicited.
Committee Chair Becky McElhaney said she’s also received pushback from neighborhood groups, but did note that some of the comments could come from “sour grapes. [People saying] ‘I have to work Fridays, why shouldn’t they?'”
That caused McElhaney to stress that this will be a test run, not a step towards a permanent, year-round change. “I don’t know what the public is going to say. So we can see what their feelings are during this pilot, that’s fine. But I would caution people [against] automatically thinking that this is a first step towards making this permanent. I would like to see data. Maybe people will adjust.”
Bernarde noted that Fridays are often the most-requested vacation days for staff. “If we shift the hours that we are open, we can provide better customer service and allow employees to take those three, three and a half days.”
The vote was 3-1. The proposal will now go to the full council later this month. If approved, the City would announce the change in the summer newsletter, social media posts, and other media.
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