Excelsior's four-day work week is here to stay.

The city decided last week to make the schedule permanent, closing City Hall on Fridays and extending hours from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. It comes after the City Council decided in August to extend a trial of the four-day work weeks until Feb. 28. Last week, the City Council made the change official instead of reverting back to the previous schedule, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

While the city said it could make it more difficult to schedule meetings within four days or could create inequity in schedules between departments such as Public Works, which operate on a five-day work week, council members said benefits outweighed the disadvantages.

The city says revised hours make City Hall more accessible to residents who want to stop by before or after work, save the small city about $130 a month in cleaning costs and help Excelsior compete for employees with area cities due to the unique schedule.