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State government’s four-day work week will continue, Gov. Gary Herbert announced Wednesday — with one exception.

Beginning in February, the Draper offices of the motor-vehicles and driver-license divisions will also be open on Fridays.

“Utahns have told us they like the extra hours in the morning and evening, but that they also need access to these two areas of state government on Fridays, and we’ve listened,” the governor said in a statement.

Former Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. instituted the Monday through Thursday work week for most state agencies in August 2008 as a way to reduce energy costs.

While Huntsman had anticipated some $3 million in annual savings, the actual reduction in the state’s utility bills was closer to $500,000, a 10 percent drop in consumption.

After Herbert took over as governor this summer, he called for a survey of Utahns to see whether they liked government services being available from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. just four days a week.

That survey, conducted for the state by Dan Jones & Associates, found that while most Utahns preferred the four-day schedule, they wanted to be able to get license plates and driver licenses on Fridays.

So the governor has directed the South Valley Office of the Utah Tax Commission and the Utah Department of Public Safety, 14555 S. Minuteman Drive, to stay open from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Fridays, too, beginning Feb. 12.

Unlike Huntsman, Herbert did not focus on whether the four-day week was saving the state money. Instead, the governor told his staff he wanted to know how the shortened work week was impacting the public, as well as local governments.

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