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Council declines to adopt revised personnel manual; changes including elimination of comp time will return for further consideration
Summary
Council members discussed removing comp time, adding Juneteenth as a holiday, modifying reasonable‑suspicion drug testing reporting and a 15‑mile residency requirement for department heads; the second reading of the personnel manual did not pass on Sept. 2.
Council members discussed several proposed changes to the city personnel manual during a second‑reading vote on Sept. 2, including eliminating comp time, adding Juneteenth as a paid holiday, updating reasonable‑suspicion drug‑testing procedures and a 15‑mile residency requirement for department heads. The motion to adopt the revised personnel manual failed on roll call.
City staff explained the city intends to eliminate comp time as an option and instead pay overtime when employees exceed established work cycles (84 hours in a 14‑day cycle for police, 106 hours for fire, and 40 hours per workweek for most other staff). The presenter said the change is intended to reduce the city's accrued compensatory‑time liability and simplify bookkeeping; staff said overtime payments themselves are unchanged.
Council members asked about operational effects, including whether employees could be sent home after long shifts, whether departments could continue to offer flex time when staffing allows, and whether the proposed changes had been discussed with employees. The presenter said employees were generally supportive and that new employees would receive an earlier additional week of vacation under the proposed manual. Questions were also asked about how the policy would affect staffing during emergencies.
Other changes in the proposed manual described during discussion included adding Juneteenth as a holiday and broadening the reporting standard for reasonable‑suspicion drug testing so that any employee could report concerns to a supervisor. The presenter said department heads (not rank‑and‑file staff) would be required to live within 15 miles of the city; that provision was discussed but council members pressed for clarity on enforcement and operational necessity.
On roll call the measure did not carry; the council did not adopt the revised personnel manual at the Sept. 2 meeting. Staff said the matter will return for further consideration and that department heads and legal counsel have been involved in drafting and reviewing the language.
