Staff reported that the city will resume Department of Transportation (DOT)–compliant drug and alcohol testing for employees who hold or operate under a commercial driver’s license (CDL). City staff said the municipality had not been conducting DOT-standard random testing for about five years and that the new program will begin with baseline testing in early June and move to random testing beginning in July.

The board heard that the city engaged Tomo (T-O-M-O) drug-testing services of Springfield to provide training and on-site testing. Staff said Tomo led training for CDL drivers and supervisors on DOT testing procedures, including reasonable-cause processes for supervisors, and that Tomo will perform on-site specimen collection to avoid prior inefficiencies where employees traveled off-site (for example, to Concentra) and waited in line.

Staff said the DOT-sanctioned test will be used for CDL-required positions and that the city has been testing new hires but not using the DOT-standard laboratory panel for CDL hires. The initial baseline testing will cover CDL employees over several days on an on-site schedule. Staff estimated the CDL-eligible population at about 200 people for scheduling purposes and said the work is intended to restore compliance with federal regulations.

Because DOT testing is federally regulated and largely prescriptive, staff said the new CDL testing language will be implemented as an administrative policy to expedite compliance and will be incorporated into the Personnel Policy Manual (PPM) when the broader drug-and-alcohol policy update is complete. Staff expects the administrative policy to be circulated to the board when finalized.

Board members asked whether the company that conducted training would perform testing; staff confirmed Tomo will provide testing services. A board member asked whether employees would be notified in advance; staff said training and advance notice were provided and that baseline testing will occur after at least 30 days’ notice so employees are prepared.

No formal board vote was required on the testing plan; staff will finalize the administrative policy and the logistics for baseline and random testing.