Lawrence public-safety committee tables ordinance to clarify bereavement and leave-accrual language

The City of Lawrence Common Council Public Safety Committee on Monday reviewed Proposal No. 3-2025, an ordinance to amend Title 1, Article 2, Chapter 5 of the City of Lawrence code to clarify bereavement leave and how certain public-safety employees accrue and carry leave time. After questions about inconsistent hour counts and shift definitions for firefighters, police and EMTs, the committee voted to table the ordinance until a mid-month meeting on Aug. 20 at 5:30 p.m.

The ordinance language prompted several speakers representing city public-safety unions to press for clarifications. “This is not an addition to our collective bargaining agreement,” said the Fire Department representative, reading from the draft and stressing that the ordinance seeks to align the city code with terms already under negotiation. The representative also said the bereavement language is intended to be “more inclusive” and would allow leave for individuals whose “close association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship.”

Why it matters: The changes would affect how bereavement leave is measured for different employee groups and alter the caps and carrying rules for accrued vacation, holiday and sick time for recent hires. Committee members and union speakers…