Several residents and city employees addressed the City Council on July 21 to urge changes to the municipal personnel policy, including reinstating formal grievance procedures, clarifying overtime rules and adding a for-cause termination standard.

Jennifer Hopkins, who spoke during the public-comment portion of the personnel-policy discussion, criticized a proposed draft for removing the grievance procedure and highlighted perceived overtime inequities. "To not give them overtime for that, I think, is an absolute sin," Hopkins said, referring to nonunion staff who must work long days for municipal elections and other events.

An additional commenter (identified in the record as a resident speaking passionately about employee security) urged stronger employee protections and called for restoring a grievance mechanism and a "for-cause" termination standard so municipal staff are not subject to political turnover. The speaker said municipal employees need stability and that the personnel policy should provide clearer corrective-action steps and performance-based processes.

Councilors said they plan to solicit employee input before finalizing changes. Council members instructed staff to circulate the draft policy and to reach out directly to the roughly 11 nonunion employees who would be affected by the revisions, so that employees can submit written comments or attend the next discussion. The council also said it will invite guidance from the Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VLCT) and city attorneys as part of the next step.

Why this matters: Personnel-policy changes affect the city's ability to recruit and retain staff, determine overtime costs and set the rules for discipline or termination. The council indicated it will take employee feedback and legal guidance before acting.

What's next: The council said it will publish the draft policy and the FAQ document, seek written input from staff and the public, and continue discussion at the next meeting. Council members suggested portions of the employee input could be received privately or in executive session if they include personnel-sensitive material.

Sources: Public comments at July 21 City Council meeting; council discussion as recorded in the July 21 transcript.