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Council adopts suite of employee policy updates covering harassment, firearms, holidays and bereavement
Summary
The Common Council approved multiple personnel policy changes—including a new policy addressing harassment/molestation of minors and vulnerable adults, a retirement firearm policy for public safety, holiday calendar updates and bereavement leave clarifications—each on unanimous votes
The Columbia City Common Council on Tuesday approved a package of personnel policy updates covering harassment/molestation, retirement firearm retention for public safety officers, holiday schedules and bereavement leave. Each policy was adopted unanimously after brief presentations and committee review.
Beth, a staff member, presented the policy titled “policy against harassment / molestation of minors and vulnerable adults,” saying the policy was requested by the city’s workers’ compensation carrier and was intended to apply primarily to parks staff but to include interns and part‑time employees as well. Beth said the park board reviewed the draft and the wellness committee added a definition of “volunteer.” The council approved the policy by motion without amendment.
Beth also presented policy 5.12 for the public safety manual addressing firearm retention at retirement or, if an officer dies, transfer to eligible family members who meet listed criteria. Beth said this practice was common among municipalities and that the update codified an existing practice. The council approved that policy unanimously.
Two holiday policies were approved—policy 5.7 for civil employees and policy 5.7 for public safety employees—with clarifications added in the drafts: Juneteenth was explicitly added to the civil holiday list, Indiana Election Day was specified by state, and the public safety version accounted for 24‑hour shift scheduling for fire personnel.
Bereavement leave changes were approved for both civil and public safety manuals (policy 5.8). The civil policy added the term “consecutive” to align with the other provisions and included great‑grandparents and great‑grandchildren in the list of eligible relationships. The public safety bereavement policy added language that equates “3 consecutive 24‑hour work shifts” for fire staff to match their work schedules and likewise added great‑grandparent and great‑grandchild relationships.
Beth told the council the wellness committee had reviewed the drafts and that other staff (Marsha) had helped edit language in the investigation and follow‑up sections of the harassment policy. No public testimony or opposition was recorded on the policies, and the council did not attach special reporting requirements beyond standard policy implementation.
