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Board approves rewritten personnel manual, adds county AI and training policies; purchasing policy updated for IT contracts
Summary
Botetourt County supervisors approved a rewritten personnel policy manual that adds an AI policy and a training program, and they updated the county purchasing policy to address IT contracts and routine procurement practices.
The Botetourt County Board of Supervisors approved a revised personnel policy manual and corresponding updates to the county purchasing policy.
Personnel: Human resources presented a reorganized and shortened personnel manual, which the board approved with an effective date recommended for Aug. 1 to allow employee review. Two new policies were added: an Artificial Intelligence use policy that sets boundaries and data‑security rules for employee use of AI tools on county business, and a Training and Development policy that codifies required compliance training and optional professional development with guidance on tuition reimbursement. The manual also clarifies remote‑work expectations, confirms the county does not provide stipends for personal mobile phones, removes compensatory time language, and updates the inclement‑weather policy to allow remote work when appropriate.
HR staff said the manual refines standards of conduct, expands the dress‑code guidance, clarifies leave and performance‑review procedures, and documents that county administration approval is required for certain exceptions (for example, position changes that move to remote work or take‑home vehicles).
Purchasing: The board also approved small updates to the county purchasing manual. The changes move purchasing‑card (P‑card) and small‑purchase rules back to the purchasing manual, update purchase‑order processes to match current financial software, and clarify that small purchases for construction are not permitted. A new section addresses information‑technology purchases: in compliance with recent state guidance, IT goods and services contracts will be interpreted under Virginia law and dispute forums will be in Virginia courts to avoid out‑of‑jurisdiction provisions appearing in vendor licenses.
Board members praised the personnel manual rewrite as clearer and shorter than the previous version. Both updates passed with a motion and second and without recorded opposition. Staff will notify employees and implement the changes with the recommended effective date.
