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Commission moves to codify employee handbook and repeal outdated drug‑free workplace ordinance
Summary
Council voted unanimously to repeal a legally incorrect drug‑free workplace ordinance and to codify the employee handbook by reference so personnel policies can be updated as policy rather than ordinance.
The commission voted unanimously May 6 to clean up city code by repealing an outdated drug‑free workplace ordinance and confirming that the city's personnel rules are adopted and maintained as an "employee handbook" by reference.
The ordinance read as Proposed Ordinance No. 25‑008. Staff said the existing drug‑free workplace code was legally incorrect, citing the wrong statute, and that keeping such material as an ordinance creates maintenance problems if the cited statutes change. "We are going to repeal the entire ordinance and make that a policy because policies are easier to make changes," the deputy city attorney said.
The measure also renames the personnel policy manual to "employee handbook" in the code and adopts the handbook by reference so the city may update personnel policies administratively rather than by ordinance. Commissioner Kelly moved the ordinance and Vice Mayor Hayes seconded; the clerk recorded a unanimous roll call vote on the first reading.
Staff characterized the change as a technical cleanup to ensure the city's code language matches current practice and to reduce the risk that a future statutory change would render a local ordinance inaccurate.
