Morgan County Council approves benefits committee to review personnel handbook and PTO policy

The Morgan County Council voted to form a benefits or personnel‑policy committee to review Chapter 4 of the county personnel handbook and other benefit matters, and approved a membership list that includes representatives from HR, the sheriff’s office, the prosecutor’s office, highway, EMS/dispatch, the health department, the clerk’s office and the judges’ office.

Council members said the handbook (last updated in 2020) runs to roughly 170 pages and includes provisions that various departments interpret differently — for example, how holiday pay is computed and the amount of comp time deputies may carry. Council members described the committee’s initial tasks as clarifying holiday-pay rules, funeral leave, comp‑time limits and accrual start dates for newly hired employees.

The membership the council approved, as read into the record, included Doree Frye (HR), Vicki Kivett and Chip Keller (council representatives), a commissioner representative (Brian Collier), Rich Myers (sheriff’s department), Dave Rogers (jail commander), Judge Brian Williams, Eddie Fisher (Highway Department), Jody Law (Prosecutor’s Office), Brent Worth (EMS), Zach Worth (Dispatch), Linda Pruitt and Tricia Runigan (Health Department), and Tammy Parker (Clerk’s Office). Melissa Green moved to approve the list (including Tammy Parker); Joe Crone seconded. The motion carried unanimously (7–0).

Committee members said they expect to begin with a roundtable to surface issues and then meet on a regular schedule, initially more frequently and then possibly quarterly after immediate items are addressed.

Ending

Council members asked HR to serve as a point of contact for collecting suggested changes and to help the committee prioritize items. No final policy changes were made at this meeting; the committee was authorized to review and recommend revisions.