Residents urge Vermillion to revise on-call residency rule as lineman faces disciplinary action

Family members, union representatives and other residents told the Vermillion City Council on Monday that the city’s current on-call residency rule is too strict and urged officials to revise it before taking employment action against lineman Brandon Steenick.

Jordan Defenbaugh, representing AFSCME Local 1052 and Council 65, said Steenick has long stayed at his sister’s house while on-call and “Extending the on call response time to something reasonable like 30 minutes would maintain public safety while respecting the personal lives of the people who serve Vermillion.” Defenbaugh told the council that the arrangement has allowed Steenick to respond “quickly and reliably” and asked officials to align the rule with neighboring communities’ standards.

Why it matters: Public commenters said the rule, which staff indicated is measured in a short time window and enforced strictly, could cost…