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Sarpy County board recommends approval of a package of updated personnel policies
Summary
On Aug. 14 the Sarpy County Board reviewed and voted to recommend approval of a set of updated county personnel policies, including changes to attendance, vacation accrual, civil leave and the cell phone allowance; all motions passed unanimously.
SARPY COUNTY, Neb. — On Aug. 14, 2025, the Sarpy County Board met in the Sarpy County Boardroom and voted unanimously to recommend approval of a package of updated personnel policies following brief staff presentations and limited discussion.
The package of updates covered separation from county service, attendance, holiday, vacation accrual, sick leave, bereavement leave, civil leave (including a voting-time clarification), personnel files, inclement weather, and a new cell phone allowance policy. Carrie Plummer Galecki, board secretary and assistant HR director, and Jody (HR director) presented the changes to the five-member board, which consists of Donald Gifford, Randy Bennett, Diane Bruce, Jonathan Davidson and Chair Melissa Kimmerling.
Why it matters: the revisions clarify administrative procedures and employee benefits that affect county operations and staff across departments, from public safety shifts reporting to supervisors to how voting time is handled under state law.
Key changes and discussion points
- Separation from county service: the updated policy removes layoff language (now addressed in a separate policy) and simplifies wording. The board recommended approval following a staff explanation and vote.
- Attendance policy: the policy replaces references to "elected officials and department heads" with "supervisors" in many places to reflect departmental growth and operational realities; board members asked whether employees would know whom to contact and staff said departments maintain SOPs naming the appropriate supervisor.
- Vacation leave accrual: the accrual schedule was clarified to state that an employee moves to the next accrual tier "upon the first day of the sixth year of service," removing ambiguity about when accrual increases begin.
- Sick leave: only formatting and clarity changes were made; the policy explicitly references eligibility for childbirth and adoption-related leave and a live link to the Nebraska statute was added.
- Bereavement leave: the update is primarily a format change that moves eligibility to the front of the policy; no changes to amounts of leave were made, and elected officials/department heads retain discretion to grant additional days in certain cases.
- Civil leave (voting time): the update incorporates the relevant Nebraska Revised Statute language specifying that any registered voter who does not have at least two consecutive nonworking hours between poll opening and closing is entitled to paid time off to vote. Staff discussed practical implementation (supervisors may coordinate hours, and use of vacation/comp time or schedule flexing applies if voting exceeds the statutory allowance).
- Personnel files and holiday policies: staff said the personnel files policy had no substantive changes and the holiday policy was simplified for clarity; both were recommended for approval.
- Inclement weather: the policy clarifies that the county board chair has sole authority to implement a weather closure; elected officials and department heads must designate essential employees. The policy also adds a provision allowing elected officials or department heads to close a facility for safety reasons (for example, building failures) after notifying county administration.
- Cell phone allowance: the new policy establishes an application and acknowledgement process tied to department budgets and review by the budget committee. Staff emphasized the allowance is a taxable benefit intended to partially offset work-related phone use and not to fully cover personal bills; the budget committee may approve, deny or modify requests, so the allowance is not automatic and may vary by department and position.
Votes at a glance: - Item 2 — Approve minutes of the June 18, 2025 meeting. Motion by Jonathan Davidson; second by Randy Bennett. Vote: Donald Gifford (yes), Randy Bennett (yes), Diane Bruce (yes), Jonathan Davidson (yes), Melissa Kimmerling (yes). Outcome: approved. - Item 3 — Recommend approval: Separation from county service policy. Motion by Donald Gifford; second by Randy Bennett. Vote: 5–0. Outcome: approved. - Item 4 — Recommend approval: Attendance policy (change to "supervisor" language; minor numbering correction). Motion by Donald Gifford; second by Diane Bruce. Vote: 5–0. Outcome: approved. - Item 5 — Recommend approval: Holiday policy (format/simplification). Motion by Jonathan Davidson; second by Diane Bruce. Vote: 5–0. Outcome: approved. - Item 6 — Recommend approval: Vacation leave policy (clarified accrual schedule). Motion by Randy Bennett; second by Jonathan Davidson. Vote: 5–0. Outcome: approved. - Item 7 — Recommend approval: Sick leave policy (minor edits; live statute link). Motion by Donald Gifford; second by Diane Bruce. Vote: 5–0. Outcome: approved. - Item 8 — Recommend approval: Bereavement leave policy (format change; eligibility moved). Motion by Randy Bennett; second by Diane Bruce. Vote: 5–0. Outcome: approved. - Item 9 — Recommend approval: Civil leave policy (added Nebraska statute language re: voting time). Motion by Donald Gifford; second by Diane Bruce. Vote: 5–0. Outcome: approved. - Item 10 — Recommend approval: Personnel files policy (no substantive changes). Motion by Jonathan Davidson; second by Diane Bruce. Vote: 5–0. Outcome: approved. - Item 11 — Recommend approval: Inclement weather policy (clarified chair authority; essential-employee designation; facility-emergency provision). Motion by Jonathan Davidson; second by Randy Bennett. Vote: 5–0. Outcome: approved. - Item 12 — Recommend approval: Cell phone allowance policy (application process; taxable benefit; budget committee review). Motion by Jonathan Davidson; second by Diane Bruce. Vote: 5–0. Outcome: approved.
Board procedure and next steps
Sarpy County Board Chair Melissa Kimmerling noted the board is required to meet quarterly but has held additional meetings to complete a multi-round review of personnel rules and regulations; the board set its next meeting for Oct. 1, 2025 (the board indicated Diane Bruce, as vice chair, would preside if Kimmerling is absent). The meeting opened at 3:58 p.m. and adjourned at 4:25 p.m.
Speakers listed in the transcript who addressed these topics were Sarpy County Board Chair Melissa Kimmerling; Sarpy County Board members Donald Gifford, Randy Bennett, Diane Bruce and Jonathan Davidson; Carrie Plummer Galecki, board secretary and assistant HR director; and Jody (HR director).
