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Town board debates work-from-home policy and supervisor's office coverage; controller opinion cited
Summary
Grand Island trustees discussed whether to restrict ad-hoc teleworking, ensure equal treatment among employees, and require the supervisor's office to maintain in-person coverage; the town controller's opinion that the board sets hours was raised.
Grand Island trustees spent a lengthy portion of the workshop debating whether remote work should be limited and how the supervisor's office should be staffed during regular hours.
A councilmember said the town should limit informal, self-authorized work-from-home arrangements and suggested that only Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodations or board-approved exceptions be permitted. Another board member said the practice that grew out of the COVID period has created morale issues because some employees can work remotely while others cannot.
The board also discussed the supervisor's assistant, who sometimes works from home. One councilmember said the supervisor's office should be staffed and the lights on during regular business hours so residents can reach someone in person. Others noted the assistant has been productive working from home and suggested shared coverage or a part-time in-office presence could address the access concern without removing the assistant's flexibility.
Board members referenced a controller opinion and earlier guidance from 1965 on whether the board must adopt a local law to set hours. The controller's more recent opinion was cited as saying the town board sets hours for employees, which some members said could support a local-law approach if the board wants to impose uniform hours.
No ordinance was adopted during the workshop. Board members said the topic might be addressed during collective bargaining or by clarifying job descriptions and hiring announcements to show whether a position permits telework going forward. The group also discussed creating a clear process for special, one-off telework requests.
Speakers raised recordkeeping and oversight: one member asked that employee hours and telework be tracked to avoid perceived abuse; another advised caution about requiring employees who occasionally need to care for children to use vacation time. The board directed staff to consider procedures and to bring back a clearer policy for future discussion.
