Wagoner council delays decision on updated employee handbook after heated debate over felony hiring rules

Wagoner City Councilors on June 2 declined to adopt a newly revised employee policies and procedures manual and instead took no action so staff can provide the previous handbook for comparison.

The proposed updates, presented by city staff and reviewed by the Oklahoma Municipal Assurance Group (OMAG), contained multiple changes the city said were mainly legal updates and administrative clarifications. Notable proposed changes discussed at length included: a pay increase for employees who obtain commercial drivers licenses, shifting from a uniform allowance to the city purchasing uniforms directly, and a reworked disciplinary section that gives managers more discretion in how to apply verbal warnings, written warnings or other discipline.

The most contested portion of the conversation focused on language about hiring applicants with a felony conviction. Councilors debated whether the policy should categorically bar all applicants with felonies, limit exclusions to violent felonies, or leave a broadly discretionary standard for the mayor and human-resources director to evaluate each case. Councilors and staff repeatedly emphasized that background checks are done on applicants and that the citys court clerk can run local-record checks, but members expressed differing views on the appropriate written standard.

Councilor Wright and others asked to postpone action until the council had the previous handbook available for side-by-side comparison. Some councilors said they support second-chance hiring practices for nonviolent offenses; others said the policy should explicitly exclude violent or serious felony offenses. Staff said the proposed language follows OMAG guidance by allowing discretion so officials can weigh the nature and timing of past convictions and the job being applied for.

In separate, related actions the council approved a resolution updating the city's alcohol and controlled-substance testing procedures, which keeps testing and disciplinary consequences in place for safety-sensitive positions and adds an explicit statement that medical-marijuana card use is not permitted in safety-sensitive roles. The council also adopted a Family and Medical Leave Act policy that mirrors federal FMLA requirements.

After extended discussion the council voted to take no action on adopting the employee handbook and asked staff to provide the prior handbook for review before taking final action.