Appointments committee puts department‑head job‑description review on file

Gardner City’s Appointments Committee voted Feb. 10 to place a proposal to systematically review department‑head job descriptions on file and to create a standing agenda item to track the work.

The council president introduced communications item 11784, saying he had reviewed committee minutes and personnel records and found that some department heads’ job descriptions appeared to have been modified in 2025. He quoted Gardner City Code, Chapter 3, Section 6.B: "any changes made to the job description of a position of a department head must be first approved by a majority vote of the city council before becoming effective." He urged the committee to begin a fresh, department‑by‑department review and to coordinate changes with the mayor and human resources.

Members agreed the Appointments Committee was a logical place to start the reviews and suggested grouping five or six departments per meeting to make the process manageable. The mayor told the committee staff would provide whatever materials were needed to support a methodical review.

The council president moved to place the item on file and to establish a persistent committee agenda item number so reviews would be transparent as they moved from committee to the full council. The motion was seconded and the committee approved it by voice vote.

Next steps the committee discussed included asking HR and the mayor’s office to prepare current job descriptions for department heads, presenting batches of descriptions for committee review, and then returning any proposed edits to the full council for formal approval. Committee members said the exercise is intended to align job descriptions across departments and ensure compliance with the ordinance.

The committee then moved on to appointment confirmations and a broader review of standing committee rules.