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Council adopts personnel policy updates including two hours voting leave; staff clarify FMLA and leave accruals
Summary
The council approved updates to employee-responsibility and leave policies: staff codified FMLA administration, added conflict-of-interest disclosure language, documented leave accrual tables and approved modifying voting leave to two hours in line with Texas Elections Code.
Council reviewed and approved revisions to the city's personnel policies covering employee responsibilities and leave provisions. Assistant city manager Jim Williams described the changes, which include a new conflict-of-interest disclosure and determination process to be handled by the city attorney's office; FMLA language aligned with federal rules and the city's existing rolling 12-month practice; updated vacation accrual caps; documentation about sick-leave accrual (no cap but not compensable on termination); and a staff request to increase bereavement leave from three to five days.
Williams also noted staff had rechecked the Texas Elections Code and recommended amending the draft to provide two hours of paid administrative leave to vote (up from the draft's one hour). Council asked clarifying questions about accrual caps and the interaction with FMLA. Members agreed to adopt the revisions, including the two-hour voting leave change.
Representative quotes: "If you look at the table on that's the starting point ... it's two years of what you can accrue," staff said explaining vacation accrual caps. "We took another look at the Texas Elections Code ... Texas Elections Code requires all employers to provide at least 2 hours of time," assistant city manager Jim Williams said in recommending the amendment.
What happens next: staff will incorporate the approved changes into the personnel policy text, implement the conflict disclosure process and document FMLA procedures for supervisors. Council asked staff to monitor sick-leave accrual implications as the compensation study and benefits comparisons return.
