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Council approves allowing administration to update employee manual; council will retain oversight
Summary
Council amended and approved Ordinance 2025-4 to permit the administration to modify operational policies (Lexipol integration) with reporting requirements; the law director and chiefs emphasized preserving department-level operational discretion and CBA precedence.
Vermilion City Council debated revisions to the city employee and operations manual and voted to allow the administration to implement and update certain operational policies without prior council approval, while retaining reporting requirements.
During discussion of Ordinance 2025-4, councilors and department leaders addressed how to integrate Lexipol policy guidance and whether chiefs should retain authority to set tactical policies (for example, taser use). Police Chief Chris Hartigan and other department heads stressed that macro policies (FLSA, FMLA, harassment) belong in a citywide manual, while tactical, department-specific procedures should remain an executive function and conform to collective bargaining agreements.
Law Director Susan Anderson recommended revising the ordinance language to explicitly authorize administration to adopt and modify policies under set parameters rather than requiring council approval for each technical update. A motion to amend the ordinance to grant that authority, with requirement that the administration report changes to council, was moved, seconded and carried on a roll-call vote. Council then proceeded with the ordinance second/third-reading schedule and set implementation follow-ups.
The vote: recorded roll-call during the amendment motion showed a majority in favor; council recorded approvals to place the ordinance on the upcoming legislative schedule. No changes to collective-bargaining (CBA) precedence were enacted; council and staff stated the CBA would remain controlling where applicable.
Next steps: amended language will be incorporated and presented at the next reading; administration will report policy changes to council and coordinate with department chiefs and the law director as needed.
