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Council pulls Apple‑watch reimbursements from warrants pending contract and union clarification
Summary
Council members voted to remove Apple‑watch purchases from the warrants and to research whether smartwatches qualify as uniform accessories under the union contract; public‑works staff said watches sync to city phones and can limit phone damage.
The Galena City Council voted March 9 to amend the warrants and exclude Apple‑watch purchases filed under uniform allowances while staff and the union clarify contract language.
The change followed questions from a council member who flagged two Apple watches submitted under uniform payments and asked whether a smartwatch is an accessory covered by the existing uniform clause. A council amendment to remove the watch payments from the warrants was seconded and approved by roll call with a majority and one abstention.
Jason, a public‑works staff member who addressed the council, explained that smartwatches can sync with city phones and allow employees to see alerts without carrying a phone in hazardous settings. “If it buzzes or beeps or goes off on the phone, then they can see what’s going on instead of having their phone on them,” he said. He also said the city has historically paid for phone service (minutes) but not the phone itself.
Council members asked staff to consult the union representative and human resources to determine whether watches are legitimately covered as uniform accessories under the current contract and to return with a consistent policy. One council member suggested the issue be negotiated in the next union contract if needed.
The amendment removes the watch reimbursements from the current warrants pending that research; the rest of the warrants were approved after the amendment.
