Council adopts revised employee handbook; delegates AI policy development to staff

The Monument Town Council on Nov. 17 approved a revised employee handbook for 2026 but engaged in an extended discussion about how to handle guidance on use of artificial intelligence tools by staff.

The handbook presenter said the annual update checks regulatory compliance and clarifies policies for employees. Council members raised concerns that the handbook’s existing AI language was too permissive and lacked definitions and guardrails. One council member suggested temporarily removing the section or marking it TBD; others said a basic set of guidelines should remain in the handbook as an interim measure.

Nut graf: Council approved Resolution 66‑2025 to adopt the handbook (vote 6–0) while directing staff to prepare a fuller AI policy and timeline for council review—members emphasized coordination with the state IT group and the town IT director to identify technical controls.

Council and staff discussed operational steps, including whether desktop client settings (for example, to disable Copilot) could be used to limit access until policy is adopted. Mr. Williams, identified in the meeting as the town IT contact, said the town’s Microsoft licensing includes Copilot functionality but currently has no access to town files via the tool; staff also said they have provided training sessions for employees and plan to document future training more consistently.

Councilors asked staff to return with a more substantive AI policy within a short timeline (council discussion centered on 3–6 months) and to set a schedule to avoid the issue being delayed. The handbook passed as a living document that can be amended when the AI policy is finalized.