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Council moves to revise handbook, orders clerk to separate personal Facebook presence; pursues tornado-siren grant
Summary
The council agreed to revise the employee handbook to clarify meal and mileage rules, approved a 70-cent-per-mile payment for a prior trip, recorded an attorney advisory that the clerk's personal Facebook page should not use the city name, and directed staff to pursue a tornado-siren grant that may require county mitigation-plan approval.
Councilors used the Sept. 9 meeting to resolve several administrative and public-safety items: handbook clarifications, a Facebook-page advisory from the city attorney, mileage reimbursement, and pursuit of a tornado-siren grant.
Handbook and reimbursements: Clerk/Treasurer Stacy Bennett reported inconsistencies in the employee handbook around meal reimbursement, travel, tips and use of city vehicles. The handbook currently allows $50 per day for overnight travel only; councilors discussed revisions to reimburse reasonable business travel expenses even for single-day trips related to city business and to clarify that alcoholic beverages and excessive tips remain nonreimbursable. The council asked staff to prepare revised handbook language and to clarify vehicle-use and mileage rules; the council approved paying 70 cents per mile for a previously submitted trip.
Facebook guidance: The city attorney advised that a personal Facebook page listed in the clerk’s profile as the “City of Cherry Valley” gives the appearance of an official city page and creates potential liability if comments are moderated or blocked. The council recorded in the minutes that the city does not condone or authorize use of the city name on a personal page and requested a written opinion from the attorney; the clerk agreed to remove the city designation pending written guidance.
Tornado-siren grant: staff reported the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management has a grant opportunity for siren replacement or augmentation. Two bids were on file for new siren coverage (roughly $45,000 for a one- to one-plus-mile coverage model), but staff noted FEMA/ADM funding requires a county mitigation plan to be active on file before funds can be distributed. The clerk will file a notice of intent and coordinate with county emergency management on required documentation.
Why it matters: Clarifying handbook language and vehicle/reimbursement rules affects employee compensation, cost controls and compliance; removing official branding from personal social accounts addresses legal risk; an approved siren upgrade would improve public-safety warning coverage if grants and county plans align.
What happens next: staff will draft handbook amendments, seek written attorney guidance about social-media labeling, process the 70-cent mileage payment, and submit a notice of intent for the siren grant while confirming county mitigation-plan status.
