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Harris chiefs and council debate who signs off on firefighter promotions and payroll updates

Harris City Council · February 27, 2025
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

At a Feb. 27 workshop, Fire Chief Drew Chapeau told Harris leaders promotions are a departmental decision, while the city clerk and treasurer said formal council motions are needed so personnel files and payroll reflect changes. Officials agreed to report promotions in monthly written reports and to bring budget-impacting changes to council.

At the Harris Fire Department workshop on Feb. 27, 2025, Fire Chief Drew Chapeau said promotions are made within the department and need not be routed to the council unless a new position is created or the budget is affected. Mayor Randy Carlson said chiefs are "in the best position to make those decisions."

City Clerk Shannon Geier and City Treasurer Sue Riesing pushed back, saying the council should make a formal motion for staffing changes so personnel files and payroll can be updated correctly. The treasurer said formal motions help ensure payroll and personnel records are accurate and compliant with city procedure.

The workshop reviewed an existing practice that probationary members are promoted to firefighter after one year unless otherwise notified; staff said this should be reflected in monthly written reports to council. Participants agreed that routine staffing changes that do not alter budgeted positions can be reported rather than brought forward as motions, but the clerk and treasurer asked that any change that affects payroll or personnel files be processed formally.

Council and chiefs also confirmed that disciplinary actions will follow the city's standard operating procedure (SOP), which the council previously adopted. The group directed the fire chiefs to include promotion and staffing information in their monthly written update to council and to return to the council if any change affects the budget or creates a new position.

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