Umatilla County staff unveil consolidated policy manual; propose employee choice on Paid Leave Oregon pay

Jennifer, a county presenter, told commissioners at a June 22 work session that the county is ready to roll out a consolidated policy manual covering administrative services, facilities, fiscal and personnel policies and that the manual will be hosted through Lexipol to improve access and version tracking. "This was a huge undertaking to get here," she said.

The manual groups related policies into chapters, Jennifer said, and will include search, user accounts, reminders and a tracking mechanism for employee acknowledgements. She said employees will receive notifications when changes are posted and that departments and bargaining units have reviewed substantive edits. "They've had the opportunity to provide feedback," she said, referring to labor unions that saw significant changes.

A notable personnel change discussed was to the county's attendance and leave policy (policy 342). Jennifer explained the proposed revision would allow employees to elect to use Paid Leave Oregon and, if they choose, draw on accrued county leave so their total pay can reach 100 percent. Under the previous approach, the county limited use to make up only the remainder that brought an employee to full pay; the proposed language would allow employees to select full pay using both Paid Leave Oregon and accrued leave. Jennifer acknowledged the change has created payroll complexity. "It's causing a lot of confusion and a lot of headache with payroll and a lot of employees that are dissatisfied with how that process is working," she said.

Commissioners asked how the county would notify staff about changes and whether updates would be highlighted; Jennifer said policies would be distributed and that Lexipol will show prior and current versions so acknowledgements can be tracked. Board members also pressed staff on crosswalks with the sheriff's office manual and whether sheriff employees would have access; Jennifer said the sheriff's staff currently has Lexipol logins and the county is working to provide equivalent access but has not finalized the arrangement.

On fiscal and procurement items, staff noted the travel and reimbursement policies are included in the manual (policy series 500). Participants discussed an asset capitalization threshold example of $5,000 and whether that value remains appropriate given rising costs. They also discussed procurement responsibilities and a Procurement Services Manager role, with staff saying budget and finance would likely oversee purchases in coordination with county counsel and the county council.

Travel per diem rules drew questions about mileage thresholds. Staff said the policy references 260 miles for per diem versus direct reimbursement and clarified the policy language treats the distance as measured from the worksite, which affects whether an overnight stay (and per diem) is required. "In order to be under per diem as opposed to direct reimbursement, somebody would need to travel 260 miles one day or stay overnight," a staff member said, while commissioners discussed whether that figure was intended as a round trip.

Jennifer and staff urged the board to consider the manual's adoption timeline: the consolidated manual is expected to be placed on the board's July 1 agenda for consideration, with the possibility of additional corrections or clarifications returned to the board afterward. No formal motion or vote was taken during the work session.

The presentation closed with brief general updates from staff, including the announcement of an intern, and procedural reminders about director and chair meetings. The manual and its implementation details — including Lexipol access, employee acknowledgements and specific policy language on leave, travel and procurement — will return to the commissioners for formal consideration at upcoming meetings.