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Rock Creek council hires consultant to draft employee handbook
Summary
The Rock Creek City Council voted unanimously to hire Julia Risland of Wildwood Support LLC to develop an employee handbook, with Risland estimating a $60-per-hour rate and a rough draft by the April 9, 2026 meeting.
The Rock Creek City Council voted to hire Julia Risland of Wildwood Support LLC to develop a city employee handbook after a presentation at the March 12 meeting.
Risland, who described herself as a former executive director of the North Branch Chamber of Commerce (2016–2020) and a small-business operator with experience in construction permitting and rural housing development, told the council she could tailor a handbook using templates from the League of Minnesota Cities, her own template and an example from the City of Pine City. She said attorney-prepared handbooks are often costly and hard for employees to understand, and recommended a plainly worded document the City could consistently enforce.
Risland outlined recommended topics for the handbook, including separation-of-employment procedures, disciplinary processes and documentation, clear reporting structures, legal compliance, and consistent enforcement. She recommended a standardized onboarding process that would include a wage notice or job offer letter specifying duties, pay and benefits; paying employees for time spent reviewing the handbook; obtaining signed acknowledgments; annual reviews; training documentation; and operational checklists such as vehicle maintenance tracking.
Risland said she charges $60 per hour, uses Canva so the City can view live edits, estimated a rough draft within about one month and planned to present the draft at the council's April 9, 2026 meeting. She noted the City expects to hire a new City Administrator in approximately two months and suggested the handbook could be completed before that hire.
Council Member Sam Christenson moved to hire Risland; the motion was seconded by Council Member Don Ramberg and carried with all ayes. The council did not specify a contract length or an upper budget limit in the recorded motion; those details were not specified in the minutes.
The council will consider the draft when Risland presents it in April and may formalize contract terms at that time.
