Ogdensburg council discusses updating employee drug-testing policy; attorney warns about marijuana detection windows

Councilmembers and staff spent substantial time March 24 reviewing options to update the borough’s employee drug-testing policy and select a testing vendor.

Attorney Joseph Maddaloni told the council there are four common triggers for drug testing — "pre-employment, random, reasonable suspicion and post-accident" — and noted that marijuana metabolites may be detectable for up to 30 days, which complicates reasonable-suspicion determinations. He advised that municipalities designate who will administer the program and follow established procedures for reasonable-suspicion testing.

Council members discussed practical questions including which vendor to hire, whether the health department or clerk should manage the program, and how test results and appeals would be handled. Ms. Hough and Mayor Hutnick said the clerk’s office already handles centralized records but expressed concern about assigning on-site follow-up duties to staff who are not regularly present. Chief Gordon said the police department would respond to incidents involving borough vehicles and handle post-accident testing, but that internal reasonable-suspicion testing requires administrative policy and designated personnel.

Councilwoman Ruitenberg said she would scan and circulate the borough’s existing drug-testing policy to Attorney Maddaloni and the mayor for review and updates. The council discussed sample vendor communications (an email from Valley Drug Testing asking whether a policy exists was cited) and noted that a written policy should be in place before enrollment or testing begins.

No formal motion or vote was taken; the council directed staff and counsel to review and update the policy, choose a testing facility and return with recommendations.