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Sanitary district adopts citywide employee handbook and approves $50,720 emergency pump repair
Summary
The board approved a citywide employee handbook for sanitary district staff, adopting changes on drug testing, probationary periods, ID badges, appearance rules and mandatory callback pay; it also approved a $50,720 emergency repair to effluent pump No. 4 funded from equipment replacement funds.
The Michigan City Sanitary District board on July 9 approved a citywide employee handbook for sanitary district employees and authorized an emergency repair contract to fix effluent pump No. 4.
Melissa Henderson, director of HR for the City of Michigan City, explained the handbook was developed by a cross‑department committee and had been approved by the Board of Works on July 6. Henderson summarized key changes: moving certain heavy equipment operators from DLT to non‑DLT testing, requiring drug testing after any accident, removing a blanket 90‑day probationary period for transferred or promoted employees, relaxing a strict badge‑and‑appearance policy and adding clarity on retirement benefits and sick‑leave accruals.
On testing, Henderson said operators with CDLs are covered by federal rules but the handbook will keep safety‑sensitive testing for appropriate positions. On callback pay she said the policy now provides two hours plus one hour travel pay for employees called back after their shift.
Darryl Garbaczek, superintendent of central maintenance and central services, said the committee spent about a year updating a policy manual last revised in 2004 and described the document as a living resource that was aligned with federal and state employment rules.
Staff recommended approval of the handbook; a motion to adopt the manual was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote.
Separately, Rhonda Anderson, water reclamation superintendent, asked the board to approve a $50,720 quote from ProPunct Inc. to repair effluent pump No. 4 and to appropriate funds from the equipment replacement fund (referenced in the meeting as fund "60 62 10"). The board moved, seconded and carried the repair request by voice vote; staff said money was available in the replacement fund.
The handbook adoption and the emergency pump repair were routine motions at the meeting; both were approved by the board and recorded in the meeting minutes.
