HR director asks council to fund Paycom performance tools and an employee assistance program; council questions the vendor's costs

Joanna (Speaker 13) presented the human-resources department's 2026 budget and asked the council to restore three specific items in the unclassified line that she said support performance management and employee well-being. She recommended activating Paycom modules for performance management and compensation at about $5,000 and funding a functioning employee-assistance program with the remainder, bringing the requested unclassified total to $18,000.

"I'm recommending that $5,000 be added to this line to permit an updated performance management system," Joanna said, noting that the modules sit inside an existing Paycom contract. She told the council the HR office had implemented an applicant-tracking and payroll system in 2023 but had not enabled the performance and compensation modules yet.

Council members and staff raised concerns about Paycom's performance and price. One councilmember said the city's expectation of about $45,000 for Paycom had grown to a line in the budget that showed roughly $103,000 and that the city had not been satisfied with Paycom's delivery. Manager Matt and Joanna said they are pursuing deliverables with the vendor and that any larger procurement or replacement would take time and a thorough search.

Council asked to set the Paycom issue aside for closer review by the manager's office, finance and HR and to return with alternatives and a plan to ensure needed time-management, payroll and performance functions are covered without excessive cost.