City changes vacation, comp time policy (11/22/05)

An amendment was made to Portland’s payroll ordinance Monday night, making it easier for city employees to use their vacation and compensatory days.

Members of the city council voted to amend the payroll ordinance for city employees, allowing them to use vacation days and comp days before and after holidays, and still get holiday pay. Currently, city employees must work the day before and the day after a holiday to get paid.

Linda Kennedy, city clerk-treasurer, said city officials recently noticed the current payroll ordinance didn’t allow employees to use comp time or vacation time the day before or the day after holidays and decided the payroll ordinance should be changed. City department heads are having trouble scheduling vacation and comp days as the year draws to a close, said Bruce Hosier, mayor of Portland.

Before the employees take the time off, they must first clear it with their supervisors, Kennedy said.

The amendment was made to both the 2005 and 2006 payroll ordinances because the 2006 ordinance was already approved by council members earlier this year, she said.

In other business, the council voted to cut $242,797 from the city’s 2005 budget as instructed by the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance, which oversees the city’s budget. Those funds had been encumbered from 2004 but had not been spent.

Of the general fund, line items of $60,432 for buildings and $25,000 for capital improvements were removed. Also, in the street department fund, line items of $107,365 for the Boundary Pike/Wayne Street project, and $50,000 for the Lincoln Street project were removed. The funds had been allocated for engineering fees for the projects.

The building and capital improvement funds are expected to eventually be used to create a new entrance at the front of Portland City Hall, she said this morning.

The Boundary Pike/Wayne Street project, which has yet to begin, will improve drainage and water supply. The Lincoln Street project includes resurfacing the street and sidewalks, adding street lights and doing sewer and water line work.

Also Monday, the council:

•Voted to accept the new pages of city ordinances prepared by American Legal Publishing Corporation.

The company had to correct some of the ordinances because they had phrases and words missing.

•Learned Hosier appointed council member Bill Gibson to the Portland Tax Abatement Advisory Committee.

He will take Kennedy’s place. Kennedy had to give up her seat on the committee as a council member because she is serving on the committee as the city’s clerk-treasurer.[[In-content Ad]]