Redkey doing policy updates (04/06/07)

REDKEY - A confusing situation is in the process of being straightened out for town employees and officials here.

Two separate personnel policy ordinances, both covering many of the same issues, have apparently been simultaneously in effect for the past 10-plus years, town council president Doug Stanley reported at a special work session Thursday night.

He described the efforts to unify all the personnel regulations into one ordinance as long overdue, pointing out that council members would like to have just one clear-cut policy.

At the conclusion of more than an hour's worth of discussions Thursday night, Stanley said some definite progress had been made, and the meeting was certainly beneficial and a step in the right direction.

The dual ordinance situation dates back to 1996, when a new personnel ordinance was approved. That new ordinance didn't include language rescinding the 1993 personnel policy ordinance.

The town has had two personnel ordinances since that time, Stanley said.

While the ordinances are similar, they are not the same, Stanley pointed out. He added that in some cases, town employees have picked and chosen which policy would be to their advantage to follow at a particular time.

After reviewing both ordinances, paragraph by paragraph, Redkey council members Thursday decided to keep the newer one with some revisions and rescind the old one.

Council members agreed to continue their review of the 1996 ordinance between now and the next council session on April 19, and then propose some final revisions and changes on a few items.

Members agreed to clarify some of the vacation and holiday policies in the 1996 version.

Stanley said the personnel policies were not always consistent on what was termed a minor versus a major infraction of the personnel rules.

Some of the language in the policies seemed to be ambiguous and confusing, and he said there were also typographical errors, the first-year town council president said.

Clerk-treasurer Sandy Kirby also raised some questions about why work hours for town employees with similar jobs were not consistent, and Stanley agreed that that should also be straightened out.

Other topics of discussion included whether police officers should be allowed to take patrol cars home - especially if they live outside the town limits - given the high price of gasoline; and the idea of providing a uniform or clothing allowance for the town's two utility workers who now must buy all their own work clothes and boots.

In addition to the lengthy discussion about personnel policies, council members also heard a presentation from Bob Brown of Barnum-Brown Insurance Inc., Dunkirk.

The town's and volunteer fire department's property, general liability and worker's compensation policies will be coming due soon, and Brown said it appears there will be a reduction in the annual premium from approximately $30,500 last year to slightly less than $29,000.

In other business council members approved spending $2,500 to have the town's emergency tornado warning siren repaired, and approximately $130 to purchase a small refrigerator for the town hall, replacing a larger, older one which is no longer working.[[In-content Ad]]