Council tables personnel policy changes

Iola Council members instructed City Administrator Sid Fleming to better clarify language changing the city’s personnel policy before they would sign off on it.
The new personnel policy would transfer personnel matters over to the city administrator’s office, instead of the Council.
Council members directed Fleming to clear up two passages in particular, one dealing with six-month evaluations and pay raises for new employees; and another spelling out progressive disciplinary procedures.
Councilwoman Nancy Ford saw no problems with ceding the responsibilities to the city administrator, but had reservations when reading specific proposals.
The six-month evaluation process for probationary employees “is very confusing,” Ford said. “I felt like I was reading in circles.”
Additionally, she and Councilman Aaron Franklin flagged a provision that is still “under development.”
Franklin said he would like to see the final version regarding disciplinary procedures before he would vote for it.
Councilman Ron Ballard, meanwhile, was reticent in ceding control. Ballard suggested the Council continue to oversee some personnel matters, such as when an employee’s actions may warrant immediate termination.
Changing the personnel policy better serves the city, Fleming said, because it allows for quicker action on personnel matters — the city would no longer have to wait until a regular or special meeting to act  — and it removes the potential for employees to lobby individual council members about pending actions.
Additionally, pulling responsibility for personnel matters from the Council, allows the governing body to divest itself of day-to-day operations within the city.
“We need to concentrate on the big things,” Fleming said. “We get paid to take care of that day-to-day business. Those big policy things, strategic plans, that’s what I want you to concentrate on, not who got in trouble.”
Fleming promised to clean up the language regarding probationary employees and administrative policies, then present the amended policy for the Council’s consideration.