The Spruce Pine Town Council voted to approve a new personnel policy at its meeting last week.
The personnel policy was developed after the town hired a consultant last year to improve staffing, personnel retention and recruitment methods.
Town Manager Daniel Stines noted that in addition to the consultant’s input, the policy was reviewed by the town’s attorney, Chad Donnahoo.
One notable change, Stines said, is that the new policy allows new mothers and new fathers the same amount of maternity/paternity leave, in order to comply with sex discrimination laws. Previously, new mothers could receive four weeks of maternity leave and new fathers were offered one week of leave. Under the new policy both can take three weeks.
However, employees can augment this time off with accrued vacation time, sick leave or family medical leave.
Mayor Beth Holmes noted that one problem with the new policy could be that the section on nepotism mentions “cousins” but does not define whether there would be a problem with a town employee hiring and supervising second or third cousins, or if there are only limitations on first cousins.
Holmes indicated that in an area where many people have distant cousins who they may or may not actually know, this could cause confusion.
“It’s not to say a relative couldn’t work for the town,” Stines said. “They just couldn’t work directly under (their relative’s) supervision.”
Donnahoo indicated that it is not essential to make the language more clear, although that would be an option if the council preferred.
“If you want to limit it … to first cousins, you can,” he said.
“I’ll leave it be,” Holmes replied.
Department reports
The council discussed changing its policy on receiving updates from department heads.
Usually, town department heads address the council at least once a month. The council is currently considering reducing that to once a quarter.
However, Council Member Rocky Buchanan expressed concern that this change might make the town government seem less like a team.