Council to review change for Juneteenth, city’s car policy

The Forrest City Personnel Committee will soon present several items to the full council for approval.

One item will be to recognize the recently-recognized federal holiday of Juneteenth as a city holiday as well.

"President (Joe) Biden recently signed into law, making Juneteenth a federal holiday," said Councilman Chris Oswalt, adding that several Arkansas cities have recognized the day on a local government level.

"Mayor (Cedric) Williams requested we put this on the agenda for the personnel committee to look into to see if we want to add Juneteenth as a holiday that our offices would be closed and be considered holiday pay along with all the other holidays we allow our employees to take," said Oswalt.

Williams also asked the committee to consider granting employees an extra vacation day this year due to the city not being closed for Juneteenth this year, which fell on a Saturday.

Councilman Danny Capps asked how many paid holidays the city offices closed this year, to which human resource director Glynis Lynch answered 11.

"I think it would be in the best interest of us all to accept that it is a national holiday now,” said Councilman Rev. Ronald Williams. “It is Congress approved, and I think it should just be approved."

Williams suggested the two items be presented separately to the council for votes.

"It is not recognized yet as a state holiday," Mayor Williams told the committee. "But, from a local standpoint, we can recognize it from a city standpoint."

"So all city offices would be closed that day?" asked council member Louise Fields, to which Williams answered yes.

"Seems over the last 10 or 12 years we keep gaining more and more holidays. I didn't know if it was possible to look at the list of 11 and see if there is something we would rather replace Juneteenth with instead of shutting down all city services for 11, plus one would be 12 days a year," said Capps.

Oswalt told Capps that the holidays currently observed by city offices are also staterecognized holidays.

"We have followed what state holidays are to determine when we close, but without getting into a long conversation, I understand 11, then adding another one could be 12, but in the grand scheme of things, we don't close on as many holidays as other government offices in our area," said Oswalt.

“None of ours have changed since 1999," said Lynch.

“The last federal holiday they created, I think, was Martin Luther King Day," said Oswalt. "It's been that long since the federal government has created another federal holiday."

Oswalt asked for two recommendations to present to the full council for each item – one for making the holiday a city holiday and the other to give each employee an additional day off to make up for this year’s missed holiday.

The committee agreed unanimously to make the holiday an official holiday and to recommend it as such to the council.

When the extra day was put to vote, Capps voted no. Fields, Oswalt and Rev. Williams voted in favor of the additional day.

Another item the council will review is to change wording on a resolution pertaining to the personnel policy handbook for car allowances, which was passed by the council in 2020 per auditor's request.

Currently, the resolution reads, "Those elected officials and employees who receive a car allowance, the allowance will be used for gasoline, upkeep, taxes and licenses on their personal vehicles."

"Basically, Mrs. (Derene) Cochran (city clerk) has been paid over the last few years for use of her personal vehicle for running errands and other things for city business," the mayor explained. "She does not get a car allowance under the city policy, so that's what she has been doing in the past. We also have other employees in other departments who use their personal vehicles for city business, such as running to the post office and things such as that."

Williams told the committee that employees receive $20 on each payroll for use of personal vehicles for city business.

"The auditors took a look at our policy and made a couple of requests," said Williams.

He told the committee that auditors requested elected officials be removed and the position of city clerk be named specifically and that the wording for employees be changed to employees as designated by the mayor and department heads.

"They ask that we be more consistent and list how much is being paid. They also want us to make it retroactive to January 2020," said Williams.

Oswalt expressed worry that removing elected officials would affect other official’s car allowances.

Williams said he spoke to the city attorney and was told it wouldn't affect those officials with car allowance line items.

Capps expressed concern about department heads designating car allowances.

"That's where the two signatures would be prevalent," said Williams. "In other words, it would have to be justified to the mayor."

The committee voted to present the change to the full council.

The committee is also considering adding a leave donation policy to the policy handbook to allow employees in the same departments to donate vacation and or sick time to a fellow employee in that department after they've exhausted their own sick time and vacation time due to a catastrophic disease or event. This would allow the employee to receive pay while off.

"It gives the option for other employees to donate their sick or vacation time to that affected employee so they will not go without a paycheck," said Williams. Williams said the policy is completely voluntary and that some departments, such as the police department, have such a policy already.

"We were kind of all over the board so we want to put together a uniform city leave donation policy," said Williams.

Williams said Lynch worked with each department and department head to develop a uniform policy.

"Will this only apply to employees with some catastrophic illness or family member that has a catastrophic illness?" asked Oswalt.

Williams said the sample policy only addresses the employee, but that it could be changed to reflect the current policy of taking sick time with immediate family.

"Basically, I took all that catastrophe illnesses and so forth out and made it very vague," said Lynch. "If you are in a department with someone, you know their history. So, it could be somebody has a family member sick and you could do something for them. I can add it all back in there if I need to, but I took it out."

Oswalt said there had been employees in the past use sick time on family members and this would benefit those employees as well.

"I think the intent was if the leave qualified under the personnel policy as sick leave, as defined, then that would be a qualifier for this, as long as it met the city personnel policy in the handbook for actual city leave," said Forrest City Fire Chief Shane Dallas.

Williams said it could be worded to fit that but wants to make sure it does not conflict with any Family Medical Leave Act laws as well.

Oswalt said he felt it was a good policy to work on for the city to have for employees to help each other, especially since it would be on a case-by-case voluntary basis.

"I just want it worded correctly because I don't want anybody to abuse it," said Capps.

Oswalt said he believes Dallas made a good point to list the qualifiers under the personnel policy for sick leave. The committee agreed to make the needed changes before presenting it to the full council.

The council is scheduled to meet in regular session at 6 p.m., Tuesday, July 6, at city hall.