Jerome Township officials will implement a new policy in an effort to retain employees and show appreciation to long-term staff members.
During the Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday, members voted unanimously in favor of an “employee longevity policy” that will allow for bonuses based on a staff member’s years of service.
Trustee Chair Wezlynn Davis said the policy dictates employees will receive a $500 payment after five years of service to the township.
Each additional year will add $100 to the payment, which will be capped at $2,000.
The bonus will be paid on the second pay of the month following the anniversary of the employee’s hiring date, Davis explained.
Trustee Megan Sloat said she feels it is important to recognize the commitment of employees who spend many years at the township.
“I think that’s a great idea to have additional compensation for them,” Sloat said.
Trustee Barry Adler agreed. He noted that the Division of Fire already has a similar policy in place, so he feels “it would be good to be consistent” across all employees.
The board also continued to work on several other proposed policies, but will wait to approve them.
Sloat asked for input from her fellow board members regarding an inclement weather policy that she and Office Manager Debbie Bollinger drafted.
During a previous meeting, Sloat said the pair felt it was important to have formal guidelines approved, especially following the Level 3 Snow Emergency before Christmas.
Sloat asked the board who they feel should be considered “essential personnel,” who will be required to work regardless of the weather.
Davis and Adler agreed that employees under the Roads Division and the township administrator should be categorized this way.
In response to a question from Adler, Fiscal Officer Robert Caldwell clarified that the Division of Fire is covered by their collective bargaining agreement, so fire personnel is generally omitted from township policies.
The board also determined that the policy should include language that employees will “default” to the emergency level of the county they live in.
The draft initially indicated that it must be a county contiguous to Union County, but Davis suggested removing that stipulation.
Lastly, the board agreed that the township administrator will be the individual to determine if township offices have a delayed opening or are closed for the day in the case of inclement weather.
In the absence of a township administrator (the position has been vacant since former Director of Departments Douglas Stewart, who continues to serve as fire chief, resigned in March 2022), the office manager will make the decision.
Adler suggested the trustees make any inclement weather decisions in the absence of an administrator, but Davis and Sloat said they felt the office manager was a more appropriate designee.
Sloat said she will reconvene with Bollinger to edit the draft before presenting it to the board for approval.
The board also considered a policy that will allow renters of the Township Hall to have food trucks on the property during their rental period.
Davis, who was absent during an earlier discussion, said she is in favor of doing so.
Caldwell said he will follow up with the township’s insurance agent to ensure there are no liability concerns, but he does not feel there will be an issue based on previous discussions when the township sponsored food trucks at its own events.
The board will vote on the policy once Caldwell presents his findings.
In other business:
– The board finalized the date of the Baseball Lottery, which determines the use of township ball fields by renters, as 6:30 p.m. Feb. 22
At the recommendation of Adler, the trustees also bumped rental rates for the ball field from $5 for residents and $10 for non-residents to $10 and $20, respectively. The rental fee covers a two-hour block.
Caldwell said the additional funds generated will allow Roads Superintendent Breht Fillinger to make upgrades to the field and cover maintenance costs.