27 - Vacation Leave - Temporary Waiver of Carryover Maximum

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Item No. 27 Memorandum TO: Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem & City Council FROM: Grayson Path, City Manager Richard Salter, Chief of Police SUBJECT: Personnel Manual — Vacation Leave Temporary Waiver of Carryover Maximum DATE: September 25, 2023 BACKGROUND: The City of Paris Police Department currently has 20 vacancies in its Patrol Division. While City and Police Management have implemented numerous strategies to try and attract, hire, and retain personnel, as well as adjust our procedures and programs to maintain service to our community, we continue to struggle with filling our vacant positions. STATUS OF ISSUE: In order to continue to provide minimum staffing for patrol coverage in our community, it has become necessary for police officers to work considerable overtime, including on occasion missing scheduled vacations. The City of Paris Personnel Manual, Section 14.03 — Vacation, states: "...Forty (40) days is the maximum number of vacation days that can be carried forward from one calendar year to the next. " and "(H) No employee may accrue more than 40 days of vacation leave. " As the 2023 calendar year comes to a conclusion, there are five employees in the Patrol division as well police officers within the CID division who are on track to lose vacation in order to provide necessary coverage for the community. The Chief of Police and City Manager would like to request that the City Council authorize 1) a temporary waiver of the above stated personnel manual sections for all Patrol Division personnel