Oakridge City Council delays employee handbook signatures amid concerns at first meeting of the New Year

By ELLIE GRAHAM/for The Herald  —  The first City Council meeting of the year saw Mayor Cutchen welcome three new candidates to the councilor fold. Thaddeus Carter, Aaron Davis and Marty Scott will now serve on the committee and were sworn in at the Jan. 2 meeting. New faces mark a new era for city business and engaging more hands-on deck to navigate pressing community needs. 

New councilors bring their priorities to the front

Carter, who will serve a two-year term, has expressed an interest in supporting the city’s improvements by finding viable resources that enhance community wellbeing. 

“I understand what’s required to first observe issues and provide upgrades while working within a budget, communication and transparency,” he wrote in his application for appointment. 

Davis and Scott were both appointed on a four-year basis. Davis, who works as a commercial insurance manager, cited concise and direct priorities in his public application that include creating living wage jobs, increasing funding opportunities without “putting a strain on its citizens,” and addressing affordable housing.

Scott, who holds previous political experience working on local issues in California and Oregon and is a retired first responder, has plans to retain 24-hour coverage of local fire, police, EMS services while honoring the city budget. Like Davis, she plans to address affordable housing while also making Oakridge appealing to new businesses. She wants to garner more employment opportunities for the residents of Oakridge.  

Signing of City’s employee handbook gets push back from CA

Discussions on the city’s employee handbook was also an agent of sparking debate at the meeting. The urgency of requiring staff signatures and the need for revisions came into question. Sick and overtime pay was highlighted at the previous council meeting which The Herald is unpacking in the new year upon closer review. Last night, the council ultimately decided to delay requiring employee acknowledgment forms until further updates could be made in collaboration with unions and City/County Insurance Services.

The handbook, initially adopted by resolution on Sept. 2, 2021, has seen minimal engagement from employees, with no signed acknowledgment forms on record to date. Mayor Cutchen advocated for immediate action to distribute the handbook and receive signed forms from employees by Jan. 10, 2025. Ensuring employees are aware of their rights and responsibilities under the handbook is critical, he said. “If anyone refuses to sign, we can note that and address it later.”

CA sees no rush to enforce handbook

However, City Administrator James Cleavenger had a different take on the matter and raised concerns about the current handbook’s deficiencies, including its policy of limiting sick time to 40 hours per year, which he described as “problematic.” 

Cleavenger also reported grievances from union representatives, who felt excluded from the handbook revision process. He warned that enforcing the handbook as-is could lead to grievances or even legal challenges as the document could benefit from an overhaul and deep revision.

“One exempt employee has already indicated they’d file a tort claim notice if forced to sign,” Cleavenger said to the council. “I’m not sure what the rush is to have everybody sign it.”

He noted being in favor of fixing the handbook first and including input from employees and unions to save the potential for complications down the road.

The council highlighted broader issues tied to the handbook’s implementation, such as discrepancies in tracking leave accruals and the challenges posed by the city’s outdated time management system. Despite these challenges, Mayor Cutchen emphasized the need for accountability and starting somewhere with signing efforts. 

The council proceeded to vote unanimously to direct city staff to collaborate with CIS and union representatives on updating the handbook and to present a revised draft for review in a work session before Feb. 28, 2025.

While the delay ensures employee concerns will be addressed, it prolongs the period in which outdated policies remain informally enforced. One councilor expressed optimism about the collaborative approach and said if everybody is engaged in the process, a handbook that works for both the city and its employees should be the outcome.

OPD needs to find storage for unhoused belongings once arrested

The council also touched on wider community issues, including the growing number of encampments in city parks and streets. Plans for a designated safe space for the unhoused will be discussed in future meetings with the input of Oakridge Police Department’s Chief Martin. Through an OPD lens it is a top priority that a storage facility exists to meet the 30-day requirement for holding unhoused individuals’ belongings when arrested. 

For Oakridge city employees, the upcoming employee handbook revisions display an opportunity to influence policies that directly impact their work and resuscitate a system that needs review. Cleavenger said the process isn’t just about compliance but is about building trust and ensuring fairness for everyone.