Personnel & Ordinance Committee

Personnel & Ordinance Committee Agenda Tuesday, October 28, 2025 at 9:30 AM Economic Development Center, Council Meeting Room 803 South Main Street, Culpeper Page 1. CALL TO ORDER By Chairwoman Dyke 2. PREVIOUS MEETING MINUTES 4-6 For Reference Only - Minutes from September 2025 09-23-2025 P&O Committee Special.pdf 3. AGENDA APPROVAL Motion to approve or amend the agenda. 4. PUBLIC COMMENTS Members of the public may address the committee on matters relevant to town government at this time.  Those who wish to speak are requested to Sign-In at the door.  State your name and address for the record.  Each speaker shall have three (3) minutes and shall comply with the Citizen Participation Policy.  For groups present, you are requested to have a spokesperson.  Questions should be directed to the Chair. 5. ITEMS REFERRED BY COUNCIL OR INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS 5.1 Discussion Item: Payment for Denied Liability Claim - 501 First 7-8 Street At their regular meeting on October 14, 2025, Town Council referred this item back to the Committee following legal counsel's advice. Page 1 of 11 6. SPECIAL ITEMS & RECOGNITIONS 7. PERSONNEL ITEMS 7.1 Departmental Activities 9 - 11 HR October 2025 Committee Report.docx October 2025 New Hires.pptx 8. TOWN & COUNTY INTERACTION COMMITTEE 8.1 Potential Items for Discussion at the Next Meeting on January 23, 2026 9. CLOSED SESSION 9.1 Motion I move that the committee convene in closed session to discuss the following: as permitted by Virginia Code 2.2-3711(A)(1), a personnel matter involving discussion, consideration or interviews of prospective candidates for appointment, specifically the Culpeper Parking Authority and Industrial Development Authority. 9.2 Certification of Closed Session I move that the committee certify that in the closed session just concluded, nothing was discussed except the matter or matters (1) specifically identified in the motion to convene in closed session; and (2) lawfully permitted to be discussed under the provisions of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act cited in that motion. 10. ADJOURNMENT Adjournment of Meeting Committee Members: Jamie Dyke (Chairwoman), B. Travis Brown, Michael T. Olinger & Joe Short Note: Members of the Town Council who are not members of the committee may be in attendance at the committee meeting. If so, and if a quorum of council is present, then the meeting will be a special meeting of council in addition to being a committee meeting, pursuant to the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council Attorney Opinion, AO-03-14. Only Page 2 of 11 business matters to be considered are the committee's recommendations to the council unless specifically noted in this public notice. Page 3 of 11 09-23-2025 Personnel & Ordinance Committee & Special Council Meeting 9:30 a.m. Economic Development Center, 803 S. Main Street The purpose of this meeting was to consider Personnel & Ordinance Committee matters; however, members of the Town Council who were not members of the committee were in attendance and participated in the discussion, resulting in a special meeting of council. Committee Members Present: Chairwoman Jamie Dyke, Michael T. Olinger, Joe Short Committee Members Absent: B. Travis Brown Also Present: Frank Reaves Jr., Pranas Rimeikis, Janie Schmidt, William Yowell, Council Members; Christopher D. Hively, Town Manager; Ashley R. Clatterbuck, Town Clerk; Courtney O. Strawser, Records Management Specialist; Mary Jones, Human Resources Director CALL TO ORDER Chairwoman Dyke called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m. PREVIOUS MEETING MINUTES For Reference Only – Minutes from August 2025 There were no changes to the minutes. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Mr. Short moved, Mr. Olinger seconded, approval of the agenda as presented. The motion carried by voice vote. PUBLIC COMMENTS Chuck and Renee Clatterbuck, 501 First Street, addressed the committee regarding a July 14, 2025 water main break in front of their residence, which flooded their basement and caused damage. They requested reimbursement for out-of-pocket costs totaling $9,301.83. The Clatterbuck’s noted they had received $10,000 from the Town’s insurance carrier through the no-fault claim process; however, further review by the insurance company and their homeowner’s insurance both resulted in denial of additional claims. Mr. Hively advised that the case had been reviewed in accordance with Town policy, which was the basis for the no-fault payment. A brief discussion ensued. Ms. Jones clarified the insurance claims process, explaining that all claims are submitted through Risk Management, which falls under Human Resources. Staff collects the necessary information, which are then submitted to the Town’s insurance carrier, VAcorp, for review and decision. In this case, VAcorp determined that the Town had no legal liability; therefore, payment was made under the no-fault policy. Mrs. Jones further noted that if council chooses to make payments on claims for which the Town has no legal liability, a policy or guideline should be considered to establish limits on such payments, as future claims may raise similar concerns. She also advised that she was unsure whether VAcorp would pay more than the $10,000 already provided under the no-fault policy. Mr. Olinger moved to reimburse the Clatterbuck’s their out-of-pocket costs, Mr. Short seconded. The motion carried by voice vote. A report and recommendation will be placed on the October 14, 2025 regular council meeting agenda. Page 4 of 11 Personnel-Ordinance Committee September 23, 2025 – Page 2 of 3 ITEMS REFERRED BY COUNCIL OR INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS Discussion Item: Town Council Citizen Participation Policy Mrs. Clatterbuck presented the item stating at the request of several council members, a Citizen Participation Policy had been drafted for the committee's review. Chairwoman Dyke expressed concern about holding the general public to a standard of respect when council members are disrespectful to each other. She stated that if council expects community members to be accountable for their conduct, council members should be held to the same standard. Mr. Rimeikis noted that this expectation was outlined in Town Council’s Code of Ethics. Mr. Short moved, Mr. Olinger seconded, the approval of the Town Council Participation Policy. The motion carried by voice vote. Designation of Consent Agenda Item - R/R Re: Town Council Citizen Participation Policy SPECIAL ITEMS & RECOGNITIONS – None PERSONNEL ITEMS Human Resources & Risk Management Activities Mrs. Jones presented the report and provided an update on the following promotions over the last month: • Robert Skinner promoted to Junior Systems Administrator; • Kevin Tooley promoted to Police Captain; • Julia Cole promoted to Police Sergeant; • Richard McKnight promoted to Police Lieutenant; • A. Antonio Moran promoted to Police Sergeant. R/R Re: Environmental Services Reclassification Mrs. Jones presented the report and recommendation stating over the course of the past several years, staff has been working to strengthen succession planning throughout all town departments. The Environmental Services Department currently has two vacant positions: one Laboratory/Quality Assurance Manager and one Plant Mechanic I. In an effort to ensure continuity of operations through succession planning, staff is recommending that these two positions, a Laboratory/Quality Assurance Manager, grade 19, and a Plant Mechanic I, grade 10, be reclassified into one Environmental Services Director position, grade 32, to better meet the long-term needs of the department. This will result in an initial net savings of $20,200 per year. This reclassification does require the reassignment of some duties to various positions within the Environmental Services Department. Though it is not expected to make a significant impact to the workload of any one position, the redistribution of these duties will be reviewed by the Environmental Services Director, once hired, and as part of the upcoming Classification and Compensation Study conducted by the Human Resources Department to determine if additional position reclassifications or staffing changes are required. The financial impact for this change results in a shared savings to the Water and Wastewater Treatment funds (30093700 and 40094700) of approximately $20,200 per year. Page 5 of 11 Personnel-Ordinance Committee September 23, 2025 – Page 3 of 3 It was recommended that Council approve the reclassification of two positions, a Laboratory/Quality Assurance Manager, grade 19, and a Plant Mechanic I, grade 10, into one Environmental Services Director position, grade 32; and the new Environmental Services Director job description, effective immediately. Mr. Olinger moved, Mr. Short seconded, approval of the report and recommendation for submission to council. The motion carried by voice vote. Designation of Consent Agenda Item - R/R Re: Environmental Services Reclassification ORDINANCE ITEMS – None TOWN & COUNTY INTERACTION COMMITTEE Potential Items for Discussion at Next Interaction Committee Meeting – None ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 9:55 a.m. Page 6 of 11 Agenda Item Summary Committee: Personnel & Ordinance Committee Title: R/R Re: Payment for Denied Liability Claim – 501 First Street Background: On July 14, 2025, there was a water main break on First Street. Though crews responded to the incident in a timely manner and made the necessary repairs, water from this event seeped through the basement wall and into the basement of 501 First Street causing damage. Estimates provided by the mitigation and repair contractor, ServPro, indicate a cost of $5,345.17 for the initial mitigation and $13,956.66 for the repairs, for a total cost of $19,301.83. A liability claim was submitted to the Town’s insurance carrier, VACORP. Upon review of the claim, VACORP determined the Town was not negligent and therefore not liable for the damages. A payment of $10,000 was made under the Town’s No Fault coverage insurance policy. The property owners spoke at the September Personnel & Ordinance Committee Meeting during public comment time, requesting payment from the Town for the additional amount of $9,301.83. The Personnel & Ordinance Committee requested staff to create this report & recommendation for Council approval of the request for the additional $9,301.83 payment from the Town. The Committee additionally requested staff to evaluate the no-fault policy and bring back recommended changes for consideration at the October 28, 2025 committee meeting. Financial Impact: The financial impact is $9,301.83. Recommendation: That Council direct staff to pay up to the additional $9,301.83 that was over and above the amount covered by the Town’s No Fault Insurance coverage after final proof of payment is received from the property owner along with a signed acceptance of payment and waiver of future claims. Page 7 of 11 Recorded Personnel & Ordinance Committee Vote: Motion by Mr. Olinger, seconded by Mr. Short Aye: Dyke, Olinger, Short Nay: None Absent: Brown At their regular meeting on October 14, Town Council referred this item back to the Committee following legal counsel’s advice. Page 8 of 11  HUMAN RESOURCES & RISK MANAGEMENT Recruitment • Recruiting for the position of Police Officer. • The following employment activity occurred over the past month: o Jennifer Levy Munn began employment as a Master Police Officer effective 10/14/2025 • Current Staffing Levels: Department Budgeted Positions (FTE) Current Vacancies Culpeper Media Network 2 0 Environmental Services 23 1 Human Resources 3 (2.625 FTE) 0 Information Technology 9 (8.525 FTE) 0 Light & Power 16 0 Planning & Community Development 9 0 Police 59 3 Public Works 52 0 Tourism & Economic Development 8 (5.5 FTE) 0 Town Clerk 3 0 Town Manager 2 0 Treasurer 14 1 TOTAL 200 5 Turnover • Turnover Rates (10/01/2024 – Present): Department Turnover # Turnover Rate Culpeper Media Network 0 0% Environmental Services 3 16.67% Human Resources 0 0% Information Technology 0 0% Light & Power 0 0% Planning & Community Development 1 22.22% Police 4 6.78% Public Works 1 1.92% Treasurer 7 50% Tourism & Economic Development 0 0% Town Clerk 0 0% TOTAL 16 8.00% Benefits & Leave • There were 3 new requests for Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) • HR staff administered benefits for the following active leave cases during the month: o 7 employees are actively on FMLA/LOA, including 2 employees on intermittent FMLA Page 9 of 11  o 0 employees receiving VRS Hybrid Disability through payroll o 5 employees were on light duty status Risk Management • There were 3 auto claims submitted over the past month • There was 1 property claim submitted over the past month • There was 1 workers’ compensation claim submitted over the past month • There were no liability claims submitted over the past month Training • Bloodborne Pathogens training was provided online for employees throughout the month • Sr. HR Generalist, Teresa Jenkins, recently completed the OSHA 501 Trainer Course through WVU and is now an authorized trainer for the OSHA 10-hour & 30-hour courses for employees. We plan to begin offering these courses in early 2026. Page 10 of 11  OCTOBER 2025 NEW HIRES Jennifer Levy Munn Master Police Officer Page 11 of 11