FAIRHOPE, Ala. — A partial revision of the city’s personnel manual will be presented to the City Council for adoption next week, city staff said during recent council and personnel board meetings.

The revision of the personnel handbook is one of a number of changes in the city’s human resources policy and procedures that will be implemented in the next fiscal year, City Administrator Gregg Mims said at the Sept. 14 council meeting.

“We have a long list of things that we have been working on and hope to come back (to the council) with the handbook soon,” he said.

At the Sept. 16 personnel board meeting, Mims said that at least a section of the personnel manual would be presented to the council for its review and possible adoption. During the council meeting that week he said that the manual was so lengthy that he would recommend bringing sections of it before the council, perhaps in several work sessions prior to council meetings, in order to adequately address its new provisions.

At the council meeting, he outlined the following projects, which he said had been the result of efforts by the personnel board and the human resources department:

• Annual reviews for department heads.

• Revised titles, job descriptions and pay scales for all employees.

• A new substance policy involving zero tolerance, as part of the overall upgrade of the personnel handbook.

• Revision and adoption of a new personnel manual.

• Revamped orientation process for new employees.

• Quarterly training of supervisors, regarding the following:

1. Equal opportunity requirements and sexual harrassment policies.

2. Workmen’s compensation issues.

3. Purchase order procedures.

4. Time management training.

5. Health insurance issues.

6. Computer use policy.

Many of these proposed changes in policy and procedures have been spearheaded by the city’s personnel board, which has met frequently in open meetings since January under the leadership of its volunteer chairman Beeman Bond, Councilman Lonnie Mixon and Human Resources Director Rhonda Bishop.

“We’ve got all the job descriptions and organizational charts,” said Bishop at last week’s personnel board meeting, referring to another project undertaken in collaboration with the city’s strategic planning steering committee, to develop organizational charts for all departments and the city as a whole.

“But have they have been acted on or put into use?” Bond asked.

Mixon said, “They haven’t been submitted to the council yet.”

Mims said some of the charts need to be updated because of recent hires and position changes, including his own, which has changed twice since December from Planning Director to General Superintendent, and recently to City Administrator.

“The overall city organizational chart needs to be updated, showing changes in my position (and others), and we’ll forward that to you.”

He said those changes would me made by the next personnel board meeting on Oct. 8.

“I want to say thank you to all of you,” Mixon said at the last council meeting, addressing the personnel board members present. “You’ve worked very hard.”