Board of Aldermen 04-27-2021 Page 5
Alderwoman Lu
Quick question. Is it possible someone can give me — | apologize. | looked through the packet and missed this. Could
someone just give me an idea of the general gist of it?
President Wilshire
| could ask Ms. Kleiner if she would weigh in on it.
Director Kim Kleiner
Good evening Madam President and members of the Board. So as most of you know, we have discussed this on several
times now over the past year. The city, all municipal governments, and employers with fewer than 500 employees were
governed by the Family First Coronavirus Response Act which enabled certain paid leave provisions from April 1, 2020 to
December 31, 2020. The City did comply with those regulations and provided paid sick leave at an employee’s regular
rate of pay if an employee was unable to work because they were quarantined or experienced COVID-19 symptoms. We
also provided paid sick leave at two-thirds of an employee’s regular rate of pay if they were unable to secure childcare
due to a school or a childcare provider being closed due to COVID-19. These were all required of us by that act. We did
continue the policy from January 1* until now due to the rates of transmission and the number of COVID-19 cases in the
community to provide a safe workplace and safety to the taxpayers that came into the building.
Now we have consulted with Public Health and with our various division directors and we feel that due to the rate of
vaccination, the opening of our public schools that we would ask the Board to discontinue the policy as it is no longer
required by us by law.
President Wilshire
Thank you Director Kleiner
Director Kim Kleiner
You’re welcome.
President Wilshire
You all set Alderwoman Lu?
Alderwoman Lu
Yes thank you very much. | appreciate it and | apologize.
President Wilshire
Yup you bet. That’s fine. Thank you. Alderman Clemons.
Alderman Clemons
Thank you. If | could ask a question through you to Director Kleiner. Has everybody who’s working who this affects — has
everybody who this policy would affect by May 1* been able to get their vaccine, their second shot, and go past the two
weeks?
Director Kim Kleiner
Well as you know, the City cannot require our employees to become vaccinated. It has been available. We have a very
high vaccination rate and our division directors have been consulted on removing this policy and we feel it is in the best
interests of meeting the needs of our daily business and of providing services.
The Return to Work Policy will remain in effect so employees entering the work force will still go through the normal check
of having their temperatures taken and answering the return to work questions. If anyone is not vaccinated and the
experience symptoms or show any signs, they will be required to quarantine. At that point, of course, they have use of
their sick time, vacation time, or whatever time they're collective bargaining agreement provides.
