The Elon Board of Alderman addressed budget amendments as well as holiday amendments at the monthly agenda session meeting on March 2. Updates to the sale of the fire department’s old firetruck were also discussed, as the electronic auction for the vehicle has been postponed to March 16 due to a delay in receiving the new firetruck.
The board is considering including Veterans Day as a paid holiday for town employees, but will not vote on the issue until further research is conducted, according to board members.
The amendment to the town of Elon employee benefit plans would mean town employees required to perform work on regularly scheduled holidays may be granted compensatory time off, or they will be paid at their hourly rate for the hours actually worked in addition to any holiday pay to which they may be entitled.
The new town policy is an effort “to acknowledge and extend appreciation to our town employees who are veterans,” according to the board report, and only requires approval by the Board of Alderman. Currently, the federal holiday is observed by 85% of municipalities in North Carolina and 90% in Alamance County.
Alderwoman Emily Sharpe said she is in full support of the holiday being added as the tenth holiday observed by the town of Elon.
“I brought it up in December,” Sharpe said. “If the state has it off, and the county has it off, why doesn't the town have it off?”
While all board members were in support of the change, questions remained on how to execute the amendment.
Davis Montgomery, mayor pro tem, suggested adding personal days to the calendar, allowing town members to take veteran’s day as their personal day off. Montgomery said his company uses this practice.
“It doesn't lock you into a set day,” Montgomery said. “If another day is more meaningful for the other employees, then they can do that.”
Mayor Jerry Tolley said he would like to research and look further into other municipalities' policies before a decision is made.
In addition to the holiday amendment, board members discussed the position on the resale of the town of Elon fire department’s old firetruck.
The board approved the purchase of a Sutphen Shield Series S6 Rescue/Pumper on Aug. 14, 2018. Town manager Richard Roedner said the new truck the town purchased “was designed to cover the uses that we put both of the [old] trucks to.”
The 1993 Spartan Heavy Rescue Truck is one of two trucks the board had approved a resolution to surplus and sale in October and November of 2019.
The Spartan was requested to be put up for an electronic auction March 16 through 30 — a delay in the original process, according to finance director Misty Hagood.
“They need to keep the [old] truck here onsite until the new truck was ready to go,” Hagood said.