City-County Council seeks HR reform following investigation, working group presents initial ideas

An overhaul of city HR policies is underway in the City-County Council. The Rules and Public Policy Committee met Tuesday night for a lengthy discussion on next steps in improving the city’s HR policies.

Members of the committee heard three presentations from the city’s corporation counsel, the National Women’s Defense League and the Society for Human Resource Management.

Earlier this year, the council established an HR Working Group composed of the six councilors to conclude the Fisher Phillips investigation. The independent investigation came after numerous allegations involving sexual harassment in the Hogsett administration. 

The report highlighted ways the city’s HR reporting policy failed, the goal now is to advance reforms that the working group has vetted and improve protocols.

Councilor Dan Boots led the meeting and acknowledged the controversy and the damage it’s done..

“We realize this topic has been an emotionally charged one,” Dan Boots said. “We sincerely apologize for what you’ve been through. We want to ensure that nothing like what has happened in the past happens again in the future.”

The council previously compiled seven recommendations for policies going forward, including the creation of an independent Human Resources board.

Without current steps in place per the city’s corporation counsel, many councilors, including Michael Paul-Hart, reemphasized the significance of this suggestion.

““As we look forward to policy recommendations from our side, I think it would be helpful to see what you all considered and any particular reason it wasn’t considered in your recommendations,” Hart said.

Other recommendations include expanded employee training and public reporting. 

The meeting offered a chance for the public to provide feedback but only one person spoke, a former director in the administration. Council Vice President Ali Brown said the core of the issue continues.

“We’ve lost trust, a lot of people have lost trust in what’s going on,” said Councilor Ali Brown. “Frankly, it’s lost my trust.”

The Rules and Public Policy committee will continue to review policies in place and vote on new legislation in the future.

Contact Reporting Intern Erika Kovach at ekovach@wfyi.org.