Rhinebeck board opens review of employee vacation cap and buyout options; no vote taken

The Village of Rhinebeck board conducted an extensive discussion on employee vacation accruals and buyouts but did not adopt any policy changes.

Staff reported the current policy allows employees to bank up to two years of vacation (some long‑tenured employees can accumulate roughly 64 days). Board members raised concerns about the cumulative budget liability when employees retire or take buyouts (one example cited a potential $18,000 liability for an employee with high accruals). Members discussed options including lowering the cap to 20–25 days (four weeks), limiting the amount employees may buy out in any given year, or using a tiered transition that protects employees who followed earlier rules.

Several board members emphasized planning and transition: gather accrual data, model fiscal impacts, and propose staged changes with grandfathering or phased buydown so employees are not unfairly penalized. The board asked staff to prepare a chart of individual accruals and possible scenarios for the next meeting; no formal vote was held.