Committee sets Oct. 1 as uniform start date for employee evaluations, asks staff to simplify review process

The Board of Aldermen Personnel & Administration Committee voted to begin annual performance evaluations for all staff and legislative assistants on Oct. 1, a change members said should increase compliance and simplify administration.

During discussion, committee members debated whether evaluations should be tied to the budget cycle if merit increases are involved and whether an October date or an end-of-year/early-year cycle would work best for newly elected members. Vice Chair Cone said aligning evaluation dates would likely improve compliance. A motion to set the reviews to start Oct. 1 annually was moved, seconded, and approved by voice vote; the chair announced the motion carries.

Committee members also raised concerns about the existing evaluation form. Alderwoman Boyd described the prior blank evaluation as cumbersome and said some questions did not apply to her legislative assistant; members recommended refining the language and potentially moving to a 360 review process that could be completed online to simplify responses and better reflect staff responsibilities. Director Gracia said staff will work offline with members to refine questions and return with an updated approach.

Separately, Director Ingrassia reported on leave usage for 2025, saying two legislative assistants recorded vacation and medical time in the system for that year; staff will request records for 2023 and 2024 and return with those details.

The committee directed staff to implement the Oct. 1 schedule, incorporate feedback on supervisory training and the evaluation form, and return with any necessary follow-up.