Hoover City Council to meet via telephone, video Monday night due to COVID-19

The Hoover City Council on Monday night will hold its first meeting via teleconference and video conference, as allowed by the governor during this COVID-19 crisis.

However, the 6 p.m. meeting will be open to public participation. People can view the meeting on the Internet at this link or can participate via a telephone link at 1-877-309-2074 by using the code 286-506-049.

There are no public hearings scheduled for Monday night’s meeting, but people will be given the opportunity to speak during a public comment period via the telephone link, Hoover City Clerk Wendy Dickerson said.

Other than paying the city’s bills, there are only three action items on the agenda for the council to consider Monday:

• A resolution to adopt a policy that would allow city employees to take emergency paid sick leave and family medical leave as allowed by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act passed by Congress on March 18. The act allows employees to take emergency paid sick leave if they are subject to a quarantine or isolation order related to COVID-19, are caring for someone in quarantine or isolation, or caring for their child if their child’s school or child care provider is closed due to the public health emergency. Full-time employees may take up to 80 hours of emergency paid sick leave, and part-time employees may take up to the average number of hours worked over two weeks. Wages are capped at $511 per day if employees are dealing COVID-19 themselves and $200 per day if they are caring for others. If employees need additional time off, they may take up to 12 weeks of protected job leave if they have been employed at least 30 days. The first 10 days are unpaid, and the pay after that point is at two-thirds of the normal rate of pay and limited to $200 per day.
• A resolution authorizing the mayor to step outside of a hiring freeze set in place on March 16 to fill certain vacancies in the police, fire, engineering and finance departments. Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato said there are urgent needs to fill those vacancies to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public.
• A resolution to reappoint Kermit Kendrick to another term on the Hoover Board of Education. Kendrick in November 2017 was appointed to fill the last 2½ years of Jefferson County District Judge Jill Ganus’ term on the school board. His new term would be for five years. He was only person to apply for the seat this year.