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City of Muskegon
Neighbor-to-Neighbor
Community Outreach Program
2014-98(c)
The City recognizes the importance of community involvement, and encourages employees to
participate in volunteer activities by providing flexibility in work schedules, paid leave
opportunities, and bonuses for meeting certain community volunteering goals. The City also
recognizes the importance of acknowledging the community service activities of its employees.
The Neighbor to Neighbor program seeks to encourage community involvement while
adequately acknowledging the efforts and effects of our employees' service to the Muskegon
community. This policy establishes guidelines for the administration of the Neighbor to Neighbor
program.
Program Goals:
In an effort to give back to the community that many of our employees call home, the City of
Muskegon has created the Neighbor to Neighbor Community Outreach Program. Through
Neighbor ta Neighbor, Muskegon's governmental employees have committed to increasing their
involvement in the community by organizing food drives, working in soup kitchens, mentoring
youth, helping to improve impoverished neighborhoods, and improve the quality of life of our
residents. Muskegon's employees also volunteer their time as members of boards of directors
of nonprofit and non-governmental organizations, and lend their considerable expertise and
skills to community organizations as well.
This program mobilizes Muskegon employees and their families to serve as volunteers in the
Muskegon community. Implemented in 2014, the program offers Muskegon employees and
their family's hands-on volunteer opportunities in Muskegon. This program is part of an ongoing
organization-wide effort to heighten awareness of our community's needs, and promote the
importance of volunteerism community-wide.
Volunteer Incentives
1. Flex Time for Approved Community Service Activities
2. Community Service Paid Time Off for Approved Community Service Activities
3. Personal Bonuses for the Completion of Approved Community Service Activities
Flex Time for Approved Community Service Activities
The City will provide Flex Time for employees to participate in community service activities. The
ability to utilize flex time will be governed within departments by the Department Head.
Employees that wish to utilize flex time for a community service activity should follow the steps
as outlined below:
1. Identify the community service activity from the approved list found on the intranet.
2. If your community service activity is not on the approved list contact the City Manager's
office to determine if the activity meets the goals of the Neighbor-to-Neighbor Program.
3. Complete the Community Outreach Flex Time/Paid Time Off form on the intranet before
the pay period in which you plan to use the time. Your request will need to be approved
by your Supervisor, Department Head and the City Manager.
4. Department Heads should attempt to approve flex time at the time requested by the
employees, but have the discretion to disapprove the flex time if it will significantly impact
the City's operations. The City may determine that it is not possible to release certain
employees under this policy due to staffing requirements.
Community Service Paid Time Off for Approved Community Service Activities
Community Service Paid Time Off allows full-time employees to take time off from work with pay
to volunteer services within the community. A maximum of 16 hours of paid leave per calendar
year will be made available to current full-time employees on January 1 of each year. A maximum
of 8 hours of paid leave per calendar year will be made available to current part-time employees
on January 1 of each year. This leave may be used only for providing community service during
an employee's normal working hours as outlined in this policy, and shall be taken in 2-hour
increments. Paid leave is not granted for days that employees are not scheduled to work.
Community service paid time off that is not used in a calendar year will not be carried forward to
the next calendar year. Employees will not receive payment for unused community service leave
upon separation from the City.
Employees that wish to utilize Community Service Paid Time Off for a community service activity
should follow the steps as outlined below:
1. Identify the community service activity from the approved list found on the intranet.
2. If your community service activity is not on the approved list contact the City Manager's
office to determine if the activity meets the goals of the Neighbor-to Neighbor Program.
3. Complete the Community Outreach Flex Time/Paid Time Off form on the intranet before
the pay period in which you plan to use the time. Your request will need to be approved
by your Supervisor, Department Head and the City Manager.
4. Department Heads should attempt to approve the Paid Time Off at the time requested
by the employees, but have the discretion to disapprove the request if it will significantly
impact the City's operations. The City may determine that it is not possible to release
certain employees under this policy due to staffing requirements.
5. With all the appropriate approvals, employees will report community service leave on the
appropriate time report for entry into the Payroll time keeping system.
Leave time taken under this policy will not be included in the calculation of weekly hours for
overtime for non-exempt staff.
Personal Bonuses for the Completion of Approved Community Service Activities
From year-to-year, bonuses may be authorized by the City Commission to encourage
participation in community service activities outside of normal business hours. Each January, the
City Commission will identify an amount between $500 and $1,000 to be used as an incentive for
community service activities. The amount of community service required to be considered for
the incentive payments shall be no less than 24 hours annually. The corresponding levels of
incentive pay and community service requirements in effect for each calendar year will be
displayed on the employee intranet by January 31 of each year.
Employees that wish to participate in the personal bonus program should follow the steps as
outlined below:
1. Identify the community service activities from the approved list found on the intranet.
2. If you community service activity is not on the approved list contact the City Manager's
office to determine if the activity meets the goals of the Neighbor-to-Neighbor Program.
3. Complete the activities.
4. Document the activities on the employee intranet.
Approved Activities:
Employees participating in community service activities under this policy are expected to provide
"hands-on" voluntary services that benefit Muskegon residents and community organizations.
The activity must have a direct benefit to Muskegon residents or community organizations. For
example, an employee could be granted community service leave to deliver meals to the elderly;
however, community service leave would not be appropriate to attend a planning meeting or
social event for the organization providing these services.
Excluded from this policy is service provided through a membership organization where the
primary recipients of the service are the constituents of the organization (i.e. painting and
maintenance of the groups building(s), yard work, serving on the board, etc.). Activities involving
political groups or causes do not qualify for use of this leave. Volunteer hours for festivals or
special events does not qualify.
Any community service time the employee utilized flex time or paid time off for is not eligible
service time towards the personal bonus.
Please note, volunteer hours must not be compensated by the approved group or organization.
If incentives are being offered, i.e. free concert tickets, passes to an event, etc. the employee
must list all incentives and seek prior approval from the City Manager. An employee may accept
a meal during volunteer hours, if offered, and will not require prior approval.
Reporting Community Service
Employees must report all community service activities on the Employee Intranet within 36 hours
of the completion of the community service activity. Failure to report such activities may result
in the loss of an employee's ability to participate in the Neighbor to Neighbor Program.
Adopted: December 9, 2014
Ayes: Johnson, Gawron, Hood, Spataro, German, and Rinsema-Sybenga
Nays: Turnquist
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Ann Marie Cummings, MMC )
City Clerk
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