The Pawnee City Council approved several changes to the Employee Handbook during Monday’s meeting.  The changes had been discussed at the last council meeting.
 Among the changes made, the council set a zero-tolerance policy for alcohol use, and employees cannot consume alcohol within eight hours of reporting for work.  City Clerk Tammy Stephens highlights a couple other changes.  (play audio  :33)
 Other changes approved include declaring all city property, including vehicles, as tobacco-free.  The council also established a dress code for city employees.  They tabled a decision on installing time clocks. 
 The council made no decision on whether to hire a part-time or full-time city worker.  Stephens says they’ll have to make a decision soon as a couple city employees are nearing retirement, and they may need someone else who is sewer certified.  (play audio  :46)
 Stephens says Pawnee City is also continuing to take steps to have its Wellhead Protection Program approved.  Zoning Administrator Clint Johnson met with the council on the progress that’s being made.  (play audio  :30)
 Pawnee City is seeking to declare an area around its municipal wells a Wellhead Protection Area, as a way to guard against pollution entering the water supply.  The city needs the approval of the Pawnee County Commission for the Wellhead Protection designation.
 In other action Monday night, the Pawnee City Council approved a recommendation from the Library Board to hire Colleen Morehead of rural Burchard as a part-time Assistant Librarian.  The council accepted, with regret, the resignation of Betsy Ferebee as City Attorney.  Assistant City Attorney Joe Stehlik will become the City Attorney as of July 1. 
 The council approved payments to McNealy Construction and Hinrichsen Construction for Housing Rehab Grant projects, and a payment to Eriksen Construction for work on the wastewater treatment facility.   
 The council approved the second reading of an ordinance to vacate a portion of K Street, and a request to close G Street between 5th and 6th Streets between 5 and 9 p.m. on Sunday, June 24th for an ice cream social and Southeast Community Band Concert. 
 With the recent dry conditions, Stephens says the city will wait until fall to plat grass at the new sewer plant.  Pawnee City’s new sewer facility is nearly operational.  The city plans to run fresh water through the system the last week of June, and begin operating the system in full shortly thereafter.