With the transition of Thorsby becoming a city soon, changes are being made in preparation of the move, including updates and modifications to the town’s employee handbook as discussed in the Town Council meeting Monday.

Mayor Dearl Hilyer recommended several changes and updates to the employee handbook.

“There were a couple of things in the handbook that were unclear that I wanted to clear up,” said Hilyer. “I looked through several handbooks and put things together that I thought would work best for Thorsby.”

Hilyer asked the council not to make a decision at that time, but to look over the guide and make any suggestions, comments or list any concerns.

Modifications Hilyer made to the employee handbook that he discussed with the council included: changing the word “town” to “city” throughout the guide; clearing up the overtime section – work over 40 hours is considered overtime; updating the holiday section by adding Martin Luther King Day as one of the town’s holidays in the handbook; and clarifying that if an employee works on holidays that time does not count as overtime.

Vacation leave, sick leave, new hire and updates to the Group Life Health Insurance plan were other topics that were discussed during Monday’s meeting.

The council will review the draft, and it will be discussed and voted on at the next meeting if the council agrees.

In other business, a variance board meeting regarding the Dollar General will be held at the Thorsby Annex Feb. 17 at 6 p.m.

Also, Thorsby’s West Medical Center Drive Bridge project is delayed. Fish and wildlife services said there is a mussel habitat there, so the town will have to study and evaluate the habitat before they can move forward with the construction of the bridge.