The Shadow
COVINGTON, Va. (VR) – Alleghany-Covington Department of Social Services held a meeting on Thursday, Jan. 30 to discuss many subjects including preparations for an office purge, as well as addressing ongoing issues with staff timekeeping and accountability. The agency director Tammy Wilson reported that the new office lease is set to begin on March 1, requiring the organization to purge a significant backlog of files before a possible transition. The board approved closing the agency for a day in February to allow all staff to focus on the document purge, which is estimated to involve around sixty boxes of materials.
“We’ve got to get a shredding company here and really work through this,” Wilson said. “There’s things that haven’t been purged for years, and we have a lot of work to do.”
In addition to the logistics of an office move, the board discussed ongoing challenges with staff adhering to lunch break policies. The director noted that despite previous warnings and disciplinary actions, some employees continue to take extended or unauthorized breaks. To address this, the board approved a plan to temporarily close the agency during the lunch hour, requiring all staff to take their breaks at the same time. This measure is intended to improve accountability, though one board member, Eston Burge expressed his concern about the potential impact on public access to services. “I could see that to the public being a nuisance,” Burge said. “If there are times, they need to drop something off that coincides with the office being closed.” The agency is exploring alternative solutions, such as having a rotating schedule for front desk staff to maintain coverage during the closure.
In other business, the board approved updates to the agency’s employee manual, including new policies regarding credit card usage and procedures for correcting employee errors that result in client overpayments.
The director also reported on community partnerships, including a $5000 donation from a local Wendy’s restaurant to support hunger relief efforts in the area. At least $2,000 of which will be given in $10 Wendy’s gift cards for the department to hand out to those in need. The meeting concluded with the board entering a closed session to discuss personnel matters.
