If you've followed local news or the City of Superior over the last few months, you've probably heard a lot about an employee procedure that you may not have thought about before. And - that's one of a few reasons why the city is looking to change it.

Former Superior City Clerk Camila Ramos recently resigned her position, following a protracted disagreement over the letter of reprimand she received in January from the Mayor. After receiving the official letter, Ramos utilized the appeal process that was available to her via the city's employee handbook. She also requested that the appeal process be made public.

Ramos lost her appeal. In the aftermath, she also faced the potential for charges from the Civil Service Commission over her actions.

Since that time, city administrators have chosen to revisit the policy. And, they're ready to make suggestions that the policy be changed.

According to details being shared by the Superior Telegram [paywall], the change was approved by the Superior Human Resources Committee on April 17. That change "eliminates an employee's right to appeal a written reprimand before the committee".

City officials say that the appeal process is a leftover, a carryover from when "most city employees were represented by unions". Most of the employees that the city has are no longer union-represented. "When the contracts went away.....most of the rights and privileges of those [union] contracts were preserved by the city".

The change would bring Superior more in alignment with what other cities in the State of Wisconsin do. Cammi Janigo, Superior's Human Resources Director, explains"

"I did do a survey of other Wisconsin cities and counties and was very surprised to find out how many cities do not have that option for employees. The option they do provide is for employees to file a written statement to be filed with the written reprimand. That's already in our policy."

The next step of action is approval by the Superior City Council to make the change.  That proposal will come for a vote at the council's meeting on May 2.