Littleton Select Board Unanimously Approves Step-Stipend Amendment to Employee Handbook

LITTLETON — September 12, 2024 — Littleton Select Board amends employee handbook to create step stipend for top-pay-grade workers. The board voted 4-0 at a brief September 12 session to approve an amendment to Section 2 of the town's employee handbook, establishing a stipend for employees who have reached Step 10 — the ceiling of the town's compensation scale — and barring newly hired top-step employees from collecting it until the first fiscal-year cycle following 12 months of employment. Town Administrator Jim Wilson argued successfully against a proposed 10-year prior-municipal-experience requirement, telling the board that fields like facilities management and building inspection draw heavily from private-sector workers who would be disqualified under such a rule. Chair Karen Morrison said she preferred "a policy that should be more flexible, not less" over one built around routine waivers. The final policy allows the Town Administrator to recommend exceptions to the one-year waiting period on a case-by-case basis without a formal performance finding.