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3 <br />The person is considered a support person and is allowed to participate in the <br />conference. The support person may have training or specific ability to provide the <br />assistance needed by the employee. The Human Resources Director or the Human <br />Resource Director's designee may be present at management's or the employee's <br />request. <br />Staff has some concerns about the support persons allowed into the pre-disciplinary conference <br />in the amendment voted on by the Board. Specifically, staff is concerned about what changes <br />may occur in pre-disciplinary conference with family members not only present but also <br />participating verbally in the pre-disciplinary conference and the intense emotions that may be <br />brought into the conference with family member presence, especially spouses and domestic <br />partners. Additionally, having a mediator, trained or otherwise, at the pre-disciplinary conference <br />creates confusion about the mediator's role at the pre-disciplinary conference. A mediator is a <br />neutral facilitator and is not present to support or advocate for either the employee or <br />management. While in the grievance process a mediator may be helpful, in the disciplinary <br />action process, a mediator may create confusion -among some employees who believe the <br />mediator is there to help and support them. <br />Staff proposes two alternatives for the Board's consideration. These alternatives delete the <br />presence of a spouse or a domestic partner and the trained mediator at the pre-disciplinary <br />conference as well as not allowing and allowing some verbal participation in the pre-disciplinary <br />conference by third persons: <br />Alternative 1: <br />(1) An eligible employee may have a third party present at this conference as <br />provided in the Rules and Regulations adopted for this Section. The third party <br />may be a friend, family member (but not a spouse or domestic partner) or <br />another employee but not an attorney. The person is considered a support <br />person and is not allowed to participate in the conference. The Human <br />Resource Director or the Human Resource Director's designee may be present <br />at management's or the employee's request. <br />Alternative 2: <br />(1) An eligible employee may have a third party present at this conference as <br />provided in the Rules and Regulations adopted for this Section. The third party <br />may be a friend, family member (but not a spouse or a domestic partner), or <br />another employee but not an attorney. The person is considered a support <br />person and is not allowed to participate in the conference unless the support <br />person has had specific training as determined in the Rules and Regulations; the <br />person may then be designated as an ombudsman and allowed to accompany <br />and provide assistance to the employee at the pre-disciplinary conference. The <br />Human Resource Director or the Human Resource Director's designee may be <br />present at management's or the employee's request. <br />The G.S. §153A-45 provides that in order for an ordinance to be adopted on its first reading it <br />"must receive the approval of all the members of the board of commissioners. If the ordinance is <br />approved by a majority of those voting but not by all the members of the board... it shall be <br />considered at the next regular meeting of the board." The Board then has 100 days after <br />