McDONALD — In an effort to attract experienced employees from neighboring communities for various departments, the village council has given an initial reading of a new lateral hiring policy.

Council President Pro-Tem Sean Schmidt said at Thursday’s meeting the change will help the village recruit people to work in McDonald and allow them to carry over and keep some vacation, sick time and certifications they already have.

“We do not want them to lose everything by coming from one department to another. We have some stipulations on how much vacation and sick time they can carry over based on the amount of time at a previous police or fire department. There may be people who have 20 or more years somewhere else who may want to come here and we do not want them to lose their time,” Schmidt said.

He said new employees would still be required to complete a 90-day probationary period.

The policy applies to all village departments.

Councilman Don Smith said this will allow newly hired village employees to retain some benefits they have earned from previous departments.

In other business, Schmidt said the village also has been working with Matthew Ellis of KO Consulting on seeking grants for improvements to park trails and equipment, and also for new sidewalks by the football stadium off Second Street.

He said the trails need updates and the sidewalks would benefit the many people who come to the stadium for football games and other events.

Fire Chief Ed Marcum said he submitted applications for a state fire marshal grant and emergency medical service grant for equipment and other items for the fire department.

Village Administrator Tom Domitrovich reported that road crews have been dealing with water main breaks and backed-up sewers because of the severe winter weather.

He said they will next address the potholes created by the extreme weather.

Council also approved the purchase of a 2018 Ford Explorer from the Niles Police Department at $8,500.

Schmidt said the vehicle will be added to the village police fleet and replace an older vehicle.