WILDWOOD CREST – The commissioners have established a civility policy for citizens interacting with borough employees.

According to a resolution adopted at the Wednesday, May 14, commission meeting, the borough is adopting a list of prohibited behaviors from which citizens must refrain, as well as outlining possible responses from borough employees who are the target of such behaviors.

“This has been something we have been thinking about for several years,” Mayor Don Cabrera said.

The resolution, which is based on one enacted recently in Avalon, says the policy is being adopted because the borough is “committed to maintaining a work environment free from intolerance, harassment and all types of bullying.”

According to the resolution, the policy is not intended to deprive any person of their “right to freedom of speech or expression.”

The resolution says members of the public shall refrain from:

• Threats of harm in any way, verbal or physical;
• Use of loud and/or offensive language;
• Disrupting or threatening to disrupt borough operations;
• Being verbally or physically intimidating so that a reasonable person would be so intimidated;
• Harassing and/or intimidating borough employees through repeated telephone calls, emails and/or confrontations.

Additionally, the borough has created guidelines for how employees experiencing this type of behavior should respond, including:

• Calmly and politely requesting that the individual desist the offending behavior;
• Enlisting the assistance of a supervisor or administrator to attempt to restore civility. (Upon being notified of the situation, the supervisor and/or administrator may direct the individual to leave public property);
• Directing the individual to leave public property if no supervisor or administrator is available and a request to return to civility has been made;
• At the discretion of the employee and absent a supervisor or administrator, notifying a law enforcement officer if order is not restored or the individual refuses to leave when requested.

Employees who are the target of or witness to uncivil behavior are directed by the policy to report it promptly to a supervisor or administrator, and document it in writing.

The policy warns that individuals who continue to violate this policy or show a pattern of uncivil behavior may be subject to further action, such as prohibition from certain borough properties, at the discretion of the administrator.

Contact the reporter, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or call 609-886-8600, ext. 128.