MOTION OF THE COUNCIL OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY
Expressing the Sense of the Council of Allegheny County urging the Chief Executive to conduct a review on the residency status of all current County employees not subject to a residency requirement exception.
WHEREAS, Administrative Code, § 5-1007.11 entitled Residency <http://ecode360.com/print/AL1955?guid=8717817>, states that an applicant for County employment need not be a resident of the County at the time of application, however, within one year of appointment and acceptance of such appointment, such individual shall be required to move to and live within Allegheny County; and
WHEREAS, as required by the Administrative Code, § 5-1009.03, prior to the beginning of employment with the County, all prospective employees are given a handbook containing information including the residency requirement and asked to acknowledge receipt of this information, assuring that all employees have been given notice of the residency requirement prior to accepting employment with the County; and
WHEREAS, exceptions to the County residency requirement currently include 911 Center employees, licensed practical and registered nurses at the John J. Kane Regional Centers, County Jail medical staff and more limited exceptions for positions such as lifeguards, caseworkers, air pollution control engineers and information technology employees; and
WHEREAS, County Council has recently approved an expansion of the residency requirement exceptions in response to concerns the administration has expressed regarding the need to staff medical positions at the Allegheny County Jail due to the cessation of the contract with Corizon; and
WHEREAS, as a result of discussions regarding the expansion of the residency requirement it was brought to the attention of Council that there may be employees of the County who are currently in violation of the Code; and
WHEREAS, it has been stated by the administration that around 4,500 employees are subject to the residency requirement; and
WHEREAS, in the course of authorizing an expansion to the exception there have been requests that there be an inquiry as to current employees to assure compliance with the requirement out of concern for unequal treatment of county employees who have abided by the residency requirement while others may have willfully violated the Code with no consequence; NOW THEREFORE, IT IS MOVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY,
Respectfully urges the Executive to conduct a review of county employee compliance with the residency requirement in the interest of fairness to those employees who have followed the rule and for policy reasons to facilitate the benefits of county employment to county residents;.
PRIMARY SPONSOR: COUNCIL MEMBER MEANS