Res 1899 12/21/1976RESOLUTION NO. Off
RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS
FOR CITY EMPLOYEES.
WHEREAS, Section 62 of the Wichita Falls Charter pro-
vides that, in making appointments, the City Manager shall
give preference to citizens of Wichita Falls; and,
WHEREAS, the United States Supreme Court has upheld
the right of a City to require that its employees reside
within the City; and,
WHEREAS, the City Manager intends to amend Section II ,
Paragraph 9 of the Personnel Rules and Regulations for the
City of Wichita Falls, regulating the residency of employees
of the City, which is found to be reasonable.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN
OF THE CITY OF WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS, THAT:
Such residency rule, a copy of which is attached hereto,
is hereby approved, and the City Manager is authorized to
establish such rule as a part of the Personnel Rules and
Regulations for the City of Wichita Falls.
PASSED AND APPROVED this the 21st day of December, 1976.
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ATTEST:
25.42---,A)
City Clerk
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Residency Rule
For purposes of this section "residence" means the true, fixed
and permanent home of the employee or applicant for employment,
to which whenever he is absent he has the intention of returning.
The term "reside" as used in this section means lives at the
residence.
In accordance with Section 62 of the Wichita Falls City Charter
city residents will be given preference in all appointments.
Applicants who reside within thirty (30) miles of the corporate
city limits may be hired and allowed to maintain residence
outside the city limits if the labor market is such that quali-
fied applicants cannot be found within the City. No applicant
residing outside the city limits may be employed without prior
approval of the Division Director, Personnel Director and City
Manager. Such approval will be based on the, individual circum-
stances involved and only if qualified applicants cannot be obtained
from inside the city limits. The Personnel Director shall certify
to the City Manager that the position has been requisitioned, the
number of days the position has been vacant and that no qualified
applicants from within the city limits has been submitted for
consideration.
Employees who have been granted permission to reside outside the
city limits prior to January 1, 1977 may continue to reside
outside the city limits. Employees who have permission to reside
outside the city limits have been granted permission based on a
specific residence address given at the time of approval. If any
employee has moved from the residence address given at the time of
approval and did not receive permission the employee will be given
fifteen (15) days to request permission to continue residency
outside the city limits . Approval will be based on the continuation
of the hardship conditions that existed when approval was originally
granted. If approval is not given the employee will have sixty
60) days to move inside the city limits. Failure to do so will
be cause for dismissal.
Requests by employees to move their residence outside the city
limits will be discouraged. Requests must be approved by the
Department Head, Division Director, Personnel Director and City
Manager. Approval will be contingent upon the individual circum-
stances involved and will only be granted in cases of extreme
hardship. The term "extreme hardship" is intended to mean any
condition that is so severe that its continuation will have a
significant and demonstrable effect on the employee's or his
immediate family' s well being. Once approval has been granted
employees will not be allowed to move to another residence outside
the city limits unless the move is necessitated by reasons beyond
the employee 's control such as the residence being condemned for
right-of-way, etc. In no case may an employee reside more than
2-
thirty (30) miles outside the city limits. Violation of this
section will be cause for dismissal.
Employees who are residing outside the city limits as of
January 1, 1977 and who have not been granted permission to do
so will be given fifteen (15) days to request permission to
continue residency outside the city limits. Approval will be
contingent upon the employee establishing the fact that a hard-
ship condition existed at the time of moving outside the city
limits and that such condition continues to exist at the time of
this application. If approval is not given the employee will
have sixty (60) days to move inside the city limits. Failure to
do so will be cause for dismissal.
As a part of their working agreement, all employees are required
to provide their Department Head and Personnel Department with
any change of residence address as soon as possible after the
change occurs. Falsification of residence address or failure to
report change of residence address within thirty (30) days of
such a change will be cause for dismissal.
Any employee whose telephone number is considered a long distance
number will be responsible for the cost of all calls originated
by said employee. (e.g. employee calls in sick) .
No employee residing outside the city limits shall be permitted
to drive a city vehicle to and from his place of residence with-
out permission of the Department Head, Director and City Manager.
Such approval shall be contingent on the employee having to
respond to emergency calls during normal off duty hours.
Approvals must be filed in the employee ' s personnel folder.