The Shadow
The first reading of an ordinance pertaining to residency requirements of city officers and employees was approved during the brief regular January meeting held by Covington City Council Tuesday night.
The ordinance states that city council has deemed it appropriate to eliminate the need to impose a residency requirement on certain city employees.
Positions such as the city manager must establish residency within the city limits, according to the ordinance.
“The city manager shall establish residency in the city within 120 days of their date of hire, unless a different time period, no less than 120 days, is set by the city council,” the ordinance read in part.
The ordinance continues, “The city clerk and heads of all departments, with the exception of the city attorney, shall establish residency within the city or within five miles of the city jurisdictional limits within 120 days of their hire date unless a different time period no less than 120 days is set by the city manager.”
That requirement will be a condition to continued employment and any such officer or employee of the city that fails to follow those guidelines will be terminated from employment in the city.
The ordinance concludes by stating that current officers and employees are not affected by the guidelines that were set Tuesday, and that any new direct hires who start from Tuesday night onward, are to abide by the guidelines that were set and approved unanimously by council.
The following agenda items were also approved:
— Monthly financial report and checks;
— Appointment of Bill Gilliland to the Alleghany Highlands Community Services Board;
— The presentation of documents pertaining to the Smith-Dew Tower Agreement;
— Resolution R-20-01 regarding signature authority for Covington City Manager Krystal Onaitis.
