Changestoemployeeresidency requirements considered

By SHANE TAYLOR staylor@shawmedia.com

SYCAMORE –Sycamore city officials are considering lifting the city residency requirement for employees who aren’t first responders, amove city staff said is meant to address hiring challenges.

The Sycamore City Council deliberated this week over apossiblechange to the city’s code that requires thatall employees live within 20 miles of city limits.

According to city documents, city staff saidthe changes wouldn’t impact first responders or employees already under contract, such as City Manager Michael Hall, who confirmed Monday he does live in Sycamore. Hall said the residency change would offer greater flexibility for hiring future city employees and require more detailed specifications be added to the city’s employee handbook.

“It is for anybody that is not under union contract,” Hall said. “By contract, I do have to live within the city and that would not change.”

Changes would also not apply to resident requirements outlined in the city’s collective bargaining agreements, docu- ments show.

Hall said the reason for the request comes as city staff members are looking to make a new hire in the finance department.

“We have an assistant finance director [candidate] that is 22 miles and he is an excellent candidate,” Hall said. “Of the four that we interviewed, he is head and shoulders above the rest.”

Hall brought the proposal forward for council consideration this week, although changes will not be implemented until a council vote is taken at a future meeting.

“What we would like to do is change it to say that this would be by policy,” Hall said. “Policies would be brought before the City Council listing off what we would consider first responders, and then also listing off those areas like finance, secretaries, building maintenance, those sort of things we really don’t think require having a residency within 20 miles.”

Hall said they are looking to add residency flexibility to address current hiring challenges. He said he plans to bring forward a policy change for a final vote at the next City Council meeting May 16. A new hire date for the pending finance director is set for June 1.

LEFT: DeKalb