TITLE
Consider a memorandum/resolution updating the residency requirements for Police and Fire public safety employees.
SUMMARY
AGENDA ITEM
Update the Residency Requirements for Fire and Police Officers
ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT
Fire/Police
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The City of Killeen has had various policies regarding residency of public safety employees (both Fire Fighters and Police Officers) since 1978, including a residency requirement that they reside inside the City limits in 1978 to no residency requirement at all from 1979 until 1994.
On August 28, 1989, the 71st Legislature of the State of Texas enacted Texas Local Government code 150.021, as follows:
TLGC 150.021 RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES
The governing body of a municipality may prescribe reasonable standards with respect to the time within which municipal employees who reside outside the municipal limits must respond to a civil emergency. The standards may not be imposed retroactively on any person in the employee of the municipality at the time the standards are adopted.
On October 10, 1994, at the request of the Fire and Police Chiefs, the Killeen City Council adopted resolution 94-109R authorizing the City Manager to establish a new policy to require new public safety employees to live within 30 minutes from Killeen’s City Hall. (Prior to the adoption of the new policy, public safety personnel had no residency requirement established by city policy.)
On March 13, 1996, the City Council adopted resolution 96-22R authorizing the City Manager to change the residency requirement for public safety employees as requested by Fire and Police Chiefs. This change moved the location to measure the 30 minutes from Killeen's City Hall to the Killeen city limits, due to the growth of the city and travel distance from City Hall. The rationale for the requirement was that the City depen...
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