(a) Hereafter, the following new employees and new department heads of the City as listed below, classified and unclassified, shall become residents of the City of Bellevue or reside within three miles of the center of the City of Bellevue within one year (six months as to specified department heads) of the commencement of their employment or shall be automatically terminated. After one year from the commencement of employment with the City (six months as to specified department heads), no such new employee or new department head shall continue employment with the City who does not reside within the aforesaid three miles of the center of the City. An applicant shall be rejected who fails to state in writing that he or she is aware of the residency requirement as a condition of City employment and agrees to comply with such condition.
(Ord. 31-00. Passed 9-25-00.)
(b) The City employees prospectively covered by this residence requirement for compelling governmental reasons are as follows:
(1) All safety forces, that is, all of the Fire and Police Department employees, including the chiefs of each department.
(2) Water Superintendent and all physical-operations employees of the Water Department.
(3) Waste-Water Superintendent and all physical-operations employees of the Waste-Water Department.
(4) Service Superintendent and all physical-operations employees of the Service Department.
(Ord. 34-91. Passed 10-28-91.)
(Ord. 34-91. Passed 10-28-91.)
(5) Engineer and all physical operations employees of the Engineer’s Department.
(Ord. 63-97. Passed 10-27-97.)
(Ord. 63-97. Passed 10-27-97.)
By "physical-operations employees", it is meant to broadly include anyone employed by the City in a position involving the operation, maintenance and/or repair of the City's water and waste water plants, buildings, garages and equipment, and the City's service buildings, garages and equipment, such as for street maintenance and snow removal and the like.
(c) It is understood by the City that the above residence requirement may be a mandatory subject for bargaining, and the City administration shall bargain in good faith with the applicable unions on this issue, as to prospective union employees. However, it is clear to this Council that compelling governmental interests necessitate this requirement, and every effort should be taken by the City Administration to see that this requirement is proposed and accepted or otherwise implemented.
(d) "Within three miles of the center of the City of Bellevue" is as measured by air from the intersection of Main Street (U.S. Route 20) and the County line between Huron and Sandusky Counties (Northwest and Southwest Streets), and shall also include any residence within the corporate limits of the City as these limits now exist and as they may hereafter be lawfully changed.
(e) "Residence" shall be defined as used throughout the Ohio Revised Code and the law of the State of Ohio, and is generally stated as follows. The "residence" of a person is the place in which that person has fixed his or her habitation without any present intention of removing therefrom, and to which whenever he or she is absent he or she has the intention of returning. It is the place where a person would be qualified to register to vote.
(f) Hereinafter, all applicants for employment by the City, classified and unclassified, shall undergo drug screening as part of the application process, at the expense of the City, in a program as established and maintained by the Service Director in conjunction with the Civil Service Commission. An applicant shall be rejected for refusing or failing to undergo the required drug screening.
(g) Hereinafter, all new employees of the City, classified and unclassified, shall possess a valid Ohio driver's license by the time employment commences. No new employee of the City shall commence or continue employment with the City without a valid Ohio driver's license. An applicant shall be rejected for failing to truthfully state in writing that he or she can qualify to have a valid Ohio driver's license by the time employment would otherwise commence.
(h) The Civil Service Commission and Service Director shall inform all prospective City employees and applicants of these new requirements, and shall implement them effective with the taking effect of this section and as otherwise permitted by law.
(Ord. 34-91. Passed 10-28-91.)
(i) It is the intent of Council that this section apply prospectively to new employees (as of the effective date of Ord. 34-91, passed 10-28-91) and new department heads (as of the effective date of Ord. 31-00, passed 9-25-00) of the City, and not apply retroactively to existing employees (as of the effective date of Ord. 34-91, passed 10-28-91) and existing department heads (as of the effective date of Ord. 31-00, passed 9-25-00), except as otherwise specifically set forth herein.
(Ord. 31-00. Passed 9-25-00.)
(Ord. 31-00. Passed 9-25-00.)
(j) Exceptions to the foregoing may be granted in hardship situations or for other good cause shown upon the recommendation of the Service Director with the advice and majority consent of Council. Such exceptions shall generally not be granted for in excess of one year at a time, and the best interests of the City must ultimately be considered paramount.
(Ord. 34-91. Passed 10-28-91.)