[Added 12-27-1999 by Ord. No. 42-1999; Amended May 19, 2020 by Referendum]
A. Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
CITY COUNCIL — The elected or appointed City Council persons of the City of Reading.
DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR — Any person employed by the City of Reading as the Finance Director, Human Resources Director, Managing Director, Public Works Director, Chief of Police, Chief of the Department of Fire and Rescue Services, Director of Community Development or City Solicitor. A department director shall also include any such person who is employed by the City of Reading as the acting director of any of the aforementioned departments for a period of more than six months.
MAYOR — The chief executive officer of the City of Reading.
TERMINATION — Action taken by the Mayor or the City Council which ends the employment of one or more of the aforementioned department directors.
TERMINATION FOR CAUSE — An act of the Mayor or the City Council which ends the employment of any of the aforementioned department directors for the following reasons: violation of the City of Reading's residency requirement, conviction of any criminal act relating to employment with the City, conviction of a felony, conduct which violates the City's established work rules or for inability to perform the tasks associated with one's employment.
B. Severance package. [Amended 10-23-2006 by Ord. No. 70-2006]
(1) Termination for reasons other than just cause. Any department director terminated for reasons other than just cause shall receive a payment for three months of salary payments the department head would have received, plus the director shall earn one month of severance for every year above three years. Any department director receiving a payment equal to six months' worth of pay at the rate he was receiving on the day prior to his/her termination shall not receive any other monetary compensation from the City of Reading at the time of his/her termination including, but not limited to, payment for any accrued vacation time or compensatory time which had been earned prior to termination.
(2) Termination for just cause. Any department director terminated for just cause shall receive a payment equal to any accrued and unused vacation days as tabulated by the Human Resources Department on the day prior to the date of termination.
(3) Compensatory time. Upon termination for any reason, no department director of the City of Reading shall receive a payment for any unused or accrued compensatory time.
(4) Health benefits. Any department director terminated for a reason other than just cause shall receive medical benefits provided for by the City of Reading at the same level he/she was receiving on the date prior to his/her termination for a period not to exceed 180 days. Local benefits provided by the City of Reading shall cease on the 180th day following the termination of the department director or when the department director secures health and medical insurance through attainment of other employment, etc., whichever comes first. Any department director terminated for just cause shall only receive the medical benefits which the City of Reading is required to provide any employee at the time of his/her termination.
C. Information hearing following termination for just cause.
(1) Notice of termination for just cause. Any department director terminated for just cause shall be provided with a written notice of proposed termination which contains the reasons and factual basis for such action.
(2) Hearing. Within seven days of receiving notice of termination, the department director may request an opportunity to respond to the reasons provided by the Mayor for his/her termination. If a request for such a hearing is made, the Mayor shall conduct a meeting, which may be in form or nature, that which the department director may respond to the reasons given for his proposed termination. At such meeting, the department director may be represented by an attorney of his choosing and present evidence or information relevant to the reasons and factual basis set forth in the notice of proposed termination. After such hearing, the Mayor may do one of three things: he may rescind the notice of proposed termination which was served upon the department director, he may convert the department director's termination into a termination for reasons other than just cause or he may maintain the termination for just cause.