Skip to code content (skip section selection)
Compare to:
Reading Overview
Reading, PA Code of Ordinances
READING, PA CODE OF ORDINANCES
PREFACE
Chapter C HOME RULE CHARTER
Chapter 1 GENERAL PROVISIONS
Chapter 5 ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
Chapter 14 AUTHORITIES
Chapter 23 BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, COMMITTEES AND COUNCILS
Chapter 36 FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES
Chapter 51 INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM
Chapter 62 PENSIONS
Chapter 70 PERSONNEL
Chapter 77 POLICE DEPARTMENT
Chapter 91 SALARIES AND COMPENSATION
Chapter 120 ALARM SYSTEMS
Chapter 127 ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
Chapter 141 ANIMALS
Chapter 166 CABLE TELEVISION
Chapter 173 COMMERCIAL LAUNDRY CODE
Chapter 180 CONSTRUCTION CODES
Chapter 185 CONVERSION THERAPY
Chapter 188 CURFEW
Chapter 201 ELECTRIC SERVICE
Chapter 212 FEES
Chapter 219 FIREARMS
Chapter 225 FIREWORKS
Chapter 231 FIRE INSURANCE PROCEEDS
Chapter 237 FIRE PREVENTION AND PROTECTION
Chapter 251 FOOD CODE
Chapter 272 GRAFFITI
Chapter 288 HEALTH AND SAFETY
Chapter 295 HISTORICAL AND CONSERVATION DISTRICTS
Chapter 302 HOUSE NUMBERING
Chapter 308 HOUSING
Chapter 317 INVASIVE PLANTS AND NOXIOUS WEEDS
Chapter 325 LAW ENFORCEMENT
Chapter 328 LEAD POISONING PREVENTION
Chapter 332 LIBRARY
Chapter 339 LICENSES AND PERMITS
Chapter 346 LITTER AND ADVERTISING MATERIAL
Chapter 353 LOITERING AND PANHANDLING
Chapter 364 MASSAGE THERAPISTS
Chapter 378 MUNICIPAL CLAIMS AND LIENS
Chapter 387 NOISE
Chapter 396 PARKS AND RECREATION
Chapter 403 PAWNBROKERS
Chapter 410 PEDDLING AND SOLICITING
Chapter 424 POLES
Chapter 431 PROPERTY SALES
Chapter 433 PUBLIC ART
Chapter 438 RAIN BARRELS
Chapter 442 RECORDS, PUBLIC ACCESS
Chapter 453 SALES
Chapter 460 SCRAP METAL DEALERS
Chapter 467 SEWERS AND SEWAGE DISPOSAL
Chapter 473 SEXUALLY ORIENTED BUSINESSES
Chapter 479 SIDEWALK CAFES
Chapter 485 SIGNS
Chapter 496 SOLID WASTE
Chapter 502 STORAGE FACILITIES
Chapter 505 STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
Chapter 508 STREETS AND SIDEWALKS
Chapter 515 SUBDIVISION AND LAND DEVELOPMENT
Chapter 521 SUSTAINABILITY
Chapter 536 TAMPERING WITH PUBLIC PROPERTY
Chapter 540 TATTOO AND PIERCING ESTABLISHMENTS
Chapter 543 TAX ABATEMENTS
Chapter 546 TAX AMNESTY PROGRAM
Chapter 549 TAXATION
Chapter 555 TREES
Chapter 564 VEHICLE NUISANCES, STORAGE OF
Chapter 570 VEHICLE REPAIR SHOPS
Chapter 576 VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC
Chapter 583 VENDING MACHINES
Chapter 600 ZONING
Chapter A610 ANNEXATION OF TERRITORY
Chapter A611 BOND ISSUES AND LOANS
Chapter A612 FRANCHISE AND SERVICES
Chapter A613 GOVERNMENTAL AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
Chapter A614 PLAN APPROVAL
Chapter A615 PUBLIC PROPERTY
Chapter A616 SEWERS
Chapter A617 STREETS AND SIDEWALKS
Chapter A618 WATER
Chapter A619 ZONING; PRIOR ORDINANCES
Chapter DT DERIVATION TABLE
Chapter DL DISPOSITION LIST
§ 5-304.   Termination of department directors.
[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.