RENO COUNTY — The Board of County Commissioners will discuss a new policy for department heads at their meeting on Wednesday.
According to agenda documents, current policy is in place that states that all department heads must live in Reno County and are given 8 months to relocate once accepting a department head position.
With the current struggles in some specialized professions, it may be necessary to be more flexible in residence. Below is the proposed procedure.
1. Residency Requirement: Department heads are required to establish residency within the County within a reasonable amount of time upon assuming their position. Residency shall be defined as maintaining a primary residence within the County limits.
2. Preference for County Residents in Hiring: Current residency within Reno County shall not be the sole factor in determining a successful candidate, but it may be the deciding factor in some instances.
3. Exceptions: Exceptions to the residency requirement may be granted on a case-by-case basis. The County Administrator will review requests for a residency exception and then make a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners. Exceptions may be considered for department heads with unique qualifications or circumstances that warrant flexibility, such as specialized expertise, unique family situations, or family obligations. Criteria will be based on factors such as the time it would take for the department director to respond on-site in the case of an emergency and if there is a hardship to Reno County by granting the exception.
4. Waivers: Department heads may request waivers for the residency requirement due to extenuating circumstances such as significant hardship or medical reasons. Waiver requests must be reviewed and decided upon first by the County Administrator and then the Board of County Commissioners.
5. Enforcement: Failure to comply with the residency requirement with an approved waiver or exception will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination.
The Board of County Commissioners meets Wednesday at 9 a.m. in the Veterans Room of the Reno County Courthouse.
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