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The New Orleans City Council today made some changes to the recently-reinstated domicile law, that requires city employees live in New Orleans. The council didn't do away with it entirely, but did make it more flexible.
The new domicile law grandfathers in employees who live outside the city -- but if they move, their new address needs to be in New Orleans. New hires from out of town get 180 days to find a place to live and part-timers are exempt.
After Hurricane Katrina wiped out a lot of available housing, the city did away with the domicile law for a few years. It went back into effect at the beginning of this year.
Some council member, like Uptown and Lakeview councilwoman Susan Guidry wonders why the city even has one.
"I am conflicted about a domicile requirement," she said. "We've researched, and there are not many jurisdictions have domicile requirements."
Guidry said the domicile law is a complex piece of legislation that is not easy to understand: "I'm just wondering how this is enforced in practice, what it means, because I couldn't figure it out, I've got to tell you."
The changes proposed today would allow the administration grant exceptions on a case by case basis, for example, if there is a family hardship to consider. It also gives new hires 180 days to find a new place to live, if they aren't currently a New Orleans resident.
Guidry says the proposal passed today has a 'grandfather' provision.
"You're grandfathered in -- if you live in Jefferson...you're grandfathered in at that address if you were hired before January first," she said. The catch is that if that employee were ever to move, it would have to be to New Orleans, or else they will no longer be eligible for new salary classifications or promotions.
Some speakers at this afternoon's council meeting would have preferred the residency requirements be scrapped, like Raymond Burkart of the Fraternal Order of Police. He told the council that the notion that someone can't be fully invested in serving the city because they don't live there is a false one.
"Officer John Passaro has made quite the sacrifice. He was the officer who was just shot in the 5th District. He lives in Slidell, Louisiana," Burkart told the council. "He went into an unknown...call that turned out to be a robbery in progress. He was severely injured as a direct result. He was risking it all going in there to try and serve citizens of the city of New Orleans."
Firefighter's union leader Nick Felton said it likely doesn't matter to the people in need of service where someone lives, as long as they get help.
"Our firefighters...are working everyday, and when those guys and ladies are climbing up that ladder," Felton said, "when someone is laying down having a heart attack, when we respond to a medical role where someone is shot, those people don't stop and say, 'well wait, where do you live?'"
The new domicile law grandfathers in employees who live outside the city -- but if they move, their new address needs to be in New Orleans. New hires from out of town get 180 days to find a place to live and part-timers are exempt.
After Hurricane Katrina wiped out a lot of available housing, the city did away with the domicile law for a few years. It went back into effect at the beginning of this year.
Some council member, like Uptown and Lakeview councilwoman Susan Guidry wonders why the city even has one.
"I am conflicted about a domicile requirement," she said. "We've researched, and there are not many jurisdictions have domicile requirements."
Guidry said the domicile law is a complex piece of legislation that is not easy to understand: "I'm just wondering how this is enforced in practice, what it means, because I couldn't figure it out, I've got to tell you."
The changes proposed today would allow the administration grant exceptions on a case by case basis, for example, if there is a family hardship to consider. It also gives new hires 180 days to find a new place to live, if they aren't currently a New Orleans resident.
Guidry says the proposal passed today has a 'grandfather' provision.
"You're grandfathered in -- if you live in Jefferson...you're grandfathered in at that address if you were hired before January first," she said. The catch is that if that employee were ever to move, it would have to be to New Orleans, or else they will no longer be eligible for new salary classifications or promotions.
Some speakers at this afternoon's council meeting would have preferred the residency requirements be scrapped, like Raymond Burkart of the Fraternal Order of Police. He told the council that the notion that someone can't be fully invested in serving the city because they don't live there is a false one.
"Officer John Passaro has made quite the sacrifice. He was the officer who was just shot in the 5th District. He lives in Slidell, Louisiana," Burkart told the council. "He went into an unknown...call that turned out to be a robbery in progress. He was severely injured as a direct result. He was risking it all going in there to try and serve citizens of the city of New Orleans."
Firefighter's union leader Nick Felton said it likely doesn't matter to the people in need of service where someone lives, as long as they get help.
"Our firefighters...are working everyday, and when those guys and ladies are climbing up that ladder," Felton said, "when someone is laying down having a heart attack, when we respond to a medical role where someone is shot, those people don't stop and say, 'well wait, where do you live?'"
