Council To Examine Residency Requirements

The Oak Creek Common Council would eliminate residency requirements for all city department heads, except for the city administrator, fire chief and police chief, under a proposed ordinance.

The city's rule that all department managers must reside in Oak Creek is "out of line with best management practices for recruitment and retention strategies," City Administrator Gerald Peterson argues in a report to council members.

"In today’s work world, flexibility, choice, professionalism, competence and performance - rather than residency - are key components for attracting and retaining top talent," the report said.

Whether the Common Council agrees will become clear Tuesday, when aldermen are scheduled to debate and possibly vote on the measure. 

Officials say keeping the residency requirements could result in the city spending $30,000 to $40,000 in relocation expenses for the finance director and city engineer, as well other relocation costs in the future.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at .