Only two people speak at city public hearing on residency law

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POUGHKEEPSIE – The Poughkeepsie Common Council held a public hearing Monday night to discuss a change in residency requirements for the next fire chief.  Only two people spoke; community activist Laurie Sandow and Poughkeepsie firefighter and Local 596 President Nick Bucher spoke.

A proposed law change that would allow the next fire chief to live outside of the city limits was met with opposition by some councilmembers earlier this month.  Outgoing councilmembers Randall Johnson and Sarah Brannen voted against having the hearing to seek public input.

On Monday night, Sandow took both lawmakers to task.  She accused Johnson of not working or even living in the City of Poughkeepsie for quite some time.  Johnson has been rumored to be living in Brooklyn for several months.  Sandow then set her sights on Brannen, who did not seek re-election in November.  Sandow noted that Brannen also does not work in the city limits.

Members of the council had spoken of the need for the next fire chief to live in the city and become a role model for children in the neighborhood.  Sandow noted that Councilman Evan Menist, like Johnson and Brannen, does not work in Poughkeepsie.

Firefighter Nick Bucher rebuked the council’s request for the chief to live in the city.  Noting that recent changes in state law sets new standards to be eligible to become a fire chief, Bucher said the residency requirement severely restricts the number of eligible candidates to replace retiring Fire Chief Mark Johnson.

“While we utilize a preferred residents list for hiring, our contract allows for our members to move outside of the city,” Bucher said, noting that many city firefighters, including those meeting the chief requirements, live outside of the city.  “I speak for every member of this local when I say that we love this city.   Unfortunately, some of us can’t just pick up and move back as easily as we would need to meet a residency requirement, especially in the current housing market.”

Bucher pointed out that many area professional fire departments in the area do not have the same residency requirement. “In the past eight years every career department in Dutchess County, including Fairview, Arlington, Beacon, and LaGrange, as well as the Newburgh and Kingston Fire Departments have hired a new chief,” he told the council.  “Of those six departments, not one fire chief lives in their respective response areas.   This city will be far better off making sure that we have the best possible person hired than it is to make sure that whoever is hired lives in the City of Poughkeepsie.”

The proposal, suggested by city administration, seeks to allow the next chief to live within 15 miles of the city’s borders.  The number of qualified candidates who live within the city is very limited and Mayor Rob Rolison would like to discuss waiving the residency in order to expand the list of candidates.

Chief Johnson is slated to retire in early 2022.




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