Hempstead Village approves residency requirement for employment

The Hempstead Village board of trustees unanimously approved amending the village’s residency requirements for some employees in order to comply with Nassau County civil service mandates.

The village board approved the amendment, 5-0, after a public hearing Tuesday night. The amendment calls for the village to consider village residents first when hiring for competitive civil service positions. But it removes the requirement that those hires that live outside the village must move there, officials said.

Under a long-standing village law, every employee was required to become a resident of the village within 60 days of employment and continue living in the village during the course of employment.

The residency law still applies to noncompetitive jobs, such as appointed positions, unless the hire gets a residency waiver from the village board, officials said.