The tale of a former city employee who elected to retire when the late Mayor Joseph Solomon reduced staff so that a younger worker wouldn’t be laid off has inspired Mayor Frank Picozzi to seek legislation enabling city retirees to work for the city.

The employee, who the mayor wouldn’t name, retired with 30 years of city service. So as to stay active, the former city worker went to work as a school bus monitor, a city position although the School Department contracts with Student First for school buses. When that came to the attention of the city personnel department, the retiree was informed of city ordinances that forbids retirees, with the exception of retired police officers who can work special details, from working for the city.

Retired teachers are also permitted to return to work on a limited basis.

Picozzi understands the point of the legislation to prevent retirees from “double dipping” - receiving pension payments and a city pay check.

But the mayor also sees the benefits of having experienced retirees returning to work for the city on a limited as needed basis especially in this tight labor market.

As an example, Picozzi imagines a particularly complicated water main break in early morning hours requiring immediate attention. While the Water Division has personnel capable of doing the work, Picozzi said additional help from a retiree who knows the personnel and the system could make a difference in getting the job done quickly.

In a more probable scenario, Picozzi points to current city efforts to find contract snowplow drivers. Referring to retirees, he said, “We would have a pool of experienced drivers who could help out with snowstorms.”

He points to the tax collector’s office as another example where extra experienced help would be a boon. Following the issuance of tax bills, the collector’s office is inundated with people paying their bills or calling with questions.

Hiring temporary staff requires training and can be laborious. On the other hand, if retirees could return for a brief period, the system would run smoother.

Picozzi worked with the personnel office to amend city ordinances to allow retirees to work for the city no more than 40 hours a week for no more than 75 days or 600 hours in a fiscal year without the loss of pension payments. Retirees would be paid at the base level, or first step of the job they are working, the mayor said.

The amendment to the codes of ordinances reads: “The provisions of this section shall not be used in lieu of filling vacancies in funded, full-time positions, or supplanting the overtime opportunities of regular, full-time employees.”

“It’s not to bring back people who are retired on a full time basis,” he said.

The City Council is in agreement with the amended ordinance.

On Monday they unanimously gave it first passage.

It won’t effect until second passage.