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City CIO gets break on residency rule, courtesy of the economy

Philadelphia City Hall and political coverage from the Philadelphia Inquirer City Hall bureau.

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City CIO gets break on residency rule, courtesy of the economy

POSTED: Friday, April 3, 2009, 2:30 PM

Marcia Gelbart

Oh, the economy, the economy, the economy!

That was the cry of city chief information officer Allan Frank when he pleaded with the city Administrative Board in February to grant him an additional six months to move into Philadelphia so that he could be in compliance with the government’s employee-residency rule.

Frank, who became the administration’s top wage earner when he began working here last September, told the board he was getting no bites on the Bryn Mawr house he was trying to sell — yet another consequence of the ailing economy.

At first, “people started to come to see the house,” he said in an interview Friday. “But then the crash happened and the credit market went down and everything stopped.”

As proof of his good intentions, Frank even submitted real estate documents to the board showing that he hadlowered his initial $849,000 asking price to $799,000.

With time running out on the six months he had under city rules to find a Philadelphia house, Frank, the former president of a technology consulting company, went to the board.

Consisting of the mayor, the finance director and the managing director, the small but powerful board decided to approve his request. (Mayor Nutter did not vote.)

It was one of two residency waivers granted since Nutter took office. The other was given to city lawyer Ronak Chokshi.

As it turns out, though, Frank may not need all the extra time. “I’m happy to report,” he said Friday, “that last night, the final papers were signed, and I bought a house in Overbrook Farms.”

His five-bedroom, three-car garage Bryn Mawr house has not yet sold — he has reduced the price again, to $765,000 — but he said he is hopeful it will soon.

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Comments (6)

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:09 AM, 04/04/2009

This guy has a new house, still has money coming, if he sells his old house, and is stepping into a fantastic job. I would say he is going to make a great city employee. I would say he got a fantastic break.

— FJG JR

Comment removed.

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 10:36 AM, 04/04/2009

the city urgently needs to waive this requirement, as we are shutting out incredibly talented resources from the ranks of City Government. Our region as a whole is the 4th largest in the nation, yet we are forced to recruit from the 15-20% or so that actually reside in philadelphia proper. and this is coming from someone who desires to gain meaningful employment within this administrtion, and is quite proud of his city-limit roots;)

— theJOJ