Springfield's City Council is putting its foot down on the issue of residency requirements for the fire department.
Council members voted against a proposed contract for the department's district chiefs at Monday's meeting because it only offered a residency clause for future hires.
The residency issue has been a long-simmering one for city officials, with the majority of the district chiefs currently living outside of the city, and the firefighters union arguing the rule is outdated.
The council previously rejected a contract proposal last September over the lack of a residency clause.
The District Fire Chiefs have been working without a contract for several years.