Source: https://ecode360.com/14128856
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 04:19:44+00:00

Document:
§ 51-1 Use of vehicles policy.
§ 51-3 Availability for City business required; specific use conditions.
§ 51-4 Permitted operation of vehicles; responsibility for violations.
§ 51-5 Seat belts required; prohibited acts; failure to comply; copy of policy.
§ 51-6 Review of motor vehicle reports; qualified drivers.
§ 51-7 Effect on previous policies.
Fire Department — See Ch. 20.
City-owned vehicles shall be used exclusively for City business. All passengers must be either City employees or accompanying City employees on official City business. Without prior written authorization from the Mayor, his/her designee, or the City Administrator, there are no exceptions to this policy, and any violation is subject to disciplinary action including possible suspension or dismissal.
Unless otherwise designated by this manual, City-owned vehicles are not to be taken home under any circumstances, without prior written approval from the Mayor, his/her designee, or the City Administrator. These temporary approvals may include facilitating responses to after-hours emergency calls. When an employee is granted authorization to take home a City vehicle, it is to be used only for official City business; any other use is not permitted. Any violation of this policy constitutes cause for disciplinary action including possible suspension or dismissal.
Police Department: The Chief of Police will have the option to take a City vehicle home for emergency use only: No other employees will have the authority to take home a City vehicle without written prior approval from the Mayor or his/her designee.
Fire Department: The Chief of the Fire Department and the Fire Marshall are authorized to take a City vehicle home for emergency use only. No other employees will have the authority to take home a City vehicle without written prior approval from the Mayor or his/her designee.
Public Works/Water Department: No employees are authorized to take home a City vehicle without written prior approval from the Mayor or his/her designee. All vehicles will be secured in the PW yard at the end of every shift. On-call, or duty call, personnel will report to the PW yard to pick up the assigned vehicle prior to responding to a call. At the completion of any duty call, the City vehicle must be immediately returned to the PW yard and secured.
Construction/Code Enforcement/Housing: No employees are authorized to take home a City vehicle without prior approval from the Mayor or his/her designee.
City vehicles are not permitted outside the geographical limits of the City either during or after business hours, without prior written approval from the Mayor or City Administrator. A preapproved list of locations where City employees and vehicles regularly visit will be compiled by the Manager of Public Works and filed in the office of the City Administrator. This list may include landfills, City wells, reservoirs, or water facilities, or other county facilities.
Editor's Note: Former § 51-2, Use of vehicles for commuting, was superseded 4-22-2014 by Ord. No. 2202-14.
City vehicles must be available for City business at all times.
When an employee is on City business.
When an employee is in town in a City vehicle in a location where driving to obtain his/her personal car would result in an extra and unnecessary expenditure of time and fuel.
Transporting family members in City vehicles shall be allowed only when the family member is accompanying a City employee to a business meeting or official function.
City vehicles shall be legally and appropriately operated and/or parked at all times. Violations issued to the drivers of the vehicles will be the responsibility of the drivers and not the City.
An employee who is issued a citation for any offense while using a City vehicle must notify his or her supervisor immediately, but in no case later than 24 hours.
An employee who is assigned a City vehicle and who is arrested for or charged with a motor vehicle offense for which the punishment includes suspension or revocation of the motor vehicle license shall notify his/her superior immediately, but in no case later than 24 hours. Conviction for such an offense may be grounds for loss of municipal vehicle privileges and/or further disciplinary action.
Seat belts will be used by the driver and all passengers at all times when the vehicle is in motion. It shall be the driver's responsibility to ensure use of seat belts by all passengers.
The use of portable communication devices such as hand-held cell phones, Blackberries and the like, while driving City vehicles, or while driving on City business, is strictly prohibited.
Failure to comply with any and all provisions of the vehicle-use policy may result in disciplinary action up to and including removal of City vehicle privileges, suspension and/or termination from City employment.
Employees who are assigned municipal vehicles will be given a copy of this policy and will be required to sign a confirmation of receipt.
All persons authorized to drive vehicles owned, leased or controlled by the City shall have their MVRs reviewed annually and prior to entrustment of a vehicle. This review is the responsibility of the Administrator, the Mayor and/or the assigned member of Council for all non-law-enforcement personnel. The Police Chief shall be responsible for the annual review of law enforcement personnel. In all cases, personal privacy of the people being reviewed will be respected, as indicated in other portions of this chapter.
Acceptable: no moving violations and/or preventable accidents over the last 36 months.
Marginal: up to two moving violations and/or preventable accidents in the last 36 months.
Probation: up to three moving violations and/or preventable accidents within the last 36 months.
Driving while under the influence (DWI or DUI).
Careless or reckless driving violations.
Homicide or assault through the use of a motor vehicle.
Drivers who currently have a revoked or suspended license.
Drivers operating under a CDL license must qualify under CDL requirements.
Drivers with acceptable, marginal or probation grading may be allowed to operate City vehicles at the discretion of the Administrator, the Mayor and/or assigned member of Council.
This chapter updates and supersedes all previous policies on usage of City-owned vehicles.

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