VI Regulations Governing Use of a City Vehicle

A. It is the responsibility of each employee who is assigned a City vehicle to assume complete responsibility for its care while the vehicle is so assigned.

B. It is the responsibility of the Department Heads to make a spot inspection of vehicles assigned to their employees to ensure compliance with this policy.

C. When in a City vehicle, the off-duty employees must keep the radio on and if necessary, be available to respond to emergency calls. An employee should respond to emergency calls that are within the scope of the employee’s job description or responsibility.

D. Unattended City vehicles assigned to employees must be locked at all times.

E. Employees will comply with all state and local ordinances regarding the use of alcoholic beverages. Under no circumstances will City vehicles be operated by on or off-duty employees who are consuming, or who have within the previous eight hours, consumed alcoholic beverages, or are under the influence of drugs that may diminish one’s ability to operate machinery.

F. Employees are responsible for the appearance and cleanliness of vehicles, both interior and exterior. Employees shall wash the vehicle at the employee’s own expense or at a City facility.

G. Employees shall at all times drive City-owned vehicles with reasonable prudence in order to conserve the usefulness and preserve them at their highest operating efficiency.

H. Damage to a City vehicle caused by willful conduct or negligence of the employee will be cause for disciplinary action by the department and may include restitution for the cost of repairs. Amended 05/25/21 EO 21-151; Amended 09/05/18 EO 18-143

I. The cost of necessary repairs to, or refurbishment of, any vehicle in which smoking has occurred will be borne by the Department to which the vehicle is assigned. This will ensure that the vehicle is suitable for reassignment, reallocation or sale when the vehicle reaches the applicable replacement criteria.

1. City vehicles should be parked in dedicated parking stalls or otherwise legally parked. City employees will not park City vehicles, or personal vehicles used on City business, in restricted areas such as red curbs, handicapped stalls, etc., unless responding to an emergency situation.

2. Unless exigent circumstances exist or it is otherwise impractical, City vehicles will be parked in a manner that allows the operator to drive forward, rather than in reverse, from a parking space upon departure. City vehicles should be “backed in” to the parking stall, or “driven through” to a second parking space so that the vehicle will not need to be backed out of the parking stall when leaving.

Employees driving City vehicles are required to comply with all state and local laws regarding the use of mobile communications devices while driving. Employees should not employ any mobile communications device while driving and should first leave the roadway and park the vehicle safely before employing the use of any mobile communication device. In the event that the employee is required to employ the use of any type of mobile communication device while driving a City vehicle, the employee is required to use the hands-free attachment and otherwise minimize distraction to the greatest possible extent. Amended 11/02/17 EO 17-141