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HomeMy WebLinkAboutR05-136 adoption of motor pool vehicle policy Commissioner FL-\ '1 D '---' moved adoption of the following resolution: BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COUNTY OF EAGLE, STATE OF COLORADO RESOLUTION NO. 2005-~ AUTHORIZING THE ADOPTION OF AN EAGLE COUNTY MOTOR POOL VEHICLE POLICY WHEREAS, Eagle County provides vehicles to some of its county personnel; and WHEREAS, this Resolution is to establish a methodology and to define the limits and responsibility for use of County issued vehicles; the use of personal vehicles for County business and the reimbursement of mileage; and WHEREAS, this Resolution will insure that all persons who use County Vehicles are bound by the terms of the policies and procedures implemented by Eagle County; and WHEREAS, the operation of a County vehicle is a privilege which may be withdrawn at any time by the Board of County Commissioners; and WHEREAS, use of County vehicles is limited to County employees, who by the nature oftheir duties have a need to use County vehicles to accomplish their job, as determined by their Elected Official or Department Director; and WHEREAS, the Eagle County Motor Pool Vehicle Policy once adopted by the Board will become effective January 1, 2006. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF THE COUNTY OF EAGLE, STATE OF COLORADO: THAT, the Eagle County Motor Pool Vehicle Policy ("Vehicle Policy") attached hereto as Exhibit "A" is hereby adopted by the Board of County Commissioners in order to implement a methodology and to define the limits and responsibility for use of County issued vehicles. THAT, the Vehicle Policy will become effective as of January 1, 2006. THAT, the Board may amend or modify this Resolution or the Vehicle Policy attached hereto if the Board determines and declares that amending or modifying this Resolution or the Vehic1e Policy is necessary for the public health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the County of Eagle, State of Colorado. THAT, this Resolution is necessary for the public health, safety and welfare of the citizenry ofthe County of Eagle, State of Colorado. MOVED, READ AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners of the County of Eagle, State of Colorado, at its regular meeting held this l:L day of Cl..L., 2005. COUNTY OF EAGLE, STATE OF COLORADO T its Board of County Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners Peter F. Runyon, Commissio By: TO~ioncr Commissioner -S1 O~~ seconded adoption of the foregoing resolution. The roll having been called, the vote was as follows: Commissioner Am M. Menconi ~ \.( l. Commissioner Peter F. Runyon A"1t Commissioner Tom C. Stone A "'f l. This Resolution passed by ~/D vote ofthe Board of County Commissioners of the County of Eagle, State of Colorado. EAGLE COUNTY MOTOR POOL VEHICLE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES 1.0 SUBJECT TITLE: Policies, Procedures, and Criteria related to authorizing county employees to use assigned Eagle County-owned/leased vehicles to commute to and from work; personal vehicles for county business and general Eagle County Motor Pool Polices and Procedures. 2.0 PURPOSE: To ensure the proper use of public funds with regards to the county practice of allowing employees to commute to and from work in assigned Eagle County- owned/leased vehicles. 3.0 ORGANIZATION AFFECTED: Applicable to all Eagle County Departments excluding the Sheriff s Office. 4.0 DEFINITIONS: The following terms shall have the following meanings: 4.1 "Assigned Take-Home Vehicle" means a county vehicle which is used by a county employee for county business and for regularly commuting to and from the employee's home and work station. 4.2 "Assigned Vehicle" means a county vehicle assigned to a department or county employee for county business, but not for employee commuting to and from the employee's home and work station. 4.3 "Business Trip Mileage" means the daily mileage driven by an employee from the regular work station and back or from the first work site to the last work site or from a designated county parking area and back. 4.4 "Commute Trip Mileage" means the mileage from an employee's home to the regular place of work and back, or the actual daily mileage from home to the first work- site and from the last work-site to home. 4.5 "Control Employee" means an Elected Official, or an employee meeting the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requirements as provided annually by the Eagle County Department of Finance. 4.6 "Designated Parking Area" means a county parking facility or lot which has been identified by an employee's department director as an acceptable overnight location for parking the employee's assigned county vehicle. 4.7 "Essential Personnel" means those employees in a management or supervisory position, on call 24 hours a day, responsible for providing emergency services and the support of emergency services. EXHIBIT b /I II D I D S 4.8 "Occasional overnight usage of county-owned vehicles" means county employees taking home county-owned vehicles for conducting county business away from the employee's normal place of work and outside an employees normally scheduled work hours. Occasional overnight usage of a county-owned vehicle shall mean no more than twelve times per year on average. 4.9 "Special Equipment Vehicles" means vehicles manufactured for special applications or a vehicle equipped with tools or devices for specific job applications. 4.10 "Work Station" means the office or site a county employee reports to perform normally scheduled work. 5.0 POLICIES: ASSIGNED COUNTY-OWNED/LEASED TAKE HOME VEHICLES 5.1 Essential management and supervisory personnel must be available to insure the delivery of services including ice and snow removal, availability of equipment and emergency repairs to all county buildings. Response shall be within a reasonable time and on a 24 hour a day, 7 days a week basis. Essential personnel may be provided the use of a county-owned/leased vehicle in order to respond to emergency situations 24 hours a day. 5.2 Personal use of a county-owned/leased vehicle may be limited to county business and travel between the employee's normal workplace and home when required by the county. Vehicles provided to essential personnel shall be equipped with a 2-way radio, mobile telephone, or both, allowing the driver to communicate with subordinates or other agencies concerned with the provision of emergency services. The County Administrator shall identify/designate essential personnel positions on an annual basis. 5.3 If an employee or Controlled Employee uses a county-owned/leased vehicle for travel between work and home and it is not a Law Enforcement or emergency management vehicle, such travel is considered personal and considered taxable compensation to the employee. Therefore, it is necessary for the employee to provide the Eagle County Finance Office with an estimated percentage oftheir personal use. Employees provided with a vehicle are responsible for maintaining proper documentation of use and for submitting use records to the Eagle County Finance Office. If adequate documentation related to personal use is not provided to the Eagle County Finance Office, the Internal Revenue Service requires the county to assume that the use of the county-owned/leased vehicle is entirely personal. 5.4 All employees provided with a county-owned/leased vehicle shall initiate a Vehicle Use Agreement Form approved by the County Administrator on an annual basis and send to the Eagle County Finance Office. Based on the estimated percentage of personal use, the cost of the county-owned/leased vehicle and the total miles placed on that vehicle, a calculation will be made to determine the taxable compensation. The calculation is shown in the example below. 2 Example: Control Employee or Employee uses a county-owned/leased vehicle which cost $30,000 and has annual mileage on it of25,000 miles of which personal use is estimated at 50%. All fueling is done at the Eagle County Maintenance Facility. Lease value of vehicle (from IRS tables) $8,250.00 Personal use portion ($8,250 X 50%) $4,125.00 Value of county provided fuel (25,000 miles X 50% X $.055) $ 687.00 Additional annual employee compensation $4,812.00 Additional compensation per pay $ 185.00 Estimated taxes withheld per pay $ 65.00 6.0 USE OF PERSONAL VEHICLE FOR COUNTY BUSINESS: Employees who use their personal vehicle for county related business will be reimbursed at the rate of 40.5 cents per mile. The reimbursement will be made via a County Travel/Business Expense Form which has been approved by the employees Supervisor or Department Director. 7.0 MOTOR POOL POLICIES: 7.1 All persons who use county vehicles are bound by the terms of these policies and procedures. Employees who violate these policies are subject to disciplinary actions, up to and including termination. Employees must operate county vehicles in accordance with all local, state and federal laws. 7.2 All county employees are to be aware that the county insurance and governmental immunity may apply only when county vehicles are used with permission, within the scope of duties. 7.3 These policies and procedures may apply to county employees using their own vehicles for county business, unless otherwise stated. 8.0 VEHICLE ASSIGNMENT AND USE: 8.1 The operation of a county vehicle is a privilege which may be withdrawn at any time by the County Administrator. Use of county vehicles is limited to county employees, who by the nature of their duties have a need to use county vehicles to accomplish their job, as determined by their Elected Official or Department Director. 3 8.2 Eagle County classifies its positions with regard to the need to use a county vehicle for county business, as: Non-driving (never driving on county business); Marginal (occasional use, driving not essential to job functions); and Essential (vehicle use required to perform job functions). Annual Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) checks are run on all county employees in positions classified as essential driving positions to assure that they have an acceptable driving record. 8.3 Eagle County will run a Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) check on applicants for employment for positions that require driving as an essential function of the job. If the applicant's driving record is unacceptable (see above), they will no longer be considered for employment in that position. For applicants, the three years referred to above date back to three years prior to their making application for this position. 8.4 All county employees who operate county vehicles shall: a. Maintain a valid Colorado Driver's License appropriate to the kind of vehicle being operated, and comply with all associated rules, regulations and standards associated with the privilege of operating a motor vehicle in Colorado. b. Be responsible for reporting all accidents and violations of these policies and procedures. c. Safeguard the vehicle and its passengers from accidents, damage, and abuse to the reasonable extent of their ability to do so. d. Wear seat belts at all times when operating a vehicle and insure that all passengers do so as well. e. Perform limited maintenance (i.e., observing damage, keeping the vehicle interior clean, etc.). f. Keep the Fleet Supervisor informed on a regular basis ofthe condition of vehicles and cooperate to ensure that the vehicles are delivered for preventive maintenance and inspection whenever repairs are scheduled or required. 9.0 GENERAL MOTOR POOL CHECK OUT VEHICLE POLICIES: 9.1 Operating a vehicle while using or while under the influence of drugs or alcohol which are illegal or which impair the operator's ability is strictly prohibited. Please refer to Drug Free Workplace Policy in the Employee Handbook. 9.2 Persons not employed by the county are not permitted to drive or ride in a county vehicle, unless on official county business or as approved by the County Administrator or the BOCC. 4 9.3 Pets are not to be carried in or on any county vehicle, except for the purpose of Animal Services, the Sheriffs Canine Unit, or with the written permission of the BOCC. Also, smoking is not permitted in county vehicles. 9.4 A vehicle in the Eagle County Motor Pool must be refueled before being returned to the Motor Pool. Vehicles must be refueled at one of the county fuel tanks, at the Eagle yard or Gypsum yard, unless refueling is necessary on an out-of-county trip or in the event of an emergency. A map of county refueling facilities is located in the check-out book for each vehicle. Refueling hours for the Eagle yard in the winter are 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.; summer hours are 7:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Refueling hours for the Gypsum yard are 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If the vehicle cannot be refueled during the above hours, please refuel the next morning prior to returning book and keys to the Information Booth. 10.0 EAGLE COUNTY MOTOR POOL VEHICLE CHECK-OUT AND RETURN PROCEDURE: 10.1 Vehicles will be checked out by calling the Motor Pool Office at ext. 3540. The keys will be picked up at the Information Booth in the County Administration building after 8:00 a.m. and should be returned prior to 4:30 p.m. each work day unless otherwise approved by the appropriate Department Director. 10.2 After use, all vehicles from the general Motor Pool must be returned to the designated Motor Pool parking lot, pulled into the assigned space, (if one has been assigned) locked and the keys and book returned to the Information Booth. 10.3 Damage, breakdowns or mechanical problems shall be reported to the Fleet Supervisor as soon as possible. Instructions for after-hours vehicle problems can be found in the vehicle's check-out book. The last person to have checked out a vehicle may be held responsible for all unreported problems or damage not previously reported. 10.4 The interior of the vehicle should be kept clean at all times. It is the driver's responsibility to remove any trash from the vehicle, roll up all windows and vacuum before returning it to the parking lot. 11. MOTOR POOL VEHICLE SAFETY: A. Vehicle Safety 11.1 The Board of County Commissioners expects the aggressive support of all county employees in accomplishing the goal of reduced losses. The personal safety of all employees is of primary importance. Eagle County seeks to provide the safest possible working conditions, proper safety equipment, job instruction and proper supervision of safe work performance. To that end, the Motor Pool seeks to provide county employees with vehicles in good working condition so that they may carry out their duties in a safe and efficient manner. County employees are directed to comply with all safety 5 regulations and procedures in the course of operations of county vehicles. No vehicle in the custody of any user should knowingly be returned to service in an unsafe condition. Any unsafe practices or condition observed by county employees will be immediately reported to the Fleet Supervisor. 11.2 County employees involved in an accident in a county vehicle may be required to attend a Defensive Driving Training Course. R Traffic Violations 11.3 If the ability to drive is essential to your job, all traffic violations potentially resulting in suspension and/or revocation of your driver's license or any charges involving drugs or alcohol must be reported in writing to the appropriate Elected Official or Department Director immediately. 11.4 All other citations received for violations occurring while operating a county vehicle must be reported to the appropriate Elected Official or Department Director within five days of the date ofthe conviction thereon. 11.5 The driver of a vehicle is responsible for all fines and related costs and expenses for parking an/or traffic tickets received while operating the vehicle, except for tickets resulting from faulty equipment which is the responsibility of the county. 12. DEPARTMENT OR OFFICE POLICIES Because of the specialized needs or duties of individual offices they may need a specialized policy for assigned vehicles. As to vehicles assigned to individual departments those departments may adopt their own departmental or office Motor Pool Policy which shall govern the operation of those assigned vehicles. A copy ofthe policy shall be provided to the Board of County Commissioners and the Fleet Supervisor. In case of any conflict between the office and Departmental Vehicle Use Policy, the Eagle County Motor Pool Vehicle Policy shall govern. All departments or offices specific policy shall, prior to the adoption, be provided to the County Attorney and the Human Resources Director for review and comment. All departmental policies shall at a minimum include the provisions of Section 7, Vehicle Assignment and Use, Section 8, excluding paragraph 8.4, and paragraphs 9.3 and 9.4. The entire section on safety shall be included in the departmental policy. Department may adopt additional provisions and more restrictive provisions as required. 13. WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT: 13.1 If you are qualified and able to do so, render aid to the injured; first aid kits and fire extinguishers are located in the trunk of the vehicle. 13.2 Refer to the accident kit and the instructions that are in the glove compartment of every vehicle. 6 13.3 Notify State Patrol or Local Police authority by calling 911 immediately to report incident involving any injury or damage to county or third party property. 13.4 Do not leave the scene or move the vehicle until the Law Enforcement agency involved has completed their investigation or until they ask you to move it, (If vehicles create a definite hazard, they can be moved after marking their location). 13.5 Call and report accident day or night to Fleet Supervisor or Lead Mechanic (see emergency call list in Motor Pool Policy book located at Eagle County Reception), so arrangements can be made to take care of the vehicle. Submit completed Eagle County Accident/Incident Report to Facilities Management within 24 hours. 13.6 The Eagle County Accident/Incident Report form must be completed and filed with Facilities Management and a copy should be submitted to the Motor Pool Department on all accidents involving county owned vehicles within twenty-four (24) hours. 13.7 Do not admit or deny liability to anyone. Do not discuss the accident with anyone, other than the police authorities or authorized representative of Eagle County. 13.8 Get the required information from the other driver (i.e., driver's license number, insurance carrier, etc.) and give the other driver the required information. Cooperate and comply with the instructions of any Law Enforcement, Fire or Medical Personnel. Get the Investigating Officer's name, department, badge, or identification number. , 7