(A) The following classifications of employees may be assigned a take home vehicle:
(1) Department heads; and
(2) Assistant department heads/forepersons who assist with after hours on call.
(B) Any employee assigned a take home vehicle under this chapter is subject to Internal Revenue Service regulations and rulings regarding usage of a take home vehicle, including that, under current law, the use of such a take home vehicle for commuting is considered by the IRS to be a taxable benefit. With respect to any take home vehicle assigned to an employee in accordance with this chapter, a value for such vehicle must be established with such value being reported to the IRS on an annual basis on each employee’s W-2 Form.
(C) Except as otherwise provided herein, no employee will be permitted to use a take home vehicle for conducting a private business or enterprise, or for personal use. However, it is recognized that a de minimis amount of personal use during a scheduled shift as well as to and from work is acceptable.
(D) The city will require mileage log books in all city vehicles; employees will be required to log mileage and purpose of the trip, as well as any authorized passenger.
(E) Employees shall not transport any persons other than city employees in a city vehicle, except with written permission of the department head.
(F) The operation of a take home vehicle for travel to and from work does not constitute work time. All employees operating take home vehicles shall be deemed to be off of the clock until they arrive at a bona-fide work assignment.
(G) Any employee who has a take home vehicle and is placed on light duty or suspension shall be prohibited from transporting his or her take home vehicle to his or her residence during such light duty assignment or suspension. The applicable department head or the city reserve the right to reassign take home vehicles while an employee is suspended or assigned to light duty.
(H) Except in the case of emergency, employees shall park take home vehicles legally and keep take home vehicles secured. Employees shall not leave sensitive information or public documents (other than reference material) in his or her take home vehicle while off duty.
(I) Any employee on vacation or PTO leave exceeding ten days will park his or her take home vehicle at a secure location on city property.
(J) Take home authorization may be revoked upon the occurrence of any of the following:
(1) Failure of an employee to comply with the provisions of this policy or the city travel policy;
(2) A change in an employee’s job duties or assignments such that a take home vehicle is no longer required or justified in the sole and absolute discretion of the applicable department head or the city;
(3) An employee is involved in two accidents in a city vehicle within an 18-month period and is determined to be at fault for such accidents;
(4) An employee fails to maintain a valid driver’s license;
(5) A leave of absence attributable to a worker’s compensation claim or other medical care the terms of which prohibit operating a vehicle; and
(6) An employee fails to properly care for, maintain, and/or operate his or her take home vehicle.
(K) The standard operating procedures of the Police Department and Fire Department shall supersede this take-home vehicle policy.