(a) Members of Committees shall be recognized for their service to the City with a one dollar ($1.00) per annum compensation at an appropriate Council meeting each year.
(b) The City Manager shall notify Council when the City Manager or any Department Head is expected to be out of the City for two or more consecutive working days. The City Manager will establish a standing pre-determined chain of command that will be used in his absence, i.e., Finance Director, Police Chief, Public Works Director, etc. This list should include all appropriate phone, pager or cell phone numbers.
(c) (1) No City official nor employee shall use City-owned vehicles, equipment (including office equipment), tools or other real or personal property for non-municipal purposes.
(2) Council Members shall not use the City’s address for the receipt of personal mail.
(3) The personal use of City stationary, letterhead and/or the City’s postage meter or stamps purchased by the City for personal correspondence is strictly prohibited. The use of the City’s logo or corporate seal, current or past, shall also be limited to official purposes as well. City Council members shall be issued City letterhead designating that correspondence is from the Mayor, Vice Mayor, or member of City Council so as to distinguish between City administrative officers and City elected officials.
(4) Voicemail and e-mail are to be used for the purpose of conducting City business. E-mail messages sent and received on City equipment, or using City owned software or other resources, are the property of the City. The City of Loveland has the right to access any and all messages, files or data on the network at any time with or without the permission of Council Members.
(d) The Clerk of Council, with the assistance of the City Manager and City Solicitor shall maintain and periodically distribute to Council a listing of dates/deadlines for matters requiring Council or administrative action, which said listing shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, expiration dates of leases, due dates for municipal notes, budget filing deadlines, annexation approval dates and like matters.
(e) Council shall receive a monthly financial report. Council shall review the quarterly financial report after it has been approved by the Finance Committee.
(f) (1) Council Chambers, City Hall conference rooms and Safety Center rooms are reserved for the following uses:
A. Official regular and special Council and City Administrative meetings.
B. Regular and special meetings of boards and commissions of the City.
C. Other not-for-profit organizations and community service organizations.
(2) Council shall take precedence over and shall preempt any other use, City Administrative, Board and Commission use shall take precedence over and shall preempt any not-for-profit or community service use.
(3) Chamber and room/area reservations shall be coordinated by the City Manager’s office.
(g) (1) Council Members may allocate their net pay deposited to no more than three (3) financial institutions through direct deposit. The Council Member shall provide the Finance Director all necessary information needed to ensure that the Finance Director can directly deposit funds into their account. If the Finance Director finds that a financial institution to which a Council Member wishes to direct his or her net pay does not have the means or ability to receive the City’s deposit with reasonable effort, the Finance Director shall inform the Council Members and request that he or she direct their pay to another financial institution.
(2) The City of Loveland shall withhold federal, state and local taxes, Medicare, garnishments, health insurance premiums, health savings account contributions, Medical Reimbursement Plan (“MRP”) contributions, pension obligations, and other compulsory deductions as required by law or policy. The City will also provide Council Members the option of voluntarily withholding other deductions for other benefits programs as approved by the City.
(3) Council Member may elect to contribute to the Ohio Deferred Compensation or ICMA-RC for 457 plan by payroll deduction of not less than ten dollars ($10.00) per pay period.
(4) Council Members may elect to contribute to the ICMA-RC Roth IRA program pursuant to City Council resolution authorizing a contract with ICMA-RC for Roth IRAs by payroll deduction of not less than ten dollars ($10.00) per pay period. The City will not make direct deposits into Roth IRAs established at other financial institutions.
(5) Council Members may have additional funds withheld from their paycheck for any of the programs and benefits offered to Council through the City’s cafeteria plan, including, but not limited to flexible spending accounts (for dependent childcare only after 2009), health reimbursement plans allowed by law, and other similar programs.
(6) Council Members may, from time to time, request reasonable changes to their distribution and withholding elections. The Finance Director reserves the right to inform a Council Member that he or she is making payroll distribution changes too frequently. Should the Council Member dispute the Finance Director’s decision, he or she may present information to Council and Council may decide if a Council Member has requested too frequently to have changes to the payroll system.
(h) The Louis G. Rockwood Community Service Volunteer Award shall be awarded on an annual basis. The selection of the recipient or recipients shall be determined by a majority vote of Council voting by secret ballot. The award seeks to recognize the time and accomplishments of volunteers serving the City; accordingly, no Council Member, member of the City administration or employee or paid consultant shall be eligible to receive the award. Council Members nominate the individual for the award. A ballot with all the names listed shall be provided to Council for the vote by secret ballot. The ballots shall be tabulated by the Clerk of Council.
(i) It is the policy that both City water service and City owned or leased sanitary sewer facilities may be extended beyond the corporate limits without specific Council approval. Council approval shall not be required to extend or deny the extension of such services.
(j) Records in the custody of the City, including recordings of Council or Committee meetings, shall be retained for time periods in accordance with Ohio law establishing specific retention periods, and in accordance with retention periods or disposition instructions established by the State Records Administration and the City’s Records Review Committee.
(k) The City Manager may, without specific Council approval, enter into contracts for the provision of goods or services to the City where the value thereof does not exceed fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000). It is Council’s clear intention that the authority granted therein shall not be utilized to exceed the dollar limitation by dividing the provision of such goods or services into two or more contracts to avoid Council’s approval. (By way of illustration, services reasonably expected to cost eighteen thousand dollars ($18,000) cannot be divided into two nine thousand dollar ($9,000) contracts.)
(Ord. 2011-75. Passed 9-27-11; Ord. 2011-96. Passed 10-25-11.)
(l) Council shall establish and award annually the Loveland Business Enhancement Award. This award will be given to a business in the City of Loveland. This business recipient or recipients will have demonstrated an increase in business; increase in the number of employees on the payroll; and exhibited the most effort to enhance the aesthetics of the property through a combination of renovation, building additions, painting, or beautification projects. This award will be presented to the business recipient or recipients at a Council meeting in the spring of each year. Applications for this award shall be received during the months of January and February. Council shall vote by secret ballot at a Council meeting in February or March to determine the business recipient or recipients. An appropriate plaque will be awarded to the winning business recipient or recipients for display in their place of business to show the community, Loveland’s appreciation for their efforts.
(Ord. 2012-16. Passed 2-28-12.)
(m) The spending of funds from the “Council Miscellaneous” line items shall take place by majority vote of Council for expenditures of more than two hundred dollars ($200.00). Expenditures less than two hundred dollars ($200.00) per individual per year are discretionary for Council Members. Members shall report expenses to the Clerk of Council via Travel Request/Authorization form for documentation purposes.
(n) All City Council memberships will be reviewed periodically by Council to determine their respective benefits.
(o) All City buildings and facilities shall bear the official City of Loveland logo when constructed, or if already constructed at the time this policy is established, when the exterior of the building or facility is renovated, repainted or otherwise improved.
(p) Council Members who have served at least one complete four-year term shall be provided a gift not to exceed two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) in value upon completion of their term in office.
(q) (1) Loveland City Council is obligated and committed to adhere to all provisions of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as well as Chapter 4112 of the Ohio Revised Code.
(2) No Council Member shall knowingly make or threaten to make a false accusation of sexual harassment intended solely to damage, harm, retaliate against, or intimidate another Council Member or City Employee.
(3) Any Council Member who believes he or she has been subjected to sexual harassment should firmly and clearly tell the person engaging in the harassing conduct that it is unwelcome, offensive and should stop at once. He or she should also promptly report the incident either to the City Solicitor or the City Manager.
(r) Council will comply fully with all requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPPA) and its implementing regulations that restrict the City of Loveland’s ability to use and disclose protected health information (PHI).
(s) Council is prohibited from storing, possessing or discharging weapons or other dangerous ordinance of any kind pursuant to the Ohio Revised Code and ordinances of the City of Loveland.
(t) Council Members will fully comply with the rules governing substance use contained in the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988.
(u) Whistle Blower Policy - This policy establishes a procedure for reporting violations so that appropriate actions may be taken to expeditiously rectify the problem.
(1) Council Members are encouraged to report violations of ethical standards and/or federal or state laws and regulations.
(2) Council Members may report an alleged violation to the City Manager. If the alleged violation involves the City Manager, the individual may report the alleged violation to the City Solicitor.
(v) All non-emergency press releases are to be coordinated with the Mayor and the City Manager’s office.
(w) Public Records Policy - Council is required to comply with the City’s record retention schedule as set forth by the Records Commission and it is highly recommended that Council Members utilize the City’s email account for City related issues.
(Ord. 2011-75. Passed 9-27-11; Ord. 2011-96. Passed 10-25-11.)