107.02 USE OF CITY-OWNED VEHICLES.

   (a)   Except as designated in subsection (t) hereof, City-owned vehicles are to be used only for official business. Under no circumstances will employees be permitted to use a City-owned vehicle for other than City-related business. Violators of this rule will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including loss of use of a City vehicle and termination of employment with the City of Youngstown.

   (b)   While going to and from work, employees driving City-owned vehicles will avoid deviation from the normal route taken each day. Unless an employee must attend a late afternoon or evening meeting or is called out on City business, any deviation must be approved by the Mayor or his designee.

   (c)   Only authorized employees of the City or authorized individuals having official business with the City are permitted to operate or be a passenger in a City-owned vehicle. Individuals in custody or care of authorized City employees shall not constitute a violation of this rule.

   (d)   When a vehicle is damaged due to an employee’s negligence or while being driven outside the scope of employment, the driver may be required to reimburse the City for such damages and/or be subject to disciplinary action.

   (e)   Whenever a City employee is driving a City vehicle, he shall use all the safety devices that are provided with the vehicle such as seat belts, etc.

   (f)   City-owned vehicles shall be operated in a manner as prescribed by law.

   (g)   Except for emergency conditions, whenever a vehicle is left unattended for a prolonged length of time, the vehicle shall be locked.

   (h)   Any fines, by reason of a ticket being placed on a vehicle for a violation of a parking meter or a no parking zone, will be paid by the assigned driver of the vehicle.

   (i)   All accidents shall be reported as soon as practicable by the employee to a department supervisor whose responsibility it will be to report the accident to Risk Management by no later than the next working day. All accidents involving City commercial vehicles shall be reported immediately to a department supervisor, whose responsibility it will be to arrange for CDL drug and alcohol testing as required.

   (j)   Failure to report an accident involving a City vehicle as required shall subject the employee to discipline up to and including termination.

   (k)   The assigned driver shall provide reasonably safe overnight parking facilities for the City-owned vehicle. Under no circumstances shall a City-owned vehicle be permitted to be parked overnight on the street. If the employee cannot provide safe off-street parking for the vehicle assigned to him, the employee shall not take the vehicle home. The vehicle shall be parked in an assigned storage on City property. Failure to comply with this rule may result in disciplinary action and this may include the loss of the consent to drive the City-owned vehicle home.

   (l)   All employees must possess a valid operator’s license or chauffeur’s license before being permitted to drive a City-owned vehicle.

   (m)   Employees assigned a City vehicle, or who have frequent use of a City vehicle, shall be required to sign a consent form authorizing the City to obtain the employee’s driver’s abstract from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles as permitted by law.

   (n)   Any City employee whose driver’s license is suspended or revoked by any court of the State or by the Department of Motor Vehicles shall immediately report such action to their supervisor or department head and to Risk. Failure to report such suspension or revocation will result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.

   (o)   No City employee may operate a City-owned vehicle while under license suspension or revocation. When such suspension or revocation is lifted, an employee may drive a City-owned vehicle only after a “high risk” review and subject to the recommendations of the Traffic Disciplinary Committee.

   (p)   By January 15 every year, all department and division heads shall report to Risk Management the name of every person assigned a vehicle or who may have frequent use of a City vehicle and verification that the employee presented to the department head a valid driver’s license, and the date that the department head verified same.

   (q)   A vehicle assigned to an employee shall continue to be part of the vehicle fleet and is not to be considered as assigned to the employee personally.

   (r)   Vehicle assignments may change as the situation requires. Such change shall be within the scope of this chapter and all vehicles shall continue to be available for other purposes when not being used by the assigned driver.

   (s)   If any employee cannot comply with the policies set forth in this chapter, the employee shall not be assigned nor permitted to drive a City-owned vehicle.

   (t)   Any City employee assigned to an “AA” vehicle will be permitted personal use of the City vehicle during those periods he/she is on twenty-four (24) hour call, defined as being accessible by cellular telephone, radio, beeper or other electronic device and being within a fifty (50) mile radius of City Hall.

   (u)   All City vehicles which are designated as “A” vehicles will be assigned for use on a twenty-four hour basis; no personal use.

(Ord. 02-176. Passed 6-5-02.)