Sutter County Municipal Code Ch. 82 County Owned Vehicles

This chapter is enacted pursuant to Title 3, Division 2, Part 2, Chapter 4, Section 25305 of the Government Code.

Whenever in this chapter the words or phrases hereinafter defined are used, they shall have the following meanings:

County vehicle shall mean any automobile, motor truck, tractor, motorcycle, motorized bicycles or any other self-propelled vehicle more particularly defined in Vehicle Code section 415 and section 670 owned, leased, or rented by the County of Sutter.

Employee shall mean any person employed by the County of Sutter other than a person performing professional and/or specialized services under a specific contract unless designated as an employee in the contract.

Position shall mean a specific office, employment, or job calling for the performance of certain duties and the carrying of certain responsibilities by one individual either on a full-time, part-time, or extra help basis.

Department head shall mean those persons who are the head of an established county department or office including those persons designated to be county officers in Government Code section 24000.

(a) The Board of Supervisors has purchased motor vehicles for the use of county officers and employees whose duties require frequent trips on county business, it being the judgment of the Board that the purchase and use of such motor vehicles is in the public interest.

(b) It is the intent of the Board of Supervisors by enacting this chapter to establish rules and provide for policies relating to the operation and use of county owned motor vehicles by county employees.

Employees shall operate all county owned motor vehicles in accordance with established state and local laws and the established policies of the Board of Supervisors.

County vehicles shall be used for official county business only. The use of any such vehicle to transport passengers other than official business passengers at any time is prohibited. Any county employee holding a position duly authorized to use a county vehicle pursuant to Section 82-060 shall be authorized to use said vehicle for his/her transportation to and from lunch.

The County Administrative Officer, a department head, or his/her authorized representative may authorize work-to-home/home-to-work use of a county owned vehicle by a county employee under the following circumstances:

(a) When the employee is on paid standby time, more particularly defined in the Rules Governing Employee Compensation, Benefits and Working Conditions, for the purpose of responding directly to emergency situations with a specially equipped vehicle; or

(b) When the county has declared a State of Emergency and said employee is subject to emergency call-back; or

(c) When such use is deemed required for the safe or efficient conduct of a definite and specific matter of official business. The department head may authorize work-to-home/home-to-work use of a county vehicle by county employees occupying specified positions for an indefinite or continuous term on a position-by-position basis. Each department must file a report, no later than January 15th of each year, identifying each employee, position, vehicle, and circumstance authorized under 82-060(c) for the preceding calendar year, and indicate which authority is anticipated to continue during the coming year. The County Administrative Officer may revoke work-to-home/home-to-work use of county vehicles by any employee authorized under this section.

(d) All law enforcement personnel authorized by MOU in accordance with the "Off Duty Patrol Vehicle Take Home Plan" and "Off Duty Patrol Vehicle Operation Procedures," as described in the Rules Governing Employee Compensation, Benefits, and Working Conditions.

(e) All employees authorized under this section are subject to the provisions in sections 82-040 and 82-050.

(f) No employee who resides out-of-county may be authorized for home-to-work/work-to-home use of a county vehicle without the prior and specific approval of the County Administrative Officer.

The appointing authority may impose disciplinary action upon any employee for violation of any section of this chapter, or policies approved by the Board of Supervisors subsequent hereto, in accordance with established personnel rules and procedures.

([798] Ord. 1227, Sec. 1; Dec. 12, 1995)