Town vehicles shall be used for Town business travel only. Occasional use for professional association activities, courses, or seminars is permissible with the approval of the Town Administrator. Transportation of personal property or passengers not associated with departmental business is prohibited. Town vehicles may only be driven by an elected Town official, other Town officials, appointed department directors or employees with a valid driver's license and shall be driven in a safe, courteous, and legal manner. At the end of each workday, the vehicle shall be parked at a Town facility unless commuter use is authorized. During a vacation or extended absence in excess of three days, the vehicle shall be parked at a Town facility for use by elected Town officials, other Town officials, appointed department directors or employees. Any employee seeking use of a Town-owned vehicle must have the approval of the department director.
[Adopted 7-19-2004 (Ch. 2, Art. XVI, § 2-222, of the 1994 Code); amended 3-21-2016; 12-4-2017]
Vehicles may be used for commuting purposes by elected Town officials, other Town officials, appointed department directors or employees who are regularly on emergency call for the purpose of traveling to and from the employee's residence and returning to the work site to perform emergency, repair, or supervisory services. Vehicles belong to the Town and should be used in a manner consistent with Town purposes.
Use of the Town vehicles for commuting purposes must be authorized by the Town Administrator and can be approved only for the reasons stated in § 65-4 of this section. "Commuting" is taking employer-provided vehicle(s) to or from a work site and the employee's residence. Commuting is considered a "de minimus fringe benefit" as defined by the United States Internal Revenue Service code.
Town vehicles, other than the Town Administrator's vehicle and police vehicles, shall generally be marked in a uniform manner identifying the Town and the department and/or the Town seal and registered.
Any elected Town official, other Town official, appointed department director or employee, except a sworn police officer or truck driver for the Department of Public Works authorized to use a Town vehicle, shall maintain a written vehicle travel and fuel log providing the date, destination, business purpose, starting odometer reading, ending odometer reading, miles traveled, and date and amount of refueling. The vehicle travel and fuel log shall be submitted once a month at the end of the month for approval by the Town Administrator and retained by the Town Finance Director subject to review by the Town Council. All travel and fuel logs shall be subject to Town Council review. Any elected Town official, other Town official, appointed department director or employee who fails to perform his duty under the aforesaid provisions may be subject to disciplinary action including suspension or termination of Town vehicle privileges and/or suspension or termination of employment. All elected Town officials, other Town officials, appointed department directors or employees who fail to comply with the aforesaid provisions may be subject to suspension or termination of Town vehicle privileges by a majority vote of the Town Council.
This article shall not apply when the use of a Town vehicle is granted pursuant to a contract approved by the Town Council.