All County vehicles, except those which are used in criminal investigation, the service of legal process, or the investigation or supervision of criminal probationers or court wards, and which have been specifically exempted by the County Administrative Officer, shall bear the County insignia on both sides of the vehicle.
County vehicles shall be carried on the property inventory of the respective Departments. Subject to approval by the Board of Supervisors, the County Administrative Officer shall assign vehicles to County departments which require them and such assignments may be revoked or changed at any time. A County vehicle which has been assigned to a County department may be assigned by the department head to one or more employees in his department and the department head shall file with the County Administrative Officer a written notice of such assignment and of any changes in assignment made thereafter. A department head shall not assign a County vehicle to one employee for his sole use unless the employees need for the vehicle is so constant that performance of his work would be materially hampered if he were required to share the vehicle with other employees.
(Amended by Ord. No. 3204, effective 5-14-98)
When a County employee who has been assigned a County vehicle for his sole use is on vacation, sick leave or leave of absence, the department head may assign the vehicle to one or more other employees in the department for use during such vacation or leave. If such an assignment is made, the department head shall file with the County Administrative Officer a written notice of such assignment. If such an assignment is not made by the department head, the department head shall cause the vehicle to be delivered to the County Motor Pool for use by other County employees in the same manner as the vehicles regularly assigned to the County Motor Pool until the employee to whom the vehicle is assigned returns to work.
One or more County vehicles shall be assigned to the County Motor Pool by the County Administrative Officer. These vehicles shall be made available by the Motor Pool Supervisor for use on County business by any County employee who does not have a vehicle assigned to him. These vehicles shall be returned to the County Motor Pool each night for storage, except under the following circumstances:
(a) 
When the vehicle has been made available to the County employee for travel which will require him to be outside the County of Tulare overnight.
(b) 
When an emergency arises which makes it impossible or impractical to return the vehicle to the Motor Pool. In case of such an emergency, the County employee operating the vehicle shall notify the Motor Pool Supervisors, if possible.
An employee using a vehicle assigned to the County Motor Pool shall fill out such forms concerning use of said vehicle as may be required by the General Services Director.
No employee shall take a County vehicle outside of the State of California without first having complied with the requirements of the Tulare County personal rules relating to employee travel outside of the State of California.
No person who is not a County employee shall be allowed to operate a County vehicle on any public highway, unless authorized by a resolution of the Board of Supervisors. In the event that the Board of Supervisors authorizes someone other than a County employee to use a County vehicle, all the provisions of this Article pertaining to the use of County vehicles by County employees shall apply to such person, except as otherwise specifically provided in the resolution authorizing such use.
(a) 
No County employee shall operate a County vehicle unless he has in his possession a valid operator's license issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles of the State of California which authorizes him to operate that type of vehicle.
(b) 
Prior to operating any County vehicle, an employee must provide Loss Control Division of the General Services Department with a copy of his/her valid driver's license at the level required by the State of California Department of Motor Vehicles for legal operation of that vehicle.
(c) 
The employee must immediately notify his/her department and Loss Control of any action against that license and/or of any moving violations incurred while on County Business.
(a) 
Prior to using a private vehicle on County business for which an employee is eligible to claim mileage reimbursement, the employee must provide Loss Control Division of the General Services Department with proof of insurance that meets the State of California minimum requirements.
(b) 
The employee must immediately notify his department and Loss Control of any cancellation or nonrenewal of his insurance.
(c) 
No County employee shall operate a County vehicle until he has filed with the General Services Director a statement that he has read and understands the provisions of this Article.
A County employee shall be responsible for the proper care, use and operation of the County vehicle, which he is operating and he shall comply with all of the following rules:
(a) 
County vehicles shall be operated in accordance with all of the applicable provisions of the Vehicle Code of the State of California. County employees shall be personally responsible for any fines or penalties, which they may incur while operating County vehicles.
(b) 
County vehicles shall not be overloaded or abused.
(c) 
Tires on County vehicles shall be properly inflated at all times.
(d) 
Oil and water shall be checked each time that gasoline is secured for County vehicles.
(e) 
County vehicles shall be lubricated and the oil changed at the mileage specified by the Motor Pool Supervisor.
(f) 
Requests for repairs and checkups for County vehicles shall be made to the Motor Pool Supervisor on forms provided for that purpose as soon as it is discovered that the vehicle is operating in a faulty manner or has been damaged.
(g) 
The ignition key shall not be left in a County vehicle when the driver leaves the vehicle unless the vehicle is in the care and custody of an attendant.
(h) 
The seat belts which, have been installed in all County passenger vehicles shall be used whenever the vehicle is operated.
In case of an automobile accident involving a County vehicle, the County employee shall follow the instructions on the card entitled "IN CASE OF ACCIDENT," which is mounted in a conspicuous place in each County vehicle.
If a department head believes that it would be of benefit to the County to allow a County vehicle to be garaged at some place other than the County Motor Pool, he may apply to the County Administrative Officer for permission to do so. The County Administrative Officer, under such rules and procedures as he may determine, may authorize garaging a vehicle at a place other than the Motor Pool and may terminate such authorization when he determines that it is no longer in the best interest of the County. All County vehicles shall be garaged at the Motor Pool at all times when they are not being used for County business, except Those vehicles which the County Administrative Officer has authorized to be garaged at some place other than the Motor Pool.
Except in emergencies, gasoline and oil for County vehicles shall be secured only at the County Motor Pool, at any County facility where gasoline and oil are available, or through an approved credit card purchase.
Except in emergencies, all repairs to County vehicles shall be made by or through the County Motor Pool. Emergency repairs for a County vehicle shall be obtained only at a place which has been designated by the General Services Director. No emergency repairs which will cost more than Fifty Dollars ($50.00) shall be made without prior authorization from the Motor Pool Supervisors.
(Amended by Ord. No. 3204, effective 5-14-98)
County departments shall be charged for use of County vehicles. The charges shall be determined by the General Services Director and shall be based on the cost of operation and depreciation of the vehicle and the costs of operating the County Motor Pool. The General Services Director shall revise the schedule of rates from time to time to reflect changes in costs.
The provisions of sections 1-19-1080, 1-19-1085, 1-19-1140, 1-19-1145 and subsections (e) and (f) of section 1-19-1120 of this Article shall not apply to County vehicles operated by the County Department of Public Works and the Division of Forestry of the State of California. Said departments operate special types of County vehicles and have their own facilities for servicing, repairing and garaging of County vehicles which make the aforementioned sections of this Article inappropriate.