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DATE: June 5. 1980
INTRODUCED BY: Roehl
PROPOSED BY: Executive
ORDINANCE NO.80 -45
AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING POLICY, PROCEDURES AND
REQUIREMENTS GOVERNING THE USE OF OFFICIAL COUNTY
MOTOR POOL VEHICLES
Preamble: Whatcom County maintains a pool of motor vehicles
for the use of county employees in the conduct of their of-
ficial county business; the maintenance of this motor pool
enhances the efficiency and extent of service provided'the
public by county government; it is essential for the proper,
efficient and economical administration of.the motor pool
to adopt official operating policy, procedures and require-
ments governing the use of the pool vehicles;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1: Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to provide for the uniform
and consistant use of county -owned vehicles.
Section 2: Vehicles
Whatcom County vehicles shall be ide.nti.fied "in accordance
with state law. The matter in which employees operate and util-
ize these readily- identifiable vehicles is under continuing ob-
servation by the public and each employee must recongize the.
responsibility for prudent and proper operation of a county car
when assigned for official business.
Section 3: Policy
County -owned vehicles shall be used only for transportation
needs relative to official county business. County vehicles
shall be utilized solely on a daily trip basis from the assigned
work station except, as enumerated in Section 9, 11., 12 and 13.
Section 4: Storage
The motor poo,l,A all provide a secured parking area for
overnight and weekend Parking of.official county motor pool ve-
hicles. All vehicles excluding thIose covered by Section 9, 11,
Ordinance - 1
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12 and 13 will be returned to this secured narking area daily
by such hour as shall be established by administrative procedure.
Section S: Driver's License
All personnel assigned to a county vehicle for use on official
business must possess a valid driver's license, Licenses must
be properly validated for any "special" equipment operation.
Section 6: Drivers
Only county employees who are on official county business
may drive a county vehicle. If there is more than one county
employee being transported by the vehicle for county business,
any duly licensed county employee may drive. For the purposes
of this section, consultants, private contractors and independent
contractors are not considered employees of Whatcom County.
Section 7: Employee- Driver Responsibility
When using a county vehicle, the employee - driver has a re-
sponsibility regardi.ng.the following:
1. Safe and proper operation of the vehir-le. in accordance
with.the state traffic laws.
2. Use of the.vehicl`e for official, business only.
3. Transporting passengers only in connection with official
county business'
4. Adequately protecting the vehicle from damage and /or
theft.
S. Promptly and efficiently reporting any accident as
required by state law, and in addition, shall report
any said accident to the Tort Claims Division of What -
com County through the Whatcom County Prosecutor's
Office.
6. Keeping the interior and exterior of the vehicle neat
and clean, and in the case of a daily rental, return
the vehicle refueled and ready for use.
7. The driver of the vehicle is responsible for any and
all fines for moving violations received while oper-
ating the vehicle.
Section 8: Passengers
Except when directly related-to county business, a vehicle,
whether assigned or 'dispatched pursuant to the provisions regardi
Ordinance - 1
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24 -hour or permanent assignments, shall not be used to transport
any person or employee, other than vehicle operator, to and from
work.
Section 9: Long -range Vehicle Assignments
The provisions of the other sections of this ordinance not-
withstanding, county owned motor pool vehicles may be assigned
to a county official or employee on a 24 -hour basis when and if
the County Executive declares such assignment to he in the best
interests of the county and the conduct of county business.
Section 10: Motor Pool Duties
The motor pool shall maintain and make available to county
governmental departments vehicles for daily rental use for the
performance of official duties. A daily rental shall be approved
in writing by the elected.official or the department head respon-
sible for the activity in which the rental vehicle will be used.
The motor pool shall be r.esponsi.ble for the,maintenance of the
mileage records for -each vehicle.
Section-11: Overnight and After -hours Use
The Council recognizes that sometimes county business re-
quires use of the ve'bicle at odd hours. Therefore, the following
provisions are appropriate. A county employee may check out a
county vehicle from the motor pool for overnight use only if:
1. The department head or his designee notifies the motor
pool that the employee requesting the use of the ve-
hicle has authorization to do so; and,
�. The vehicles must he checked out overnight because the
employee /u'ser must have the vehicle early the next day
for official use, and having to wait for the motor pool
to open would seriously interfere with the schedule
of the employee /user; or,
3. The employee /user returns from official business at
a time wh&n'the motor pool is'clb,sed.j In this case,
the employee /user shall return the vehicle to the motor
pool the following business day at motor pool opening
time.
4. The employed /user will- be away for more than one day.
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Ordinance - 3
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Section 12: Return of the Vehicle
If the employee is returning the vehicle.during hours,
tie shall return it directly to the motor pool.
Section 13: Continuing. Use
Motor pool vehicles may be assigned to the individuals on
a basis of continued daily use during regular county government
business hours, but only after such assignment. has been justi-
fied to and approved by the County Executive.
Section 14: Rental. Fees
The motor pool shall be reimbursed for the use of the pool
vehicles by the using departments according to a schedule of
charges to he established by.administrative.procedures, such
schedule of charges being subject to change dictated by purchase,
maintenance, and operating costs incurred by the motor pool in
maintaining the fleet,
Section 15: Executive as Administrator
The County Executive is authorized and shall be.responsible
to establish the administrative procedures and requirements gov-
erning the operation and maintenance of the motor pool, the method
and determination of the assignnment of the vehicles, the dis-
position of charges arising i;rom misuse of a. county vehicle,
and any other administrative requirements related to motor pool
management.
PASSED this 19th day of June, 1980.
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WAtSHINGTON
Chairrp.,
Attest.: Joan Ogden
County Auditor & Ex�,officio
Clerk of h uncll,, X APPROVED. ( ) VETOED
By. ��j�
e p u y
IR
APPR V , D AS MT07 R
' .JoI 1,e11ws, County ,lixec -lit ive
i it Deputy rosec.uting Attorney, �date�
Published ,June 1.2 and June 27, 1980
Effective feci.ive da,tP :__Tul y 3, 1980 _