HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - No. 2011-27RESOLUTION NO. 2011-27
A RESOLUTION OF THE LODI CITY COUNCIL
APPROVING THE CELLULAR PHONE POLICY
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Lodi City Council does hereby
approve the City of Lodi Cellular Phone Policy, as shown on ExhibitA attached hereto;
and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this policy and procedure amendment shall
become effective March 2,2011.
Dated: March 2, 2011
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hereby certify that Resolution No. 2011-27 was passed and adopted by the City
Council of the City of Lodi in a regular meeting held March 2, 2011, by the following vote:
AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS — Katzakian, Nakanishi, and
MayorJohnson
NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS —None
ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS — Hansen and Mounce
ABSTAIN: COUNCIL MEMBERS — None
2011-27
CITY OF LODI
ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY AND PROCEDURE MANUAL
SUBJECT: CELLULAR PHONE and SMART PHONE USE —
Policy
DATE: MARCH 2,201 ]
SECTION:
REFERENCE: ADMINISTRATIVE MEMORANDUM
SECTION 1: PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines and criteria for cellular phones and smart
phones (wireless communication devices) used by City employees in order to contain costs,
ensure departmental and personal responsibility and ensure proper use of communication
devices.
SECTION 2:
DEFINITIONS
A. Business Use: Work-related tasks required to perform City -assigned duties.
B. Cellular Phone: The phone, adapter, battery pack and other accessory equipment
specific to phone used for City business purposes.
C. Smart phone: Device that combines hardware, software and wireless connectivity,
offering complete email, messaging and organizing, in addition to wireless telephone
service provided through a cellular phone.
SECTION 3:
POLICY
A. 1. Cellular phones and smart phones may be issued to City staffbased upon an analysis
andjustificationtaking into account cost, efficiency, alternative communication methods,
and enhanced j ob performance. Each department director is eligible to receive a City -
owned smart phone. Department directors shall determine which persons will require
cellular phones or smart phones for business use. Sufficientjustification exists for
assignment of cellular phone (or smart phone) service when the director determines that
the employee's business use involves:
a. Wide mobility and simultaneous access to the communications network; or
b. Timely, business critical two-way communication for which there is no
reasonable alternative technology; or
c. Emergency support and back up from a mobile environment; or
d. Special circumstances necessary for the efficient and effective operation of City
business.
2. Department directors shall be responsible for determining and documenting the initial
and ongoing business need for the devices used in their departments. Employees who
spend at least 80 percent of their time at a fixed work station are not eligible for a cellular
phone unless they meet one of the qualifications listed above.
B. Communication devices may be City -Owned or Employee -Owned.
If a City -Owned device, the City will be responsible for paying all costs under the
plan for business use. Personal use is not allowed, except for incidental purposes
(such as emergencies, unforeseen issues relating to dependent care, etc.). These
calls should be kept to a minimum, with all other personal business conducted on
an employee -owned cell phone.
For anything other than occasional incidental use, employees shall reimburse the
City at a rate of 10 cents per minute for minutes used, if the monthly bill does not
exceed the plan allowance, or the actual cost, whichever is higher. This does not
apply to calls outside the monthly minute allowance that are not billed by the
carrier, although these calls should be limited to incidental use as well. The
employee shall also reimburse the City for personal use of other phone features,
such as texting or add-on services, at a per minute/per use rate established on an
annual basis by the Deputy City Manager or the actual cost, whichever is higher.
The established rates are intended to reimburse the City for the personal use share
of the base billing charge, even if the personal -use minutes are within the plan's
monthly minute allowance. Reimbursement shall be made using the Cellular
Telephone Use—Reimbursementfor Personal Use form.
Additional charges incurred for personal use of City -Owned devices, including
roaming, long distance, over minute/messaging allowance due to personal use,
etc. will be the full responsibility of the employee in addition to the per minute
rate. The responsible department director shall ensure timely reimbursement of
costs for personal use.
a. Employees assigned a voice -only phone will be placed on no more than a
200 -minute local share plan with free in -network mobile -to -mobile
calling, or a per -minute consumptionplan. Employees assigned a smart
phone will be assigned to the plan with the fewest minutes allowed to
qualify for a data plan, as well as free in -network mobile -to -mobile
calling.
b. Texting will be blocked on all phones unless otherwisejustified to the
department director. If approved, the most cost-effective solution — either
per -text charge or low-cost texting plan —will be determined by the
department director in consultation with the Information Systems
Manager.
c. On an as -needed basis, department directors may place employees on a
plan with additional minutes with the consent of the Deputy City
Manager.
d. Phones that receive little to no use on a regular basis, but are intended to
provide alternative communications in the event of emergencies or alarms,
shall be placed on per -minute consumption plan.
2. a. If an Employee -Owned device, the City shall provide a monthly cellular
stipend through the payroll system to an eligible employee in an amount no
greater than 50 percent of the monthly minimum retail contract available for local
government employees from major cellular companies that serve the region. If the
City cost for an employee's cellular service is less than the stipend, the employee
is not eligible for a stipend. The monthly stipend amount for qualifying cellular
phones, smart phones or data plans shall be reviewed and set annually by the
Deputy City Manager.
b. An employee whose j ob duties require around-the-clock or remote email access
via "smart phone" is eligible to receive a monthly data stipend if the Employee -
Owned smart phone has a mobile operating system that synchronizes
automatically with his or her City email account. The data stipend is intended to
cover phone -related taxes and a portion of the out-of-pocket costs an employee
may incur in acquiring the phone. The Information Systems Manager shall
determine what smart phones qualify for the smart phone stipend.
c. In the event an employee who is assigned a City -Owned device elects to use an
Employee -Owned device, the City stipend will only be permitted if relinquishing
the phone does not carry a financial penalty to the City. If the City is required to
pay a penalty to the cell phone provider for early contract termination, the penalty
amount shall be divided by the projected employee stipend to determine the
number of months before the employee may receive the stipend.
d. Eligible employees are required to maintain an active cellular phone account
for as long as they are receiving a stipend. Employees must show proof of an
existing contract when applying for the stipend, annually or upon contract
renewal, or at any time by the Deputy City Manager or department director. In no
case shall the stipend exceed an employee's out-of-pocket cost under the terms of
the employee's cellular contract. Prepaid phones do not qualify for a stipend.
3. In the event an employee deemed eligible for a City -Owned device declines to
accept the device and declines to meet eligibility requirements for an Employee -
Owned device stipend, such as proof of a cellular contract, the employee may
submit reimbursement claims to his/her supervisor for business use of the
personal cell phone. The reimbursement rate shall equal the actual cost or a per -
minute charge equal to the monthly plan minute allowance divided by the base
charges, including tax, up to $10 per month. No reimbursement will be made for
calls that do not incur actual charges or count against the monthly minutes
allotment, such as during nights/weekends or mobile -to -mobile. Reimbursements
are not available to employees receiving a stipend for an Employee -Owned
device or to an employee with a City -Owned device, except in cases where the
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City -Owned device is inoperable. Reimbursement claims must include call
details.
C. All City -Owned devices and services shall be purchased in coordination with the
Information Systems Division using the State of California Wireless Contract or a lower-
cost contract. The Information Systems Division will set device, calling plan, data plan,
security and service standards in coordination with department directors.
D. Calling plans and, if applicable and approved, other features such as data access,
messaging, push -to -talk, etc., are to be at a level appropriate for the employee's position
to conduct city related business as determined by department directors.
E. Cell phones should not be selected as an alternative to other means of communication
when such alternatives would provide adequate but less costly service to the City. This
includes the use of land line phones, radios, etc.
F. The state of the art of cellular phone technology is rapidly changing and a great many
varied packages and options are available. It is the desire of the City to standardize the
purchase of communication devices as much as possible so as to have the fewest number
of models in use. Such standardization will minimize the need for training and
familiarization with various devices.
G. Employees receiving a stipend or reimbursement for business-related calls on a personal
cellular phone are required to make their cellular number available to their department
directors and other City staff as determined by their immediate supervisors. In addition,
for those employees expected to report to the City's Emergency Operations Center, their
cellular phone number shall be provided to the City's Emergency Services Coordinator.
Any change to an employee's personal cellular phone number is to be reported to his/her
immediate supervisor within 24 hours of the change.
H. Employees and departmental personnel shall not give out cellular phone numbers for
everyday business use unless an exception is justified.
I. Employees shall use desktop telephones rather than cellular phones to access their city
voice mailbox whenever possible.
J. Employees shall exercise due diligence to protect City -Owned equipment from loss, theft
or damage. Should the device be lost, stolen or damaged, the employee's supervisor and
department director is to be notified immediately and a police report completed in the
case of theft.
K. Invoices of City -Owned devices will be regularly analyzed to determine if the plans are
cost-effective and free from personal use.
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SECTION 4: PROCEDURES
A. Approval process
1. For City -Owned Devices, the department director shall complete the
attached Cellular TelephoneAuthorization Form and submitto the
Information Systems Division for device and plan purchase. The
attached form identifies the user, the business need for the device (and
data services, if applicable) and the proposed device plan and vendor.
The Deputy City Manager may reviewjustification forms for
adequacy and refer requests back to the department director. The City
Manager shall approve all exceptions to this policy's limits on plans,
services and features for department directors.
2. Information Systems will not purchase Employee -Owned devices.
Employees requesting a stipend shall obtain department director
approval and submit one copy of the Cellular TelephoneAuthorization
Form to the Finance Division Payroll section along with a copy to
Information Systems. The attached form identifies the user and
justification of the business need for the device (and data services, if
applicable). In addition, a Personnel Action Form shall be submitted to
Payroll specifying the amount of the stipend.
Information Systems will notify the employee designated to receive a City -Owned cell
phone when the device is ready for pick-up. The phone will be issued with a battery, wall
charger, belt clip and instruction manual. The employee will be issued copies of this
policy and any operational instructions pursuant to this policy for his/her records. The
employee will be required to sign the Cell Phone Procedures Memorandum for receipt of
this device and accessories, and certify that he/she has received this Policy. If
employment is interrupted by extended sick or annual leave in excess of 45 calendar
days, employees or their supervisors must notify Information Systems so that phone
service can be suspended while the employee is not available for duty.
Employees not assigned a smart phone will be assigned to either a per -minute billing plan
or a 200 -minute monthly plan with free mobile -to -mobile calling to other City -Owned
phones, unless the Department head justifies a greater number of minutes on the Cellular
TelephoneAuthorization Form. The maximum price of the selected phone shall be
determined annually by the Deputy City Manager. Employees assigned a smart phone
will receive the minimum monthly plan as required by the network provider in order to
receive a data plan, with a minimum of 200 minutes. The maximum unsubsidized price of
the smart phone shall be determined annually by the Deputy City Manager, who also
shall establish the maximum upfront cost of cellular phones and smart phones purchased
with one-year contracts. The City will not purchase phones with contracts longer than one
year. Department heads requesting an exception for Department head use must receive
City Manager approval. All other requests for exceptions must be authorized by the
Department head and the Deputy City Manager.
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B. 1. Eligibility Criteria: The following criteria will be used to determine the necessity of
issuing a cellular communication device to an employee or as a pooled department
phone:
b. Employee is in the field more than 20% of his/her workday and needs to be
readily available to other employees, officials or the public where the use of
a two-way radio is impractical or not cost effective; or
c. Employee's normal duties require communicating with other employees,
officials or the public outside regular work hours on a consistent basis; or
d. A cellular phone would provide necessary telephone access where no
telephone services otherwise exists and where it is not practical or cost
effective to install land line services; or
e. A cellular phone is needed for the safety of staff or the public.
2. Criteria for add-on features (data, messaging, push -to -talk, etc.)
a. Employee is in need of accessing email or the internet while away from their
office or outside normal working hours due to time sensitive or urgent
matters on a consistent basis; or
b. Use of messaging (text messaging and/or picture messaging) or push -to -talk
features are the most economical means of communicating in the course of
performing duties in terms of both dollar savings and staff time savings.
G. The fewest number of City accounts will be utilized in order to gain the greatest benefit
of shared plan minutes. The Deputy City Manager or his/her designee will approve for
payment the master account, utilizing business units indicated on Cellular Telephone
Authorization forms. Copies of individual invoices will be forwarded to departments for
review along v&h Cellular Telephone Services - Reimbursementfor Personal Use forms.
Employees issued cellular phone devices will have 30 days from department receipt to
complete, certify and return the Cellular Telephone Services - Reimbursementfor
Personal Use form along with any applicable reimbursement to the Finance Division.
H. Upon employee separation or when a previously determined need no longer exists, the
Department director shall complete a Cellular TelephoneAuthorization form requesting
termination of services or stipend. City -issued equipment assigned to the employee shall
be returned with the completed form to the Information Systems Division. In the event
the stipend is terminated, the Department director shall return the completed form to
payroll.
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