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HomeMy WebLinkAbout6.c. Cellular Telephone and Smartphon Usage PolicyAGENDA ITEM: Cellular Telephone and Smartphone Usage Policy AGENDA SECTION: Consent PREPARED BY: Emmy Foster, Assistant City Administrator AGENDA NO. t G, ATTACHMENTS: Revised Cellular Telephone and Smartphone Usage Policy APPROVED BY: D 1 RECOMMENDED ACTION: Motion to Approve the City's Cellular Telephone and Smartphone Usage Policy. 4 ROSEMOUNT CITY COUNCIL City Council Regular Meeting: October 21, 2008 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ISSUE The issue before the City Council is the approval of the attached Cellular Telephone and Smartphone Usage policy. BACKGROUND At a prior work session, Council directed Staff to bring back information on a cellular phone allowance program for the Mayor, City Administrator, and Department Heads. At the October 14 City Council Work Session, Council was presented with and discussed the proposed document which updates the existing policy relating to cellular telephone and smartphone usage and incorporates an allowance program. SUMMARY Staff recommends the approval of the Cellular Telephone and Smartphone Usage Policy for the City of Rosemount. RESPONSIBILITIES OF EMPLOYEES Policy: CELLULAR TELEPHONE AND SMARTPHONE USAGE Section: 4.45 Approved by: City Council DRAFT Page: 1 of 2 Purpose Guidelines 4 ROSEMOUNT O F F I C I A L P O L I C Y This policy is intended to regulate the use of cellular telephones and smartphones at the City of Rosemount within reasonable, practical parameters. It is intended to define acceptable and unacceptable uses and its application is to insure that usage is consistent with the best interests of the City without unnecessary restriction of employees in the conduct of their duties. This policy will be implemented to prevent the improper use or abuse of cellular telephones and smartphones and to insure that City employees exercise the highest standards of propriety in their use. Department Directors, with the approval of the City Administrator, will determine which positions would benefit significantly from a City provided cellular telephone or mobile data device. This evaluation will be based on the benefit to the City for providing such a device, the scope of position responsibilities, the frequency with which the employee is away from the office /work space, the need to be able to contact the employee on immediate or short notice, and the employee's role in emergency response. The cost of such devices needs to be balanced with the benefit or gain to the City Employees should review any device software they wish to load on to the City computer system with the IT Coordinator prior to purchasing, to assure compatibility and approval. In addition, any employee connecting to the City's exchange server with a cellular telephone or smartphone must do so with an operating system approved by the City's IT Coordinator. The City is not responsible for repairs to employee -owned electronic devices. Use of cellular telephones requires special attention to safety. When using a telephone in a vehicle, whenever possible, pull over to the side of the road (legally stopped) to dial or answer the telephone. It is the objective of the City of Rosemount to prevent and correct any abuse or misuse of cellular telephones through the application of this policy. Employees who abuse or misuse such telephones may be subject to disciplinary action. MINNESOTA 1 RESPONSIBILITIES OF EMPLOYEES Programs City Provided Cellular Telephone/ Smartphone Program et ROSEMOUNT The three types of telephone and smartphone programs allowed at the City of Rosemount include: 1. City Provided Cellular Telephone /Smartphone Program 2. Personal Cellular Telephone Reimbursement Program 3. Cellular Telephone /Smartphone Allowance and Purchase Reimbursement Program Cellular telephones and smartphones are intended for the use of City employees in conduct of their work in the service of Rosemount citizens. A smartphone for purposes of this policy is a cellular telephone that is also capable of wirelessly receiving and transmitting data over the internet, including email, and full web access. Department Directors are responsible for the cellular telephones and smartphones assigned to their departments and will exercise discretion in their use. Nothing in this policy will restrict Department Directors from allowing reasonable and prudent use of such telephones or equipment; however, such use in no way can impede the conduct of work of the employee or other employees and no personal profit can be gained or outside employment served. Department Directors who assign cellular telephones or smartphones to employees in their departments must consider the: needs of the department (does the employee conduct work outside of the City facility and away from land -line telephones where immediate work related telephone contact is necessary to warrant the need for a cellular telephone); employee's work duties (does the employee perform work that necessitates the need for a cellular telephone); effect on customer service; and improved efficiency in the performance of the job. During work hours personal calls on the City's cellular telephone or smartphone will be acceptable in those circumstances where it is necessary to briefly contact someone concerning important matters. Calls of this nature shall be as brief as possible and should be made only when circumstances prevent timely access to customary telephone services. The position of the City is that it's less expensive to allow these types of telephone calls than to release an employee from a work site in order to make the call from a customary telephone service. The maximum use acceptable for all personal calls during work and non -work hours within the billing period is 100 minutes (under the discretion of Department Directors this amount may be reduced). Anything over the maximum use allowed will be charged at $.40 per minute. Personal calls during non -work hours will also be charged at $.40 per minute. MINNESOTA 2 RESPONSIBILITIES OF EMPLOYEES Personal Cellular Telephone Reimbursement Program Cellular Telephone/ Smartphone Allowance and Purchase Reimbursement Program ROSEMOUNT Department Directors may authorize employees to use their own personal cellular telephone for City business and be reimbursed based upon documented actual costs for those calls. An employee should obtain prior approval if possible and may not be reimbursed for business- related calls without authorization from his or her Department Director. Department Directors may also prohibit employees from carrying their own personal cellular telephones during working hours if it interferes with the performance of their job duties. The cellular telephone /smartphone allowance program and purchase reimbursement program is limited to the Mayor, the City Administrator, Department Directors and other personnel as determined by the City Administrator with written approval. Participants must keep the City informed of their personal cell phone number, and any changes to that number, so that they can be reached as expected and needed. The cellular telephone service must provide a telephone number that is local to the Twin Cities calling area so that no long distance charges are incurred by the City to place a call to the cellular telephone. Participants are responsible for assuring that their cell phone is in good working order. Participants should be aware that the cell phone allowance is considered taxable income under IRS rules and will be added as income on the employee's first and second paycheck of each month. The rate for reimbursement will be an allowance equivalent to the City's lowest monthly charge for comparable cellular telephone and /or data services under the City's corporate plan. The City of Rosemount is only responsible for the approved "cellular telephone allowance" and the purchase of the device as described below. Participants with a cellular telephone allowance are responsible for all other costs associated with the cellular telephone plan they choose. For example, lost or stolen phones, phones that break or quit working, plan penalties, activation fees, excess charges, insurance, etc., are all the responsibility of the employee. The City may financially assist participants as determined by the City Administrator with the cost of a cellular telephone or smartphone. Conditions for the technology reimbursement include: The City will pay up to $125 or one -half the cost, whichever is less, for an employee purchased cellular telephone or smartphone. This amount will be paid from the department budget. Participants must remain with the City for one year after receiving the reimbursement, or repay the City for the half of the reimbursed amount. Participants will be eligible for the reimbursement every two years or longer, pending Department Director recommendation, City Administrator approval and available budget resources. Devices that break or malfunction prior to the end of the two -year period are not eligible for a second reimbursement during that time. MINNESOTA 3