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Page 1 of 3 CITY OF LARAMIE Policy Title: Mobile Communication Device Policy Policy Number: 2014-04 Page 1 of 3 Policy Type: Administrative Regulation I. Purpose: The intent of this policy is to provide guidelines for use of mobile communication devices for City business purposes and compliance with Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations. Further, the policy will assist in meeting the City’s fiduciary responsibility to our citizens and transparency in the use of public funds. This policy covers the following types of mobile communication devices: Personally owned device with taxable allowance paid to employee to cover business use Personally owned device with non-taxable reimbursement for business use II. Definitions: Mobile Communication Device: A mobile communication device is a mobile telephone, email appliance, wireless personal digital assistance, or a device combining two or more of those functions. Adequate Service: A mobile communication device service is adequate when it is sufficiently fast, sufficiently convenient, and sufficiently secure to allow the user to conduct City business in an efficient manner that safeguards the integrity and security of sensitive City information. Essential personal calls: These are defined as personal calls of minimal duration and frequency that are essential to allowing the employee to continue working and cannot be made at another time from a different telephone. Examples of essential personal calls are calls related to a family emergency, to arrange for unscheduled or immediate care of a dependent, or to alert others of an unexpected delay due to a change in work or travel schedule. Personal calls: Non-business phone calls that are made or received on City owned devices that are of more than minimal duration or are non-essential. III. Applicability: This policy is applicable to all City of Laramie departments. Effective date: July 10, 2014 Responsible Staff: All Staff Approval Authority: Human Resources Director Policy Contact: Human Resources Office [PHONE REDACTED] Next Revision Date: June 30, 2015 ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 2 of 3 IV. Policy: In general, the City will own mobile communications devices or service plans for permanent assignment to individual employees when assigned to areas of Public Safety, including Police Department, Fire Department and Code Enforcement. In other departments, at the discretion of the City Manager, an appropriate stipend may be paid to an employee using their personal mobile communication device for municipal business. The stipend amounts will be periodically reviewed, adjusted as necessary and outlined in the Program Entry Form. The City will, in most cases, purchase and own mobile communication devices to be assigned to Public Safety groups (departments, offices) and which may be loaned temporarily to individual employees or be shared by groups of employees for specific business purposes. This may be done only if the personal use of those devices is strictly limited to essential personal calls (as previously defined). In other departments, upon suggestion of the Department Head and approval of the City Manager, stipends will be paid to employees using their personal mobile communication device for municipal business. Mobile communication devices should not be selected as an alternative to other means of communication – i.e., land lines, pagers, radio devices – when such alternatives would provide adequate but less costly service to the City. Mobile communication device use within City vehicles, whether the employee is on-duty or off- duty, shall be governed by the highest standards of safety and reasonableness. Personnel who receive in-coming phone calls while driving shall only answer the call when that can be accomplished safely. Employees shall not continue that call until they are able to safely and legally pull off the traveled portion of the roadway and stop. This may require that the caller is placed on hold or advised to call back. Out-going calls shall be initiated by drivers only when the vehicle is safely and legally stopped and off the traveled portion of the roadway. Due to the nature of their job assignments, some employees are required to carry a mobile communication device. City employees that are required to carry a mobile communication device will either be given a City-owned mobile communication device or will receive a allowance. A City-owned mobile communication device that is shared shall at no time be used for personal calls of any nature. V. Procedures: Those employees required to carry a mobile communication device as part of their duties may be issued a City-owned mobile communication device with a local number or may be paid a stipend for use of a personally owned mobile communication device. If employees required to carry a mobile communication device receive a stipend allowance, they shall accept City business calls on that phone. Subject to approval by the City Manager, Department Directors will recommend which employees are to receive the allowance. The Human Resources Department will notify the Finance Department when an employee is approved for this allowance. The Human Resources Department will maintain a list of allowanced-based cellular telephone numbers. Employees in this program will be paid a taxable allowance for the purchase and maintenance of a mobile communication device per month as outlined on the Program Entry Form, depending on City-related call volume. Some employees may be identified as “high users” and may be eligible for a greater allowance, subject to approval by the City Manager. ---PAGE BREAK--- Page 3 of 3 Employees receiving the allowance will be responsible for both their mobile communication device and their bill. An allowance-based mobile communication device is the property of the employee and will be retained by the employee when they terminate employment with the City. Unplanned circumstances may result in an employee with an allowance-based mobile communication device incurring a substantial increase in their usage in pursuit of their required duties. In such event, at the recommendation of the department head and with approval of the City Manager, an employee with an allowance-based mobile communication device may submit their detailed bill for reimbursement of business calls in excess of minutes available and in excess of their allowance. VI. Disclosure Information The City will disclose the contents of retrievable mobile communication device messages, upon receipt of a valid court order or legal request, including Public Information (open records) requests. The City may disclose the contents of retrievable mobile communication device messages if the information will assist in official internal or criminal investigations. In the event that improper messages, such as photos, are received by a user, immediate notification to the appropriate supervisor is required. In no event should improper messages be forwarded. VII. Related Policies / References Mobile Communication Device Program Entry Form Janine Jordan, City Manager