Section 500 – Central Services

Except as otherwise stated, this Policy applies to all City employees (civil and non-civil service) who will operate a vehicle for and/or owned by the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore. This policy does not apply to employees of the Baltimore City Sherriff’s Office, or the Baltimore Police Department, who have received State certification for operating an emergency vehicle. Eligibility for a City of Baltimore Driver Permit/Authorization (CBDP/A) is contingent upon a City employee having a valid Maryland State driver's license with the appropriate license class code, (employees with licenses from another State not Maryland may be eligible if that State is proven to be their actual state of residency…i.e. commute between the state and City employment each day and evening of employee’s work day/shift), and meeting the requirements for such Permit/Authorization as outlined in this policy. A City employee who does not have a valid City of Baltimore Driver Permit will not be allowed to operate any type of City-owned vehicle. A CBDP/A may be suspended or revoked by the Department of Finance, Division of Occupational Safety (DOS), or the employee's agency head when circumstances warrant it. Failure to maintain (for any reason) a CBDP/A, may result in the immediate transfer, demotion, and/or termination of the affected employee. A current file of individuals who’s CBDP/As and/or State drivers' licenses have been suspended or revoked shall be maintained by DOS and at the agency level. Employees who have been approved for a CBDP/A, but reside in another state outside of Maryland must provide DOS with a certified copy of their State Driving Record every six (6) months, in January and July. Issuance and/or reinstatement of a CBDP/A, upon request of a City Agency <u>shall</u> be solely the discretion of DOS.

<u>Basic Driver Training</u> The Basic Driver Training Course provides instruction in basic driving and safety techniques for the Mayor's Motor Vehicle Freeze Committee (MMVFC) and activity-assigned vehicles. DOS and/or their assigned representatives administer this course. DOS designs the course (which currently includes the National Safety Council’s Defensive Driving Course, vision examination, and other required elements. Although these may change in the future, all aspects of the course must be passed in order to attain or retain a City Driver’s Permit. A MMVFC/activity-assigned vehicle is defined as a car, station wagon, or truck with a 2,000 pound load capacity or less. (See <cite data-path="§AM-501-2, Part II">AM-501-2, Part II</cite>, <em>Commercial Driver License</em> (CDL) policy. Completing this course in full is a prerequisite for obtaining a CBDP/A. <u>Blanket Exception for the Baltimore City Fire Department</u> Upon meeting all of the aforementioned requirements, an employee of the Baltimore City Fire department must be at least 19 years of age with at least eighteen (18) months of licensed driving experience. <u>Recertification Driver Training</u> The Recertification Driver Training Course provides an update to the preceding Basic Driver Training Course in driving and safety techniques for the MMVFC and activity-assigned vehicles. DOS and/or their assigned representatives administer this course. This course is designed as an update to the Basis Driver Training Course and must be completed in full every three years to maintain an active and current CBDP/A. <u>Requirement for Renewals of Basic and Recertification Training</u> If an employee fails to renew his CBDP/A by participating/complying with the above referenced required training classes, the employee may be subject to the appropriate action which may include suspension of driving privileges by DOS and/or disciplinary action by agency for insubordination (up to and including termination). Please note that if it has been five (5) or more years since an employee has participated/complied with his/her Recertification Driving Training Course, the employee will be required to attend the Basic Driving Training Course again instead of the Recertification Course in order to receive CBDP/A. <u>Special Purpose Vehicle Training</u> The Special Purpose Vehicle Training Course is administered by each agency having personnel who are required to use special purpose vehicles. A special purpose vehicle is defined as any vehicle that requires anything other than a Class C license to operate. Prior to special purpose vehicle training, the agency must have an approved training course on file with DOS and special purpose instructors shall maintain and timely keep up to date any and all required and/or suggested credentials authorizing he/she to instruct. An agency head must notify DOS by memo within five (5) days after employees have completed the course. The memo should state those employees who have been qualified to operate a special purpose vehicle and the type of vehicle each is permitted to operate. DOS will issue the Special Purpose Vehicle Permit to each qualified employee.

<u>Basic Vehicle Permit</u> Upon request of a City Agency for an employee to operate a City-owned MMVFC or activity-assigned vehicle, an employee must meet all of the below listed requirements. Upon meeting all of the requirements, an individual (must be a City employee not a contractual employee or volunteer) will be issued a City of Baltimore Driver Permit by DOS. A City of Baltimore Driver Permit is valid for three (3) years and is renewable only if the employee completes the Driver Recertification Training Course (every three (3) years) and continues to meet <u>all</u> of the following listed requirements. <ul> <li>Be at least 21 years of age with at least three (3) years of licensed driving experience.</li> <li>Possess a current and valid Maryland State driver's license (employees with licenses from another State outside of Maryland may be eligible if that State is proven to be their actual state of residency … i.e., commute between the state and City employment each day and evening of employee’s work day/shift), with the appropriate license class code.</li> <li>Have successfully completed the Basic Driver Training Course.</li> <li>Have reviewed and signed a NOTIFICATION OF CITY VEHICLE POLICY (<cite data-path="§AM-501-2-2">AM-501-2-2</cite>) provided by DOS.</li> </ul> As noted above, employees that have allowed his/her CBDP/A to lapse/expire for five (5) or more years, shall be required to take the BASIC course again in lieu of taking a Recertification course in order to regain their COB driving privileges. <u>Special Purpose Vehicle Authorization</u> In order to operate any type of City-owned special purpose vehicle an employee must meet all of the below listed requirements. Upon meeting all of the requirements, a Special Vehicle Permit will be issued by DOS indicating the type of special purpose vehicle he/she is authorized to operate. This authorization is valid for three (3) years and is renewable only if the employee successfully completes an additional Special Vehicle Training Course and continues to meet <u>all</u> of the following requirements. <ul> <li>Be at least 21 years of age.</li> <li>Possess a valid State driver's license with the appropriate license class code.</li> <li>Possess a current and valid City of Baltimore Driver Permit.</li> <li>Have successfully completed a Special Vehicle Training Course.</li> <li>Have reviewed and signed a NOTIFICATION OF CITY VEHICLE POLICY provided by DOS.</li> </ul> <u>Exception to Age Requirement</u> If an agency head finds it necessary for an employee under age 21 and/or with less than three (3) years of licensed driving experience to operate a City-owned vehicle on a basic or special vehicle permit, a memo detailing the reason(s) for the request should be forwarded to DOS. A certified copy of the employee's Motor Vehicle Administration driving record must be attached to the memo for evaluation. DOS will notify the agency head of the decision on a case-by-case basis. Any blanket exceptions need approval by the Board of Estimates.

Suspension or revocation of an employee's City of Baltimore Driver Permit/Authorization by the employee's agency head must be reported by memo within three (3) workdays to the MMVFC and to DOS. The memo must cite the reason(s) for the suspension or revocation and specify actions taken to prevent recurrences. DOS may revoke or suspend an employee's CBDP/A even if the employee's agency head elects not to take such action. Further, an agency may request DOS to suspend or revoke an employee’s CBDP/A when warranted and agency shall provide documentation and/or communication memorializing that the request is warranted. This documentation shall be noted in the employee’s electronic driver’s file as well as in his/her hard file, both of which is maintained/housed at DOS. An employee's City of Baltimore Driver Permit/Authorization may be suspended or revoked for any of the following reasons, which include but are not limited to: <ul> <li>Driving any vehicle (City owned or privately owned) while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.</li> <li>Any violation to the Maryland State Driver’s Handbook or restriction placed on a State driver’s license (including but not limited to refusing a chemical test, interlock device restriction, even when employer vehicle exempted, if an alcohol related restriction code is on and/or added to our state license, etc…)</li> <li>Leaving the scene of an accident or failure to report an accident in accordance with <cite data-path="§AM-501-10">AM-501-10</cite>.</li> <li>Operating or ordering the operation of City-owned vehicle with the knowledge that the vehicle has safety deficiencies.</li> <li>Unsafe driving practices or persistent violation of safety rules. Negligence, misuse, and/or abuse of City-owned vehicle.</li> <li>Frequent accidents, i.e. more than two (2) accidents in a year.</li> <li>Failure to properly secure a City-owned vehicle, i.e. runaway vehicle.</li> <li>Suspension, revocation, or expiration of State driver's license.</li> <li>Failure to inform supervisor and DOS of the suspension, revocation, or expiration of State driver's license.</li> <li>Failure to pay traffic or parking fines for violations incurred while using a City-owned vehicle.</li> <li>Any points on State driving record.</li> <li>Failure to perform vehicle safety and operating checks.</li> <li>Using a City-owned vehicle (or privately owned vehicle while on duty for the City) for pleasure, to conduct personal business, and/or to transport passengers not engaged in official City business.</li> <li>Medical problems which may interfere with the safe operation of a City-owned vehicle, as determined by the City of Baltimore Occupational Medical Services (Mercy Clinic).</li> <li>Failure to inform supervisor and DOS of the medical problems which may interfere with the safe operation of a City-owned vehicle.</li> <li>Alteration/forgery of a CBDP/A by employee.</li> <li>Obtaining fuel while City driver permit is suspended.</li> <li>Use of personal communication devices (hand-held or hands-free) in accordance with <cite data-path="§AM-501-12">AM-501-12</cite>.</li> <li>Smoking in a City-owned vehicle in accordance with <cite data-path="§AM-500-1">AM-500-1</cite>.</li> <li>Failure to wear seat belts by anyone in the vehicle in accordance with <cite data-path="§AM-501-14">AM-501-14</cite></li> <li>Expiration and/or lapsing of CBDP/A permit and/or any other licenses required to fulfill employee’s job responsibilities;</li> <li>Failure to comply/show-up at scheduled medical appointments at City clinic that are scheduled by agency, DOS and/or any other agency in order to maintain relevant licenses to fulfill job responsibilities;</li> <li>Failure to comply/show up for random drug and/or alcohol random testing;</li> <li>By request of authorized personnel of employee’s City agency, and/or other authorized City personnel and/or authorized personnel and when warranted and documentation has been forwarded to DOS identifying why the suspension/revocation is warranted;</li> <li>Per recommendation and/or request by a professional within the City of Baltimore Employee Assistance Program;</li> <li>For out of State licensed approved drivers/employees of the City of Baltimore, if an updated Motor Vehicle Report is not provided to DOS every 6 months;</li> <li>Other reasons or circumstances which are deemed as unsafe operation of a City-owned vehicle by DOS or the department head.</li> </ul> The Law and Police Departments are also responsible for reporting any of the above instances within three (3) workdays to DOS.

An employee must officially notify, either in person or in writing, his supervisor and DOS of the suspension, revocation, or expiration of his/her State driver's license within one (1) workday. Failure to notify as required may result in suspension of the employee from work. DOS and the agency head will periodically obtain and review the Maryland State driving record of each employee who possesses a City of Baltimore Driver Permit in order to monitor compliance with the <em>Administrative Manual</em> policy. Employers who have been approved for a CBDP/A but reside in another State outside of Maryland must provide DOS with a certified copy of their State Driving Record every six (6) months, in January and July. Appropriate action will be initiated as required for employees who are in violation of this policy. The appropriate action may include suspension of driving privileges by DOS and/or disciplinary action by agency for insubordination (up to and including termination).

This policy applies to all City employees (Civil Service and non-Civil Service) who will operate Commercial Motor Vehicles (CMV) for and/or owned by the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore. The purpose of this policy is to outline the requirements for all Commercial Driver License (CDL) holders to maintain a City of Baltimore Driver Permit and the specifics of the physical examinations and testing procedures, according to the federal Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations.

In order to operate a City-owned Mayor’s Motor Vehicle Freeze Committee (MMVFC) or activity-assigned vehicle, an employee must meet all of the requirements of <cite data-path="§AM-501-2, Part I">AM-501-2, Part I</cite>. Upon meeting all of the requirements, an employee will be issued a City of Baltimore Driver Permit by the Department of Finance, Division of Occupational Safety (DOS). In addition, all City drivers operating a CMV for and/or owned by the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore are subject to the provisions of the federal DOT regulations. The regulations require that all CDL holders be randomly tested for alcohol and drugs and successfully complete a physical examination every two (2) years, effective January 1, 1995. A City of Baltimore Driver Permit is valid for three (3) years and is renewable, only if the employee completes a Driver Re-certification Training Course and continues to meet all of the requirements of the Motor Vehicle policies in the <em>Administrative Manual </em>Section 501. Drivers are to notify their immediate supervisor of conditions that adversely change their driving status. A CMV, according to 49 CFR 382.107, means “a motor vehicle or combination of motor vehicles used in commerce to transport passengers or property if the motor vehicle: <ul> <li>has a gross combination weight rating of 26,001 or more pounds inclusive of a towed unit with a gross vehicle weight rating if more than 10,000 rounds; or</li> <li>has a gross vehicle weight rating of 26,001 or more pounds; or</li> <li>is designated to transport 16 or more passengers, including the driver; or</li> <li>is of any size and is used in the transportation of materials found to be hazardous for the purposes of the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act and which require the motor vehicle to be placarded under the hazardous Materials Regulations (49 CFR part 172, subpart F).”</li> </ul>

The purpose of this examination is to determine a driver’s physical qualifications to operate a CMV according to requirements and guidelines in 49 CFR 391.41-49. All City drivers are required to successfully complete this examination and obtain a two-year Medical Examiner’s Certificate (i.e.: DOT Card) from the City of Baltimore Occupational Medical Services (Mercy Clinic). The City of Baltimore does not recognize Medical Examiner’s Certificates (DOT Cards) obtained from any outside medical facility. The CDL biennial physical examination will consist of: <ul> <li>Reviewing medical history.</li> </ul> Checking for the following: <ul> <li>Limbs (foot, leg, hand and arm) and their corresponding motion and function (including fingers &amp; hands for power grasping);</li> <li>Insulin dependent diabetes;</li> <li>Cardiovascular disease;</li> <li>Respiratory functions;</li> <li>High blood pressure;</li> <li>Vascular, rheumatic, arthritic, orthopedic, muscular, or neuromuscular disease;</li> <li>Epilepsy or any condition likely to cause a loss of consciousness;</li> <li>Mental, nervous, organic, or functional disease or psychiatric disorder;</li> <li>Vision disorder;</li> <li>Hearing function; and also</li> <li>Substance use.</li> <li>Performing breath alcohol and urine drug tests, according to City policy.</li> </ul> Failure to successfully meet any of the requirements of the CDL biennial physical examination will result in disqualification from receiving the Medical Examiner’s Certificate (DOT Card) and the driver will be considered as “Does Not Meet Standards (DMS).” Depending upon the outcome of the employee’s physical examination, the employee may receive a Medical Examiner’s Certificate (DOT Card) for either three (3) months, six (6) months or one (1) year in place of the two-year Medical Examiner’s Certificate and is considered “Temporarily Qualified (TQ)”. An employee may also be “Deferred (DEFF)” from receiving a Medical Examiner’s Certificate (DOT Card) until additional required information is forwarded to the Mercy Clinic by the employee. It is required that this information be received by the Mercy Clinic within fourteen (14) workdays. If an employee is classified as “Temporarily Disqualified (TD)”, the employee must recover from the physical condition(s) that lead to the limitation(s) prior to being issued the Medical Examiner’s Certificate (DOT Card). Employees are required to closely follow all medical directions for rapid full recovery.

DOS maintains the listing of CDL drivers from which random selections are made for drug and/or alcohol testing. Agencies must supply the names of employees and any subsequent changes with CDL to DOS within 10 workdays. DOS may notify the agency of the names of employees requiring CDL biennial physicals prior to the expiration of the two-year Medical Examiner’s Certificate (DOT Card). . At that point, the agency human resources/personnel designee must contact the Mercy Clinic to schedule examinations. Agencies will receive a daily list from the Mercy Clinic with the names of CDL holders that need to report for testing on the scheduled day. The agency human resources/personnel designee will notify the employee selected to be at the Mercy Clinic, 323 North Calvert Street, at the beginning of the employee’s shift. The employee will report to the Mercy Clinic with the following: a completed Request for Services Form (#28- 1608-5151), a completed Supervisory Drug/Alcohol Testing Order form (#28-1608-5157), and City photo identification. <em>(Note: The drug/alcohol testing order form does not have to be signed by a Substance Abuse Control Officer, SACO).</em>

All CDL employees shall be subject to regulated drug and alcohol testing as enumerated in the Baltimore City Substance Abuse Control Policy.

Negative Test Results: DOS will receive a written report stating negative test results. . The employee will continue to work and will be subject to future testing if selected again by the random selection process. Positive Test Results: DOS will receive a written report stating positive test results. DOS will suspend the employee’s driving privileges.

<ul> <li>Local travel on official City business by one (1) or more agency employees for a minimum of 6,000 miles per year or a minimum of four (4) hours per day.</li> <li>A substantial amount of tools and/or equipment are transported daily by one (1) or more agency employees.</li> </ul>

An employee will be assigned a take-home vehicle provided that at least one of the above-cited assignment condition(s) is met and one (1) of the conditions listed below exists. <ul> <li>Frequent emergency callbacks, at least four (4) per month over a six (6) month period, in conjunction with official City business</li> <li>Frequent attendance, at least four (4) per month over a six (6) month period, is required at meetings held in conjunction with official City business and scheduled after the employee's normal working hours.</li> </ul>

According to the Annotated Code of Maryland, Article 66, S 11-118, "emergency vehicles are special vehicles funded or provided by federal, State, or local government and used for emergency or rescue purposes in this State." All city vehicles to be classified as emergency are subject to the State's requirements. When requesting an Emergency Vehicle, the agency/bureau must submit a Vehicle Assignment Request along with justification for such classification and a completed Application for Approval of Emergency Vehicles or Service Vehicles (State Form VR-26 (7-77) to the MMVFC. The justification should specifically state the type of emergency equipment(s) required and the reasons. The MMVFC will review all of the paperwork submitted and recommend approval or disapproval to the State. The assignee of an Emergency Vehicle is exempt from paying commuting mileage to and from work; however, such assignee is not exempt from additional personal income tax liability, including F.I.C.A. taxes.

Addresses should be typewritten or machine printed in dark ink on a light background using uppercase letters.

All punctuation may be omitted except for the hyphen in the primary or secondary street number (if needed) or the ZIP + 4 code.

All lines of the address should be formatted with a uniformed left margin.

Always place the country name by itself on the last line when using a foreign address.

Include all pertinent information such as the directional code, apartment, floor, and suite number.

The entire address should be contained in an imaginary rectangle know as the Optical Character Reader (OCR) read area that extends from 5/8” to 2 ¾” from the bottom of the mail piece, with 1/2” margins on each side. SEE <cite data-path="§AM-503-1-3">AM-503-1-3</cite>.

Extraneous (non-address) printing that appears in the OCR read area should be positioned above the delivery address line and away from the address block.

Address characters must not touch and should be evenly spaced. All lines of the address should be parallel to the bottom of the envelope.

Agency sends a memo to the Communication Services Administrator. This memo should state the location of the pickup/drop site to be established or eliminated. For new sites, the memo must also contain the account number to be charged.

The Communication Services Administrator notifies the Bureau of Accounting and Payroll Services (BAPS) of the change request that has been approved. Based on the notification, BAPS makes the necessary adjustments to its records so that it will be in effect for the next billing period. As needed BAPS will adjust the current year’s charges.

Losses of $5,000 or less are absorbed by the affected agency.

Losses above $5,000 to limits of commercial insurance policy’s deductible, currently at $500,000, are covered by the City’s Self-Insurance Fund. (The first $5,000 of a covered loss is still the agency’s responsibility.)

Losses in excess of the commercial insurance policy’s deductible, currently at $500,000, are covered by a commercial insurance policy. (In such cases, the first $5,000 is the agency’s responsibility; the next $495,000, or the limits of the commercial insurance policy’s deductible, is covered by the City's Self-Insurance Fund.)

The City’s Self-Insurance Fund <strong>is not </strong>responsible for unexplained disappearance of City-owned property.

The City or the City’s Self-Insurance Fund <strong>is not </strong>responsible for the loss, damage or unexplained disappearance of a City employee’s personal property, unless it is proven to be used for work and is a requirement of employment.

Only losses that would be covered (a covered event or covered cause of loss) under the City’s commercial insurance policy (whether or not the $500,000 deductible was breached), will be paid by the City’s Self-Insurance Fund. When there is a loss of other City property, but not as a result connected with a real property or its contents:

Losses up to $5,000, depending on the particular type of loss and the insurance policy providing such coverage, are absorbed by the affected agency.

Losses above $5,000 to limits of the commercial insurance policy’s deductible are covered by the City’s Self-Insurance Fund. (The first $5,000 of a covered loss is still the agency’s responsibility.)

Losses in excess of the commercial insurance policy’s deductible are covered by a commercial insurance policy. (In such cases, the first $5,000 is the agency’s responsibility; the balance of the commercial insurance policy’s deductible, is the City’s responsibility.) When there is a loss, the entire amount of the loss may be covered by the City’s Self-Insurance Fund or by a commercial insurance policy, subject to the procedures above. The amount of the deductible, which is applied in the all of the above circumstances, may be at the administrative discretion of the Office of Risk Management, Department of Finance, in some cases. See <cite data-path="§AM-505-1-1">AM-505-1-1</cite>. The City generally does not assume responsibility for alleged injuries or damage except those: <ul> <li>Involving City-owned or operated motor vehicles and caused by the negligence of a City employee and not covered by commercial insurance.</li> <li>Involving damages to property of others caused by the negligence of a City employee or agency and not covered by commercial insurance, while said property is under the care, custody and control, per a written agreement signed by an authorized City official.</li> </ul> An agency must notify the Central Bureau of Investigation, Law Department, within 24 hours of any alleged: <ul> <li>Accidental injury to an employee of the City.</li> <li>Claims against the City or its employees.</li> <li>Injury to a person or damage to property of others, while under the care, custody and control, caused by the City or its employees, whether or not covered by commercial insurance.</li> <li>Claims by the City against a person responsible for damages to City property.</li> </ul>

Determine need for maintenance, alterations, or repairs of municipal buildings.

Complete the City form, Requisition for Repairs, Alterations or Construction (#28-1428-5050). <ul> <li>Type all requested information in the spaces provided.</li> <li>Indicate the 15 digit budget account number to be charged in upper left-hand corner of requisition.</li> <li>Mark “Confirmatory” and give date of call in the space labeled “NATURE OF WORK TO BE DONE” when following up on an emergency call.</li> </ul>

Forward requisition to department or bureau head for signature.

Send signed requisition to the Bureau of General Services, Abel Woman Municipal Building, 200 N. Holiday St., Room 801.