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Parlier council advances take‑home vehicle policy with added mileage, fuel logs and tracking to curb misuse
Summary
Council discussed and moved to approve a draft take‑home vehicle policy for public works on Aug. 15, asking staff to add mileage and fuel logs, call‑for‑service backup and to explore GPS/tracking; staff will return with final policy language at the Sept. 5 meeting.
The Parlier City Council on Aug. 15 debated a proposed on‑call take‑home vehicle policy for city employees and directed staff to add safeguards intended to prevent past misuse.
Acting City Manager David Serta described the draft policy as modeled on other agencies and limited to employees on on‑call standby who must respond to emergencies. He said the policy would allow city‑owned vehicles to be used for commuting only to enable prompt emergency response and listed standard restrictions (no personal errands, vehicles locked when not in use, parking availability, residence within a 30‑minute driving radius when eligible).
Councilmembers raised several oversight concerns during discussion: how mileage and fuel will be logged, whether there will be a dispatch or work‑order backup to justify overtime and call‑outs, and whether vehicles should carry GPS tracking or in‑vehicle check‑in applications. One councilmember noted prior instances of questionable overtime and credit‑card charges related to city vehicles and urged stronger checks and balances; staff agreed and proposed adding mileage and fuel logs and requiring call‑for‑service documentation as part of the policy.
Public commenters and council members also discussed limiting the privilege, making it revocable for misuse, and maintaining weekly reports or vehicle logs to support overtime claims. The police department already uses MDTs and GPS tracking, and the council asked staff to explore installing similar tracking for public‑works vehicles.
A motion was made to approve the policy with additions requiring mileage/fuel logs and supporting call‑for‑service documentation; council members asked the chief and acting city manager to return with final policy language and implementation steps at the Sept. 5 meeting.
What happens next: Staff will revise the policy to add mileage and fuel logs, dispatch/work‑order backup, and proposed tracking options, and present final language for council approval on Sept. 5. No final dollar figures or contractual changes were approved on Aug. 15.
