ORD 2007-35 - Amending Personnel Rules Ch. 4,7,8 & 9 (ORD 2005-17) 12-11-2007ORDINANCE 2007 -35
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HUNTSVILLE,
TEXAS, AMENDING THE PERSONNEL RULES OF THE CITY OF HUNTSVILLE
BY AMENDING CHAPTERS 4, 7, 8, and 9; AND MAKING OTHER PROVISIONS
RELATED THERETO.
WHEREAS The City of Huntsville Employee Policies and Procedures were originally adopted on
September 20, 2005, by Ordinance No. 2005 -17; and
WHEREAS Sections of the Employees Policies and Procedures are being amended; and
WHEREAS the Personnel Committee of the City Council has reviewed the recommended
amendments as proposed by the City Manager and Director of Administrative
Services:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS, that:
SECTION 1: Chapter 4, Section 5, Sick Leave of the Personnel Rules of the City of Huntsville, Texas,
is hereby amended to read:
Rates of Accrual
Sick leave benefits will accrue on a bi- weekly basis.
Eligible full -time employees will accrue one (1) sick day for each month worked
The following employees will not accrue sick leave benefits: employees who are regular part -time and
temporary; employees who are on an unpaid leave of absence (including
but not limited to unpaid FMLA leave, extended medical leave of absence, or personal
leave of absence) and employees who are receiving disability benefits.
Accumulation of sick leave credits will be limited see Section 4.05 ( I ). The City will not restore sick
leave credits upon rehiring.
SECTION 2: Chapter 7, Section 5, Worker's Compensation of the Personnel Rules of the City of
Huntsville, Texas is hereby amended to read:
Worker's Compensation
Procedures
O. Any employee seeking treatment for a work related injury must choose a
Treating Doctor from the Alliance list of doctors. If an injured worker chooses to
treat with a non - Alliance doctor, he /she assumes risk of payment for the medical
treatment and potential loss of income benefits. The Training/Risk Coordinator
will coordinate and assist the injured worker in making a doctor appointment for
the employee.
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SECTION 3: Chapter 8, Section 3, Risk Management Procedures of the Personnel Rules of the City of
Huntsville, Texas is hereby amended to read:
C. Personal Protective Equipment The designation and use of protective
equipment for all jobs which have an inherent injury potential shall be specified
by the supervisors involved. Detailed specifications for the design, purchase and
use of all protective equipment shall be coordinated between the Training /Risk
Coordinator and the supervisors and then recommended to the department head.
Specialized protective equipment specified as mandatory on hazardous jobs shall
be provided by the City of Huntsville and employees shall be fully accountable
for its use and condition. Work boots and prescription safety glasses shall be
provided by the City of Huntsville when required.
D. Proper Dress for Work - Each employee shall wear clothing suitable to the job
he /she is performing at all times. Suitable clothing means clothing that will
minimize danger from moving machinery, hot or injurious substances, sunburn,
etc.
All employees working in the field 50% or greater shall wear work boots
or safety shoes suitable for their particular type of work to avoid possible
falling objects, crush type injuries, nail punctures, weed- eaters, slip and
falls and chemicals. Open toed shoes, high heels, loafers and tennis shoes
will not be permitted on job sites.
Individuals with long hair shall wear a cap or net while working around machines.
Individuals required to wear breathing devices in toxic atmospheres shall be clean
shaven where the mask makes contact with the face.
Examples: Employees working on construction sites shall not wear tennis shoes,
loafers or sandals; Employees shall not wear high platform sandals or shoes
while working if the thickness of the sole and heel is extreme and causes the
wearer to walk precariously.
SECTION 4: Chapter 8, Section 6, Injury Reporting and Follow -up of the Personnel Rules of the City
of Huntsville, Texas is hereby amended to read:
Procedure
A. Procedures for Reporting Emplovee Injuries:
2. Supervisors shall first respond to the immediate medical needs of any
injured person(s). This could mean, calling for the Emergency Medical
Service, or driving the injured person to the hospital themselves.
The incident must be reported to their Superintendent. The supervisor
shall immediately notify the Training/ Risk Coordinator in the event
medical attention is needed. The Superintendent must inform the
injured employee that he /she must choose a Treating Doctor from
the Alliance list of doctors. if an injured worker chooses to treat with a
non - Alliance doctor, he /she assumes risk of payment for the medical
treatment and potential loss of income benefits. The Training/Risk
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Coordinator will coordinate and assist the injured worker in making a
appointment for the employee.
3. The Superintendent must ensure that the injured employee fills out the
Injury Investigation Report. The immediate supervisor must sign the
Injury Investigation Report along with the employee involved.
This form is to be turned into the Superintendent immediately and then to
the Training /Risk Coordinator within twenty -four (24) hours of the
injury. It is the responsibility of the Superintendent to notify their
department head of any injury.
C. Procedures for Reportine Vehicle Accidents:
In the event of a vehicle accident, the local police department must be
called to investigate the incident. If the accident is in Walker
County, the Risk Manager must be called in addition to the Police
Department.
2. Collision Reporting Requirements - Any collision involving a City -
owned, rented or leased vehicle or privately -owned vehicle used in
service to the City shall be reported as follows:
1. Summon medical care for any injured parties;
2. Notify appropriate law enforcement authorities;
3. Notify employee's immediate supervisor; where as
4. The supervisor shall immediately notify the Risk Manager.
The supervisor shall be responsible for initiating the departmental
investigation of the collision, completing all required City reports and
recommending any follow -up preventative actions. Reports shall be
received by the Training/Risk Coordinator within forty -eight (48) hours
of the collision.
3. If an injury to the employee occurs as a result of the vehicle accident,
refer to this Section under A, Procedures for Reporting Employee
Injuries.
SECTION 5: Chapter 9, Section 1, Vehicle Operation Policy of the Personnel Rules of the City of
Huntsville, Texas is hereby amended to read:
C. Employees - Are required to follow defensive driving practices which are
established for the protection of employees and the citizens of Huntsville. Each
employee driving a City vehicle shall:
4. Call police in the jurisdiction responsible to investigate all collisions
involving City vehicles and report details to immediate supervisor as
soon as possible. In the instance that a collision occurs on private
property, Risk Management should be contacted instead of the Police
Department as the Police Department will not investigate on private
property.
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5. In addition to Section 10 -01, On the Job Employee Behavior, employees
operating a City vehicle or operating a vehicle in service to the City shall
follow those operating rules.
SECTION 6: Chapter 9, Section 4, Drug and Alcohol Testing of the Personnel Rules of the City of
Huntsville, Texas is hereby amended to read:
4. Random Testing — DOT drivers and safety- sensitive workers are subject
to random drug and alcohol testing.
The City of Huntsville will conduct
drug and
alcohol testing on a
random basis at the beginning, during
or end
of
a regularly scheduled
work shift. The testing dates and times will
be
unannounced and with
unpredictable frequency throughout the
year.
The number of random
tests conducted will, at a minimum,
equal
the
amount required by
federal and/or state regulations.
Every employee will have an equal probability of being selected every
time the selection is conducted. Appropriate safeguards will be present
to ensure that the identity of individuals cannot be determined prior to, or
at the time of their selection. Whenever an employee is randomly selected
to be tested, he or she will be notified of this, just prior to the
test and instructed to report to the collection site immediately. Any
employee who tests positive or who refuses to submit to a test is subject
to disciplinary action up to and including termination.
E. Drug Testing Procedures:
5. Before being tested for drugs and /or alcohol, an employee will be given an
opportunity to list, on his or her copy of the chain of custody form, any
prescriptions and non - prescription medications he or she is taking at the
time of the test. A "positive" drug test may be declared "negative" by the
MRO, if the employee can prove with clear and convincing evidence that
the drug was prescribed by a licensed physician within the last two (2)
years, who is familiar with the employee's medical history and specific
job duties. This determination will be made by the MRO.
SECTION 7: Chapter 9, Section 5, Electronic Communications of the Personnel Rules of the City of
Huntsville, Texas is hereby amended to read:
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to provide users with an understanding of the acceptable conduct that shall
be followed when using technology provided by the City of Huntsville.
References
• Texas Public Information Act
• City of Huntsville Record Retention Policy
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• Approved City of Huntsville software list
Definitions
1. IT - Any employee of the City of Huntsville's Information Technology Division.
2. IT resources - Refers to all computers and other electronic devices (such as laptops,
printers, Blackberry handhelds, cellular telephones, digital cameras, and personal
digital assistants) that are attached to and using City of Huntsville resources,
including its networks, and the applications they support; such as software,
electronic mail, and access to the Internet.
3. User - Any individual who has been issued a domain user name and password which
may include, but not be limited to, a City of Huntsville employee, Mayor and City
Council Member, Board and Commission Member, vendor, and volunteer.
4. Non -user - Any individual who is not classified in section 9.05, Definition 3 — User.
Non —user; for example: friends and/or family members of a user.
5. Electronic Mail (E -mail) - Refers to all electronic mail that is sent, received,
downloaded, or stored when using the City of Huntsville E -mail System. Accesses to
personal Internet e -mail systems, such as accounts with Yahoo, Hotmail, etc., are
subject to provisions stated in Section 9.05 B,— Internet Usage,
6. Virtual Private Network (VPN) - A virtual private network (VPN) is a network that
uses a public telecommunication infrastructure, such as the Internet, to provide
authorized users access to IT resources from remote locations.
Policies
A. Electronic Mail (E -mail)
Use of e -mail communication is permitted for city business - related purposes only.
Users must remember that e -mail messages are not a form of private
communication. All messages that are created, received, and/or stored using IT
resources are considered the property of the City of Huntsville and are subject to
the Texas Public Information Act (formerly the Texas Open Records Act) and the
City of Huntsville Record Retention Policy.
Users should refrain from using e -mail communication to send jokes, racial,
political views, personal opinions, chain letters, or sexually- oriented material.
Messages must not include any offensive, abusive, harassing, threatening, or
obscene material. Users should refrain from using email communication to
operate personal businesses, for commercial promotional purposes, including but
not limited to personal messages offering to buy or sell goods or services. Users
should refrain from subscribing to non -city business - related mass communication
subscriptions, mailing list servers, discussion threads, and newsgroups.
Each user's mailbox has a storage capacity of two gigabytes. When a mailbox
reaches this storage capacity a message will be sent to the user instructing them
to begin cleaning their mailbox and/or to contact IT for assistance with message
archiving procedures. All deleted email messages are stored online for a period of
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thirty days, all deleted messages older than thirty days are automatically purged
from online storage. Emails pertaining to the Texas Public Information Act
(formerly the Texas Open Records Act) and the City of Huntsville Record
Retention Policy are excluded.
B. Internet Usage
The City of Huntsville strictly prohibits the use of the Internet for reasons other
than city business - related purposes. Purposely accessing Web sites that promote
adult content, nudity, violence, racism, religion, drugs, games, online auctions,
gambling, or personal shopping are strictly prohibited. Incidental and occasional
use of the Internet for non -work purposes is permitted during lunch breaks.
Streaming audio or video
from the
Internet for non -city business - related activities
is prohibited. This activity
includes,
but is not limited to, listening
to online radio
stations and watching music
videos
and movie clips. Unwarranted
Internet usage
can cause the city's network system
to become congested resulting
in interruption
of Internet access to users
who are
trying to complete online city
business - related
work.
The terms and conditions of this policy shall also apply to user's accessing the
Internet via any electronic device owned by the City of Huntsville.
Before making purchases on the Internet, employees who are authorized to use
City of Huntsville credit cards must ensure that they are using a secured site.
Secured sites will contain https in the uniform resource locater (URL) to signify
that it is secure.
The use of the Internet is a privilege, not a right, which may be revoked by the
user's department head at any time for unacceptable use.
C. Employee Owned Equipment
The City of Huntsville prohibits the use of employee -owned equipment being
attached to IT resources, unless explicitly approved in writing by the IT Manager.
Examples of employee -owned equipment include, but are not limited to, the
following:
Wireless access devices, Personal digital assistants (PDA), Blackberry handhelds,
laptops, desktops, digital cameras, USB drives, cellular telephones, and /or MP3
players.
D. Non -user
Non- users, as defined in Section 9.05, definition 3. — Non - users, are strictly
prohibited from using any device classified as IT resources.
E. File Storage
Users should refrain from storing personal files, such as documents, photographs,
graphics, etc., on any device classified as IT resources.
IT performs nightly tape backups of all network system files and documents;
therefore, all city business - related documents must be stored on network drives.
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Files and documents stored on a user's desktop or local drive are not accessible
from the city's network system and cannot be backed up or restored.
E. Remote Access (VPN)
The policies and procedures contained herein apply to authorized users of the
City of Huntsville's Virtual Private Network (VPN) Service. All other policies
covering the use of IT resources by authorized users are still in effect when
resources are accessed from remote locations as well as all regulations
governing the protection of confidentiality and integrity of City information,
such as the Texas Public Information Act and the City of Huntsville Record
Retention Policy. Any remote linkage through the VPN service is considered an
extension of the city's network systems, and is subject to all security and
appropriate use policies.
1. Remote Access for Users (VPN)
Users that require access to the city's network system from a remote location will
be provided a unique VPN user name and password. All requests for remote
access must be submitted to the IT Manager for approval and only users issued
City of Huntsville laptops may apply. While accessing the city's network
systems from a remote location all terms and conditions contained within this
policy shall apply.
2. Remote Access for Vendors (VPN)
IT recognizes the need to provide secure remote access to its network systems to
authorized vendors, and their associated business partners, with which specific
contractual relationships have been established. Normally, such vendors need
access only to a specific city network system(s) as required by the contractual
relationship. IT prefers vendors to use the latest Cisco VPN client software to
establish remote connectivity.
Vendors must submit a completed VPN Authorization Form to the IT Manager
explaining the intended purpose for remote access, approximate usage and
duration, as well as full names of all vendor employees that will be accessing the
city's network systems. At no time should any vendor employee provide their
VPN user name and /or password to anyone, not even family members. Vendors
must notify the IT Manager immediately upon termination of an employee who
has been provided VPN privileges.
G. Desktop Remote Access
IT utilizes a variety of desktop sharing applications that provide remote access to
a user's computer when assisting with reported issues. IT will attempt to contact
the user before establishing a remote connection. If the user is unavailable, IT
reserves the right to establish a remote connection to the user's computer in an
attempt to resolve reported issues.
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H. Password Policy and Standards
All user passwords must be constructed, implemented, and maintained according
to the City of Huntsville policies, standards, and/or procedures governing
password management. The City of Huntsville enforces the following password
policy through Microsoft's Active Directory (AD) services at either the Domain
or Organizational Unit (OU) level to ensure compliancy. All users are forced to
login to a Microsoft domain to access network resources.
1. Password Policy
• Do not share City of Huntsville passwords with anyone; including family
members, elected officials, charter officers, co- workers, administrative
assistants supervisors and directors.
Do not reveal a password over the phone, in an e -mail, in a chat session,
or in person to anyone regardless of who they are.
Do not write down and store passwords anywhere.
Do not store passwords in an unencrypted state on any IT resource
(including PCs, Palm Pilots or similar handheld devices.
Do not talk or hint about the format of your password in front of others.
• Do not allow unauthorized individuals to have access to City's resources,
or otherwise permit any use which would jeopardize the security of the
City's electronic communication systems.
2. Password Standards
• Passwords shall be a minimum length of eight (8) characters on systems.
• Passwords shall not be a dictionary word or proper name.
• Passwords and the user -id shall not be the same.
• Passwords shall be changed within a maximum of every 60 days.
• All systems shall prevent password reuse of the last three (3) passwords.
• Passwords shall not be transmitted in the clear outside the secure domain.
1. Monitoring, Reporting and Filtering Rights
Internet usage and e -mail communications are monitored daily to ensure
compliance with this policy and any applicable local, state, and federal laws or
regulations related to the use and security of city information.
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J.
I:4
L.
1. Monitoring Rights
IT has the right to monitor all activity conducted while using IT resources. IT may
monitor Internet and desktop application usage to diagnose and repair network
performance issues and ensure user compliance to this policy.
2. Reporting Rights
IT has the ability to provide reports on a user's computer activity while using IT
resources. IT collects detailed information on all desktop application and Internet usage
and has the ability to provide reports on such usage by user name, computer, or
department.
All requests for desktop application, email, or Internet usage reports must be submitted to
the Human Resoufces Director for review and approval.
3. Filtering Rights
IT has the right to filter and/or block access to specific Web sites or categories of Web
sites to enforce Internet usage rules, as defined in Section 9.05 B — Internet Usage, in an
effort to reduce bandwidth usage and improve the city's overall network system
performance.
Software and hardware purchases, installation, and licensine
Employees may not purchase and/or install any hardware or software without the
approval of IT. Existing hardware and software owned by the City may not be re- located
or re- distributed and installed without the consent of IT. Employees should immediately
notify the IT Manger if they discover unlicensed software on any IT resource. The
installation of trial software for research and testing, authorized by the vendor, is
acceptable.
Software not listed on the approved City of Huntsville software list will not be
supported.
Disciplinary Actions
Any user who fails to comply or adhere to the City of Huntsville Electronic
Communications Policy may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including
termination.
Requests for Public Disclosure of Electronic Records
All requests for release of any data in electronic form, including hard -copy
printout, shall be handled in conformance with Federal, State, and City of
Huntsville open records laws, policies, and procedures. All requests for release
shall be returned to the Office of the City Secretary.
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SECTION 8: This Ordinance shall take effect immediately.
PASSED AND APPROVED THIS 11" DAY OF DECEMBER 2007.
A. Brim, City Secretary
ZAPPRVED AS TO ORM� '
X) Leeper, Cit tome
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