YOUNGSTOWN New rules put brake on abuse of city cars

City officials wanted more accountability for employees who drive city-owned vehicles.
By ROGER G. SMITH
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Workers who drive city vehicles now have fewer excuses for using them improperly.
City council has approved a list of changes and additions to the rules governing employee use of vehicles.
The quest to reduce insurance costs prompted the changes, said Iris Guglucello, the city's deputy law director. She handles insurance issues and wrote the new rules.
The major additions are a reshaped traffic disciplinary committee and formal acknowledgment of the mayor's unlimited authority to hand out punishments. Many of the changes are based on New York City's employee-vehicle use rules.
The new rules also put a number of common sense items on paper, Guglucello said.
"We just want greater accountability in employees using city cars," she said.
Clarification
For example, the previous policy said certain top city officials who are on call could use city cars 24 hours a day, including for personal business.
The new rules now define being on call as being accessible by phone, radio or beeper and being within 50 miles of city hall.
On-call workers should be able to get to the city within an hour if they are needed, Guglucello said.
A situation a few years ago illustrates the need for the definition.
In 1999, Mayor George M. McKelvey indefinitely suspended now-retired Water Commissioner Gary Thornton from using a city car. McKelvey also imposed a two-day job suspension. Thornton acknowledged driving the car to Mountaineer Park in West Virginia, a gaming resort.
Records from the cellular telephone assigned to his car showed a couple dozen calls were made from near Mountaineer -- almost exactly 50 miles from city hall.
"We wanted to make it clear," Guglucello said of driving limitations.
Insurance
Such problems crop up periodically, she said, and the city decided to look at preventative measures and update its old rules.
A push from the city's insurance company helped.
The insurer wanted to see a comprehensive policy before offering any reduced rates, Guglucello said. The policy shows the city is being proactive and trying to reduce claims, she said.
Premiums rose about 25 percent recently on city liability and collision coverage. Part of that is because of recent court decisions concerning uninsured motorists. Guglucello called the decisions "ridiculous." Some insurers even have quit doing business in Ohio, she said.
The city is paying $90,400 for liability and $64,400 for property damage insurance on cars.
rgsmith@vindy.com