ADOPTED - DECEMBER 9, 2008

                                                                                                                        Agenda Item No. 13

 

Introduced by the County Services and Finance Committees of the:

 

INGHAM COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

 

RESOLUTION AMENDING THE COUNTY’S CELL PHONE USAGE AND REIMBURSEMENT POLICY

 

RESOLUTION #08-346

 

WHEREAS, the Ingham County Board of Commissioners authorized in Resolution #98-122, County’s Travel Policy which included provisions for reimbursing employees for business calls on their personal cellular telephone and said provisions were revised by a Technology Cellular Phone Usage & Reimbursement memo dated December 28, 2001; and

 

WHEREAS, the Internal Revenue Service has implemented new requirements concerning governmental employees’ personal use of County issued cell phones; and

 

WHEREAS, a Cell Phone Policy Committee was formed including representatives from Controller’s Office, Sheriff’s Office, Financial Services, Human Resources and Purchasing Departments; and

 

WHEREAS, after reviewing costs and options, the Cell Phone Policy Committee recommends the adoption of the revised Cell Phone Usage and Reimbursement Policy.

 

WHEREAS, the County Attorney’s Office has reviewed the revised Cell Phone Usage and Reimbursement Policy.

 

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Ingham County Board of Commissioners rescinds the current Technology Cellular Phone Usage & Reimbursement Policy memo dated December 28, 2001, and the provision for reimbursing employees for business calls on the personal cellular telephone portion of the Travel and Employee Reimbursement Policy established by Resolution #98-122, with the attached revised Cell Phone Usage and Reimbursement Policy.

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the revised Cell Phone Usage and Reimbursement Policy will supersede all former polices and shall be effective January 1, 2009.

 

COUNTY SERVICES:  Yeas:  Nolan, De Leon, Copedge, Soule, Grebner, Severino

     Nays:  None      Absent:  None        Approved 12/2/08

 

FINANCE:  Yeas:  Grebner, Hertel, Weatherwax-Grant, Schor

     Nays:  Dougan       Absent:  Celentino       Approved 12/3/08


Cell Phone Usage and Reimbursement Policy

 

All employees supplied with a County cell phone may choose one of two methods regarding personal phone calls:

 

1.   Personal Use

 

Method One – Reimbursement of Personal Use

 

An employee may use the County issued phone for personal use and be charged a monthly personal use fee (the monthly fee for 2009 will be $13) which will be deducted from his/her pay check.  If the employee has text and internet service, the fee will be $25 per month unless personal usage causes the bill to exceed the allowable minutes and rate.  (If the employee needs texting and internet service for work purposes only and does not use it for personal use, they will only be charged the phone personal use fee.) These fees will be adjusted on an annual basis and deducted on the second pay of the month.

 

The employee will be expected to keep personal use during business hours to a minimum and to make calls in the most cost-effective way.

 

County telephone billings are subject to FOIA access.

 

Method Two – No Personal Use Allowed

 

An employee can use his/her County issued cell phone exclusively for business use and will be required to sign each monthly bill declaring no personal use.  This bill will be reviewed by the Department Head to verify all usage is business necessary.  The entire bill will be forwarded to Financial Services for review. 

 

2. Lost Phones

 

Any employee who loses a County issued phone will be charged a fee equaling 50% of the cost of replacement of the telephone.  If the employee loses a second phone within the same year, the fee will total 100% of the County’s cost for the replacement phone.

 

3.  Purchasing Phones and Accessories

 

The County may purchase a replacement or upgraded phone no more than once every two years.  This includes any necessary accessories. Any phone may be updated more often if specially requested by the Department Head and justified for County business purposes.

 

4.  Internet and Texting Options

 

Internet and texting capabilities will be limited to employees whose job duties require daily use of internet and texting.  All employees requesting these options must supply a detailed County business justification and Department Head approval.

5.  Business Use of Personal Cell Phones

 

Any employee may be reimbursed for the actual cost of business calls required to be made on a personal telephone.  The County will not reimburse expenses associated with normal monthly costs, service fees, or equipment repair charges.  The amount proposed to be reimbursed must be documented with a copy of an itemized billing statement. 

 

                        A)        Business calls made using “free time” under a cellular phone agreement may be reimbursed at a rate of $.10 per minute.  In no case will the reimbursement exceed the total amount of the cell phone bill.

 

                        B)        Alternatively, reimbursement for business calls may be calculated in proportion to total usage available under a plan.  When using this method, the total minutes used for business call shall be determined and divided by the total minutes available on the plan as set out on the billing for that phone.  The resulting fraction shall be multiplied by the total current charges for that phone. 

 

In either case, the employee is required to submit a monthly expense reimbursement form.