KNOXVILLE, TN — City-owned vehicles driven home by employees will be limited to situations advantageous to the local government, according to an announcement by Mayor Bill Haslam on Aug. 24, reported the Knoxville News Sentinel. The new policy is estimated to save more than $100,000 each year, but the City Employees Association said it will hurt some city services, according to the News Sentinel. Effective Jan. 1, 2005, approximately two-thirds of drive-home vehicles will be eliminated. Law enforcement officers will be allowed to drive police cars home if they live within 25 miles of the city’s safety building. This will reduce the number of drive-home vehicles from 98 to 34. Cuts will be seen in the Inspections Division, Codes Enforcement, Housing Programs, Fire Inspection, and the Solid Waste Administration. Anita Cash, vice president of the City Employees Association and a zoning and sign inspector, was critical of Haslam for changing policy without first discussing it with workers. "This will severely impact the people we serve," Cash said. "This will cut down on time to do inspections." Anita Cash, VP of City Employees Association and a zoning and sign inspector, told the News Sentinel that far-ranging workers, such as inspectors, would lose time and efficiency if they have to check out and return a centrally-parked fleet vehicle. Criteria for retaining a drive-home vehicle include:
  • That the employee's job requires the employee to be on call for job-related emergencies on a regular basis each week.
  • That the employee's job requires extensive travel outside of Knox County.
  • That a drive-home vehicle be a condition of employment with the mayor’s approval.
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