City of Largo, Florida Administrative Policies and Procedures Manual

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City of Largo, Florida

Administrative Policies and Procedures Manual

July 2022

 
 
 
 
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Contents 
Policy Manual Maintenance Instructions............................................................................... 5 
City Commission Policies ..................................................................................................... 6 
City Commission Memos and Presentations ................................................................................................... 6 
Commission Requests ................................................................................................................................... 10 
Public Records Requests ............................................................................................................................... 11 
Housing Cost Impact Analysis ....................................................................................................................... 14 
Employee Policies .............................................................................................................. 16 
Criminal History Check................................................................................................................................... 16 
Workplace Appearance and Attire ................................................................................................................. 17 
Drug Free Workplace ..................................................................................................................................... 19 
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) ........................................................................................................... 36 
Exit Interviews ................................................................................................................................................ 37 
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ................................................................................................................... 38 
Discrimination and Harassment ..................................................................................................................... 41 
Internal Investigations .................................................................................................................................... 44 
Tobacco Free Workplace ............................................................................................................................... 47 
City Payments to Team Members .................................................................................................................. 48 
Personnel Changes (New Position, Reclassification, Delete / Add) .............................................................. 50 
Service Recognition ....................................................................................................................................... 51 
Travel ............................................................................................................................................................. 52 
Temporary Position, Request to Hire Non-Budgeted .................................................................................... 56 
Interview Expenses & Relocation Assistance ................................................................................................ 58 
Ethics ............................................................................................................................................................. 60 
Hiring Process ................................................................................................................................................ 64 
Sick Leave Transfer ....................................................................................................................................... 74 
Veteran's Preference ..................................................................................................................................... 75 
Acting Pay ...................................................................................................................................................... 78 
Notice of Privacy Practice/HIPAA .................................................................................................................. 79 
Federally Designated Day of Observance ..................................................................................................... 85 
Employee Referral Incentive Program ........................................................................................................... 86 
Team Member / Manager of the Quarter ....................................................................................................... 88 
Long Term Disability ...................................................................................................................................... 90 
Social Media ................................................................................................................................................... 91 
Authorized Leave Without Pay ....................................................................................................................... 97 
Project Management ...................................................................................................................................... 98 
Personal Computing Device Purchase Program ......................................................................................... 104 
Attendance ................................................................................................................................................... 106 

 
 
 
 
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Rehire of Retirees ........................................................................................................................................ 110 
Public Information ........................................................................................................................................ 111 
Work-A-Mile Program................................................................................................................................... 117 
Flexible Workplace ....................................................................................................................................... 118 
Employee Volunteer Program ...................................................................................................................... 121 
Sustainability and Resilience Action Team .................................................................................................. 124 
Asset Management ...................................................................................................................................... 126 
FMLA ............................................................................................................................................................ 128 
Emergency Management Policies .................................................................................... 130 
Emergency Pay ............................................................................................................................................ 130 
Facilities Policies .............................................................................................................. 132 
Construction Project Management ............................................................................................................... 132 
Security and Security Inspection .................................................................................................................. 138 
Financial Policies .............................................................................................................. 142 
Budget Transfers & Amendments ................................................................................................................ 142 
Accounts Payable ........................................................................................................................................ 144 
Purchasing ................................................................................................................................................... 161 
Grant Application, Administration, Closeout and Lobbying ......................................................................... 162 
Legal Policies ................................................................................................................... 174 
Americans with Disabilities Act .................................................................................................................... 174 
City Attorney’s Office.................................................................................................................................... 179 
Purchase of Property by City ....................................................................................................................... 181 
Sale of City-Owned Property ....................................................................................................................... 182 
Public Meetings/Events ................................................................................................................................ 183 
Management Policies ....................................................................................................... 186 
Flags ............................................................................................................................................................ 186 
Risk Policies ..................................................................................................................... 191 
Transitional Duty .......................................................................................................................................... 191 
Risk Management ........................................................................................................................................ 193 
Safety Prescription Glasses ......................................................................................................................... 199 
Safety Shoes ................................................................................................................................................ 201 
Sewer Blockages ......................................................................................................................................... 203 
Vehicle Crashes ........................................................................................................................................... 205 
Use of Personal Vehicles for City Business ................................................................................................. 208 
Risk Fund/Claims Procedures – Damage to City Property .......................................................................... 210 
Traffic Calming ............................................................................................................................................. 212 
Technology Policies .......................................................................................................... 217 
Extended Technology Support Hours .......................................................................................................... 230 

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Technology Governance Committee (TGC) Charter ................................................................................... 233

Cybersecurity Awareness and Training Program ........................................................................................ 235

Vehicle Policies ................................................................................................................ 237

CDL Pre-Trip Inspections ............................................................................................................................. 237

Fleet Management ....................................................................................................................................... 239

Vehicle Take-home Policy ........................................................................................................................... 246

Fleet Management - General ....................................................................................................................... 247

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Policy Manual Maintenance Instructions

The City Manager's Office is responsible for maintaining and distributing the Administrative Policies

and Procedures Manual. The City Manager is the final approval on all polices. All administrative

regulations relating to overall City operations are to be available in this manual. Due to the fact the

policies and procedures included in this manual affect all City employees, it is mandatory that the

manual be kept current and at least one copy be available to all employees.

It is very important that additions, deletions, and revisions be brought to the attention of all

departmental employees at the time they are distributed.

If a department has a policy and procedure that affects individuals outside that specific department,

the policy is to be included in this manual.

The manual is divided by specific categories and will include policy numbers, as well as the name

and date of policies being revised and/or replaced.

The following procedure is established for adding, deleting, or revising policies:

Adding New Policy

1. Department submits draft of policy and procedure to City Manager's Secretary.

2. Include the specific category in which the policy is to be placed.

3. The City Manager's Secretary will prepare the policy in the proper format, submit to the City

Manager for review and approval.

4. New policy will be distributed to all individuals listed in the City Manager's Office as having an

Administrative Policies and Procedures Manual.

Deleting Existing Policy

Department Director submits a written memo to the City Manager explaining why the policy is no

longer valid. After review and approval, the City Manager's Office will notify all manual holders that

the policy is to be deleted.

Revising Existing Policy

1. Department submits a draft of the revised policy and procedure for approval, explaining the

reason(s) for the revision.

2. After review and approval by the City Manager, the revised policy will be prepared in the proper

format and distributed to all manual holders.

It is imperative that each department assume responsibility for reviewing their departmental policies

on a regular basis to ensure that all City employees are working under the same regulations. It is

also imperative that as new policies are developed, existing policies are revised, or as policies are

deleted, personnel in your department are notified of these changes.

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City Commission Policies

CITY OF LARGO PERSONNEL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Policy:

City Commission Memos and Presentations

Policy Number: CC-01-02

Policy Manager: City Clerk’s Office/Administration

Effective Date: October 1, 2021

Preceding Policy Date: 4/01/2021

PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to assist team members involved in the City Commission memo writing

process so that information is provided to the City Commission in a consistent, concise, and

comprehensive manner which allows them to make the most intelligent, practical and beneficial

decision, and to make agenda memos readily available to the public.

POLICY

Team members will use the City’s agenda management tool for agenda memo preparation, ensure

that any applicable legal reviews have been completed and documents signed, and that all relevant

budgetary information is included.

DEFINITIONS

1. Agenda Memo – Document that explains a request made to the City Commission to approve a

purchase, expenditure, ordinance, resolution, agreement, policy or initiative.

2. Legal Review – Process for obtaining City Attorney’s signature on a document.

3. Motion – Specific action to be taken by the City Commission on an agenda item. A Potential

Motion is to be included on all Regular Meeting Agenda Memos to ensure that the City

Commission votes on a specific action.

4. Ordinance – Legislation enacted by the City Commission, may amend the Code of Ordinances,

amend the Comprehensive Development Code, annex property, amend the budget or amend

a land use designation.

5. Resolution – A statement enacted by the City Commission, may adopt the City budget, establish

a board or a program or approve a grant agreement.

PROCEDURE

Meeting Schedule

The City Commission meets for Regular Meetings on the first and third Tuesdays of each month,

unless there is a special meeting scheduled, and on the second Tuesday of each month for Work

Sessions. Meetings for the year are created in the agenda management software by the City Clerk’s

Office. Team members can create their agenda items directly in the software on their own, however

Ceremonial items must be approved by the Mayor via email to the Mayor / Legislative Aide prior to

inclusion on the agenda.

Legal Review

The standard turnaround time for legal review is two weeks. Depending on the attorneys' workload

and the complexity of the item being reviewed it could take less time or longer. The department is

responsible for the processing of their legal document from submission, revision, legal approval, and

signature in sufficient time for inclusion on a City Commission agenda. Once the document is signed

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by the other party(ies), and then by the City Attorney and submitted to the City Clerk’s Office, it can

be included on the City Commission agenda. Memos that are submitted into a workflow without

documents being signed by the City Attorney’s office will be rejected. It is up to the departments to

check the status of the documents and resubmit the memo once they are signed by the City Attorney’s

office. The department is also responsible for ensuring an agreement is signed by the Mayor or City

Manager, and then providing a copy of the fully signed agreement to the other party(ies).

Agenda memos are due 12 days prior to the meeting (2nd Thursday prior), by entering the memo

information into the agenda management tool and submitting it into the appropriate workflow based

on budgetary impact and purchasing. Memo writers should ensure that departmental approvers

(Director or Assistant Director) approve the memo by noon and that any ordinances, resolutions,

agreements, contracts, scope & fee documents and any other document requiring legal review and

approval have been signed and submitted to the City Clerk’s Office.

Ordinances and Resolutions

1. One original ordinance/resolution will be prepared or reviewed and signed by the City Attorney

or Assistant City Attorney. Ordinances and resolutions should be submitted to the City

Attorney's office a minimum of four weeks prior to the projected first reading date. Ordinances

and resolutions must be signed by the attorney by the due date of the agenda memo (12 days

before the City Commission meeting date), in order to go on the agenda.

2. Ordinances and resolutions will be prepared with the pages numbered and any and all exhibits

attached. Ordinances must be copied to /home/largo/lg/ordinance(insert year) and resolutions

copied to /home/largo/lg/resolution/.

3. When ordinances (or other existing documents) are being revised and old language is being

replaced with new language, new language will be underlined and the old language crossed

through.

4. Once the ordinance is signed by the attorney, hard copy or electronically, it should be

submitted to the City Clerk, who will take care of advertising for second reading* and obtaining

final signatures after adoption.

5. Adopted ordinances are recorded as needed by the City Clerk's Office and scanned for

permanent retention. Annexation ordinances are recorded and then distributed to appropriate

agencies.

* Planning Division staff will need to notify the City Clerk's Office of second reading dates when

ordinances are approved on first reading without such date.

Memo Consistency:

1. Idiomatic expressions and phrases shall not be used in any City Commission memos.

2. Do not use slang, informal words, jargon or non-standard words or phrases.

3. A glossary of acronyms used must be included at the end of the memo when acronyms are

used in the title, summary or motion.

4. Do not abbreviate the City of Largo as “Largo.” Other governmental names, such as Pinellas

County, State of Florida, various departments, agencies or divisions of the federal

government, shall also not be abbreviated.

5. Do not abbreviate City Commission as “Commission.”

6. The Fiscal Year should be written as FY 2021.

7. Do not use personal pronouns (he, she, I, we, they).

8. All City Commission memos shall be written in Arial 10-point font.

9. Attachments of more than one page will have pages numbered. Contracts and Agreements

will not be attached to individual memos. One contract file will be attached to the final agenda

packet.

10. Attachments will be listed in the order in which they are attached.

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Commission Memos will contain the following:

• TITLE: Name of the item as it will appear on the City Commission meeting agenda in Initial

Capitals

• SUMMARY: The Summary should include a concise description of the agenda item that

provides sufficient information for making a decision.

• BUDGETARY IMPACT: Provide the budgeted amount, available amount and expenditure

amount. This section should be left blank if not applicable.

• POTENTIAL MOTIONS: Motions are to be written in all caps, begin with “I MOVE TO

APPROVE/DISAPPROVE” and mirror the title of the memo, with the exception of ordinances

and

First reading ordinance:

I MOVE TO APPROVE/DISAPPROVE ORDINANCE NO. ____ ON FIRST READING AND

SCHEDULE A SECOND READING AND PUBLIC HEARING ON ________.

Second reading ordinance:

I MOVE TO ADOPT/DENY ORDINANCE NO. ____ ON SECOND AND FINAL READING.

Resolutions:

I MOVE TO APPROVE/DISAPPROVE RESOLUTION NO. _______.

Examples of Motions for items other than ordinances or resolutions:

I MOVE TO APPROVE/DISAPPROVE AWARD OF BID NO. _____, REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT

OF FASCIA AND GUTTER SYSTEM AT THE SOUTHWEST RECREATION COMPLEX, TO

CALADESI CONSTRUCTION IN THE AMOUNT OF $16,450.

I MOVE TO APPROVE/DISAPPROVE REQUEST BY BIG BROTHERS/BIG SISTERS OF

PINELLAS COUNTY FOR A WAIVER OF FEES OF THE BUILDING RENTAL CHARGES OF $67.50

FOR USE OF HIGHLAND COMPLEX AND POOL ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2020, FOR

AN ANNUAL PICNIC FOR THE CHILDREN.

I MOVE TO APPROVE/DISAPPROVE RENEWAL OF BANKING SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH

FIRST UNION NATIONAL BANK FOR THREE YEARS BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2020.

Second Reading Ordinance Memos

• TITLE: Name of the item as it appeared on first reading with “First” replaced with “Second”.

Use initialed caps.

• CHANGES FROM FIRST READING: Any change made to the ordinance after original

submission.

• PREVIOUS ACTION: Action take on first reading, including vote.

Work Session Memos

A memo for every work session agenda item will be required for inclusion in the agenda packets even

though the item may only be a presentation or verbal report. The memo will include the same

information as Regular Meeting memos, except that instead of “Potential Motion,” “Commission

Direction Requested” will be indicated. If the item is informational in nature, enter “None” in this

section.

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Verbal Presentations Before the City Commission

The following general rules and guidelines should be observed by all team members when making

presentations to the City Commission:

1. Presentations should not be read to the City Commission.

2. Presentations should not contain any idiomatic phrases, acronyms, slang, informal words,

jargon, or other non-standard words.

3. If the presentation includes a Power Point component, the slides should summarize

information and not be excessively wordy or difficult to read on the television or computer

screen. Use prepared templates with the City logo and colors.

4. Staff members should avoid the use of first names when referring to other team members or

consultants.

5. Elected officials shall be addressed as Mayor or Commissioner and not by their first names.

6. Presenters should follow the direction by the City Manager or Mayor regarding the length of

the presentation, the discontinuation of the presentation, or the need to clarify information.

7. Complete answers to all City Commission questions should be given, if more information is

required, the presenter should simply state that he or she is unable to answer the question

and will get back to the City Commission as soon as possible.

Presentation needs and ceremonial items must be reported to Communications and Engagement

staff prior to the meeting. When presentations are prepared by outside consultants, team members

will ensure that the presentation is reviewed and provided to staff in advance of the meeting.

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Commission Requests

Policy Number: CC-01-03

Originating Department/Division: Administration

Effective Date: July 15, 2001

Approved By:

Supersedes Policy: N/A

Dated: N/A

PURPOSE

This policy is intended to provide clarity to staff on how to handle requests for information from the

City Commission.

POLICY

City staff is responsible for providing the most accurate, timely and thorough responses to City

Commission requests. Other than responses to general questions from the City Commission, the City

Manager is responsible for ensuring that Commission requests are addressed accurately and in a

timely manner.

PROCEDURE

Requests through City Administration

1. Members of the City Commission, either through the Legislative Aide or directly to the City

Manager, provide requests for information from City staff. These requests may be in memo form,

by e-mail, telephone, or in person.

2. Commission requests are forwarded by the City Manager's Office to the specific department

director for action and/or response.

3. Department Directors gather requested information and respond to the City Manager and

Executive Assistant to the City Manager within 72 hours. If a full response cannot be provided

within 72 hours, then an interim response shall be sent to the City Manager's Office along with any

information collected to date and an expected date of the completed response.

4. The City Manager's Office forwards response to the Legislative Aide to compile and distribute to

the City Commission.

5. The City Manager's Office is responsible for following up on these requests until a full, final

response is received.

Requests Directly to Departments

In the event a member of the City Commission contacts a department directly, the department is still

responsible for providing the response back to the City Manager's Office and not directly to the

Commissioner. Numbers 3-5 above shall apply to these departmental responses as well.

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CITY OF LARGO PERSONNEL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Policy:

Public Records Requests

Policy Number: CC-17-01

Policy Manager: City Clerk’s Office/Administration

Effective Date: April 1, 2021

Preceding Policy Date: 10/01/17

PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to provide procedures for accepting, acknowledging and filling requests

for public records.

POLICY

In accordance with Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, the term public record is defined in Chapter 119,

Florida Statutes, maintained by the City, except those records or portions thereof that are confidential

or exempt under Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, shall be furnished upon request. The City Clerk’s

Office shall coordinate the filling of each request in conjunction with the applicable department(s),

with the exception of the Police Department. Records requests for records maintained by the Police

Department shall be coordinated by the Records and Property Manager in accordance with that

department's standard operating procedures. It is important to recognize that the Public Records Law

requires that the public's access to public records may not be arbitrarily, excessively or artificially

delayed.

DEFINITIONS

1. Public Record - All documents, papers, letters, maps, books, tapes, photographs, films, sound

recordings, data processing software, or other material, regardless of the physical form,

characteristics, or means of transmission, made or received pursuant to law or ordinance or in

connection with the transaction of official business by any agency and as that term is interpreted

by case law.

2. Confidential Record - Information is not subject to inspection by the public and may only be

released to those persons and entities designated in the applicable statute.

3. Exempt Record – Not subject to the mandatory disclosure requirements of the Public Records

Law; an agency, however, is not prohibited from disclosing such record.

4. Redact – Conceal from a copy of an original public record or to conceal from an electronic image

that portion of a record containing exempt or confidential information.

PROCEDURE

Receipt of records requests by individual departments or departmental records custodians will be

acknowledged as follows:

“We have received your records request and will begin processing.

You will be advised of any charges related to this request and whether a deposit will

be required. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Name & Title”

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At no time should requesters be asked to identify themselves or provide identifying information or be

questioned about the purpose of their request. Staff can ask for clarification if they are unsure of the

records to be produced.

The City Clerk must be copied on all acknowledgments and will notify the City Manager and Assistant

City Manager of all non-routine requests. The City Attorney and Risk Manager will be notified by the

City Clerk of requests necessitating input from the City Attorney's Office, including all requests

involving litigation or a legal claim. Requests received by the City Clerk will be forwarded to the

appropriate employee(s) in those department(s) that may have records that would be responsive to

the request, with a copy of said request being sent to the employee(s)’ supervisor and/or manager as

appropriate. The employee from each department maintaining records responsive to a request shall

notify the City Clerk via email as to whether the department has any of the records and shall include

an estimate of costs to fulfill the request. A cost estimate must be provided to the requester in a

timely manner. Therefore, the custodian of records from each department receiving a request will

provide a cost estimate to the City Clerk after receiving the request, consistent with Appendix B to

the Code of Ordinances. A deposit may be required at the discretion of the City Clerk based on the

following criteria:

1. The cost estimate is in excess of $100; or

2. The requesting party has previously requested records and not remitted payment or has failed

to retrieve records produced in response to a prior request; or

3. It is estimated to take more than 15 minutes of City staff time to fulfill the request, (including

the time to determine if any of the requested documents are exempt or confidential and to

redact any exempt or confidential information), in which case the deposit shall include the

estimated cost of City staff to fulfill the request.

If a deposit is required, work on the request shall not proceed until the deposit amount is received in

full. Should the final cost be less than the deposit amount, the City Clerk’s Office will refund the

amount in excess of the actual cost to produce the records to the requesting party.

Costs for reproduction are to be charged as follows:

• One-sided copies (up to legal size): .15c per page

• Two-sided copies (up to legal size): .20 per page

• Records copied onto other media and all other records copies will be charged the actual cost

of reproduction.

If the amount of records and staff time is determined to be voluminous (exceeds 15 minutes of City

staff time to fulfill the request, including the time to determine if any of the requested documents are

exempt or confidential and to redact any exempt or confidential information), the department records

custodian shall notify the City Clerk, who will then contact the requesting party to determine whether

the request can be narrowed.

When compiling records, staff is to provide only the specific records being requested, that already

exist, and only in a format in which they are readily/reasonably available. Staff are not required to

create documents to comply with a request, nor is staff obligated to answer questions. Whenever

possible, records will be scanned and emailed to the requesting party instead of copied. Records that

are protected by federal copyright will not be provided to a requesting party. In such instances, the

City Clerk’s office will contact the requesting party to schedule a time in which they may come review

the records. Staff shall not assist any party with the reproduction of copyrighted materials.

Once compiled, records will be forwarded to the requesting party along with an invoice for the cost

for staff time if staff time exceeds 15 minutes (including the time to determine if any of the requested

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documents are exempt or confidential and to redact any exempt or confidential information), and the

number of pages in instances where a deposit was not provided or where costs are in excess of the

deposit. A complete copy of all records provided regarding litigation, or a legal claim will be provided

to the City Attorney's Office. Individual departments may keep a copy of records provided at their

discretion. The hourly rate of the staff member(s) doing the research, review and redaction will be

charged to the requesting party, however staff time for copying will be charged at the rate of support

staff. Payment shall be collected from the requesting party prior to the release of any records. A

receipt shall be issued for all payments.

The law requires all requests must be responded to within a reasonable time frame depending on the

nature and volume of the request. This would include the time it takes to locate the requested records,

review them for exempt information, redact exempt information and make the records available for

inspection or email/copy the records, consistent with the other duties and responsibilities of the

records custodian or the records custodian's office.

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CITY OF LARGO PERSONNEL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Policy:

Housing Cost Impact Analysis

Policy Number: CC-22-01

Policy Manager: Office of Performance & Budget

Effective Date: July 1, 2022

Preceding Policy Date: N/A

PURPOSE

This policy is intended to fulfill the following State Statutory requirement: The establishment of a

process by which a local government considers, before adoption, policies, procedures, ordinances,

regulations, or plan provisions that increase the cost of housing.

FS 420.9076(4)(i)

POLICY

It is the intent of the City of Largo to provide the Largo City Commission and the public with a

determination on whether proposed regulatory or policy changes will impact the cost of housing. If

such impacts are likely to occur if the regulatory or policy change is approved, information on

potential per unit impacts will be included with Commission memos for those items brought forth for

City Commission action for consideration in decision making on such items. The Statute above

indicates a requirement to consider increases in the “cost of housing.” The City Manager is required

to sign an annual certification along with the annual State Housing Initiative Partnership (SHIP)

Program Report that identifies the cumulative per unit costs of new housing construction and

cumulative per unit costs for housing rehabilitation from all policy/regulatory changes made during

the year. For purposes of this policy and procedure, the impacts to housing construction,

rehabilitation, and annual housing costs (ex. utility increases) will be evaluated for impacts to

housing to allow the City Commission to make an informed decision.

PROCEDURE

City Administration will coordinate with iCompass to add a section to the Report Details Section of

the Commission Memo form in iCompass as follows:

Impacts Housing Costs: __Yes _No

Housing Cost Impacts: [enter N/A if no impacts or a brief summary on the expected housing

impacts]

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The staff member writing the memo will make this determination as to whether or not the policy

change would impact housing costs. If the staff member is unclear as to whether it would affect the

cost of housing, the staff member can email the draft Commission memo to the Housing Grant

Specialist in the Housing Division for technical assistance. Furthermore, it is important to evaluate

costs to owner and renter housing as it can have a direct impact on housing affordability in the

Largo community. If the policy/regulation being proposed is likely to impact housing costs, the

following guidelines should be used to evaluate the impacts on housing costs:

• Does it impact the cost of housing construction?

• Does it impact the cost of housing rehabilitation?

• Does it impact the cost of ongoing household costs (ex. utility increases)?

• Do the impacts reduce or increase the cost of housing?

• Project costs on a per-unit basis

o For new construction impacts – use $200,000 for standard per unit new construction costs

o For rehabilitation construction impacts – use $50,000 for standard per unit rehabilitation

costs

o For property tax increases – Use per unit both impacts on homesteaded properties

($200,000 less $50,000 Homestead Exemption) and rental units ($200,000) should be

evaluated.

Examples:

• A 10% increase to Building permit fees is proposed:

o Identify all components of the fee structure impacted by the increase (plans

examination fees are a percent of permit fees)

o Calculate the per-unit housing costs for new construction for permit fee costs under

the existing fees. o Then calculate the permit fee costs under the proposed fee

increase.

o Use the difference between the two for calculating the impact.

o Then do the same calculation for housing rehabilitation impacts.

• Increase in impact fees:

o Calculate the current per unit cost

o Then calculate the proposed per unit cost.

o Subtract the two costs.

Other Examples of Potential Impacts:

• Adding/removing development fees

• Adding/removing architectural requirements

• Adding/changing landscape requirements for residential developments

• Increasing utility fees

Related Documents: Annual SHIP Certification

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Employee Policies

CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Criminal History Check

Policy Number: E-01-01

Policy Manager: Human Resources

Effective Date: January 1, 2022

Preceding Policy Date: 04/01/2011

POLICY

As a municipal government that provides varied services to the residents of Largo, it is incumbent

upon the Administration to deliver these services through team members who are of sound and

trustworthy character. To assure suitability as a public team member, applicants with a felony

conviction within the last five years will not be considered for employment with the City of Largo.

Applicants with a felony conviction greater than five years, or misdemeanor conviction within the last

five years will be disqualified if the conviction is related to the duties and responsibilities of the

position for which the applicant is being considered, or is inconsistent with the City's Ethics Policy.

PROCEDURE

All position classifications will be screened for criminal history as part of the post-offer employment

background check for full-time and part-time Executive, Senior Management, Supervisory,

regular positions, temporary, volunteer, or intern positions that require computer access. The

criminal history search will be in each state the candidate has resided within the last ten years. The

hiring department will notify the Human Resources Business Partner at the appropriate time, as

follows:

•Executive or Senior Management vacancies: When the top candidates are determined

following the personal interview process, or earlier at the hiring department's option.

•All other full-or part-time regular and temporary, volunteer or intern positions that require

computer access: When the candidate has been offered the position contingent upon the

successful completion of a post-offer physical and/or drug screening.

Contact the Human Resources Business Partner by telephone or e-mail to provide the name,

position, and any other pertinent information of the prospective team member.

Human Resources will discuss any resulting information inconsistent with information on the

employment application with the prospective team member. Omissions will result in

disqualification. The Department Director and Human Resources Director, or designee, will

discuss any felony convictions that occurred more than five years ago, or misdemeanor convictions

that occurred within the last five years for suitability consistent with this policy.

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Workplace Appearance and Attire

Policy Number: E-01-03

Policy Manager: City Manager

Effective Date: October 1, 2021

Preceding Policy Date: 02/01/2015

PURPOSE

The City of Largo strives to deliver superior services that inspire community pride. This policy is

intended to provide guidance on the image the organization wants to convey to the public and outline

what the organization considers as appropriate and safe work attire. The guiding principles for this

policy include: alignment with High Performance Organization (HPO) philosophies, recruiting and

retaining top talent, and supporting an environment that cultivates innovation and celebrates diversity.

POLICY

Team members work in many different settings and have vastly different job duties. Examples of the

diverse work environments include office and virtual environments, field work, and uniformed public

safety roles. Due to the variety of work, it is impractical to adopt one appearance and workplace attire

standard for everyone. Implementation of the parameters in this policy is the responsibility of the

Department Director through departmental policies and procedures, and in consultation with Human

Resources.

All individuals representing the City of Largo are expected to present a neat and professional

appearance at both in-person and virtual work settings. Presenting a professional appearance can

instill greater trust and confidence in members of the public about City services. The City supports

the expression of individual identities in the workplace through:

• Clothing

• Jewelry - including body piercings

• Hair Color

• Tattoos

• Personal Grooming (e.g., beards and hair styles)

These expressions of individual identity must not restrict or impair the individual's ability to perform

their job duties, impede effectiveness in their role, or present a safety hazard. Uniforms, clothing, and

shoes must fit appropriately, be well maintained in good condition, and be appropriate to the

individual's position and job duties. In accordance with the City’s harassment and discrimination

policy, visible tattoos, must not be offensive or discriminatory to fellow team members or the public.

Tattoos on the face are prohibited. Department Directors may establish further guidelines, if

necessary, to meet operational or safety needs.

Denim jeans are permitted on Fridays for non-uniformed team members and on special days, as

designated by the City Manager. Team members attending regular City Commission meetings should

wear standard business professional attire. Team members attending City Commission work

sessions should wear standard business casual attire. If you have questions about alignment with the

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Workplace Attire Policy or need an accommodation, contact your supervisor and/or the Human

Resources Department.

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Drug Free Workplace

Policy Number: E-01-04

Policy Manager: Human Resources

Effective Date: January 1, 2022

Preceding Policy Date: 07/01/2014

PURPOSE

The City recognizes that drug and alcohol abuse is a nationwide problem which significantly affects

the health, safety, and performance of the work force and society as a whole. The City recognizes

that substance abuse is a complex disease that may often be remedied by prompt and appropriate

treatment and encourages those who abuse drugs or alcohol to seek help. To assist Team

Members who seek help, the City has contracted with a confidential Team Member Assistance

Program.

This Policy prohibits the use, sale, distribution, manufacture, or possession of alcohol, drugs or

related paraphernalia or being under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs to the extent of possible

impairment, defined as having bodily concentrations of metabolites of drugs or alcohol exceeding

threshold levels while on the City premises or worksites or anytime while operating City vehicles or

personal vehicles for City business, whether resulting from usage on or off the job, unless taken as

prescribed by a licensed physician.

POLICY

All City Team Members are expected, as a condition of employment, to remain free of drugs or

alcohol in the workplace. The City will not tolerate the use of illegal drugs by its Team Members, nor

will it tolerate the use of any drug or alcohol which may imperil the health, safety, or well-being of its

Team Members or the public.

The City supports and will endeavor to maintain a drug free workplace as defined by the Florida

Drug Free Workplace Act, Section 440.102, Florida Statutes, the Rules of the State of Florida,

Department of Health, Chapter 59A-24, Fla. Admin. Code, Drug Free Workplace Standards, and

the Florida Department of Labor and Employment Security pursuant to the Rules for Workers'

Compensation Drug Testing, 38F-9 Fla. Admin. Code. To this end, the City has developed Part A -

City Team Member Program of the Drug Free Workplace Policy and Part B - DOT Regulated Team

Member Program. Part B is established pursuant to 49§521(b). U.S. Code, Civil Penalties, 49§382

Code of Federal Regulations, Controlled Substances and Alcohol Use and Testing, 49§40 Code of

Federal Regulations, Procedures for Transportation Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing

Programs, and 49§391 Code of Federal Regulations, Qualifications of Drivers.

Part A of this Policy applies to all Team Members while Part B applies only to DOT regulated Team

Members (as defined within Part B).

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The City provides the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to help Team Members and their

families who suffer from alcohol or drug abuse, stress, or other mental or physical health problems.

It is the personal responsibility of each Team Member to seek assistance from the EAP before drug

abuse and alcohol problems lead to disciplinary action or interfere with job performance.

Management may refer Team Members to the EAP at such time as they perceive a Team

Member's job performance or attendance is deteriorating.

The Team Member's decision to seek prior assistance from the EAP will not be used as the basis of

disciplinary action and will not be used against the Team Member in any disciplinary proceedings.

However, using the EAP will not be a defense to imposition a disciplinary action when the Team

Member is asked to be tested prior to entrance into the EAP, or as an excuse for continued abuse

after entry into the EAP. Accordingly, the purposes and practices of this Policy and the EAP are not

in conflict but are distinctly separate in their applications.

The EAP provides appropriate assessment and referral to treatment for any City Team Member.

Reimbursement for treatment of drug and alcohol abuse are subject to the provisions of the EAP

and the City group health plan. The EAP maintains a current resource file of licensed substance

abuse treatment providers for Team Member reference. Team Members may be granted leave of

absence with or without pay under the provision that return to work is conditional on the successful

completion of the agreed treatment regimen which may include future random follow-up testing.

DEFINITIONS & PROCEDURE

PART A - GENERAL TEAM MEMBER PROGRAM

(Applies to all Team Members)

DEFINITIONS

As used in this policy the following terms mean:

Abuse of a Prescribed Drug - Use of any drug ordered by a physician in a manner not in

compliance with the prescription.

Controlled Substances - Any substance described in Schedules I through V of Chapter 893.03 of

the Florida Statutes entitled “Florida Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act”.

Controlled substances also include any substance analog (designer drugs) as described in Chapter

893.035 F.S. and the laws of Florida controlling the manufacture, distribution, preparation,

dispensing, or administration of such substances.

Drug - “Drug” means alcohol, including a distilled spirit, wine, a malt beverage, or an intoxicating

liquor; an amphetamine; a cannabinoid; cocaine; phencyclidine (PCP); a hallucinogen;

methaqualone; an opiate; a barbiturate; a benzodiazepine; a synthetic narcotic; a designer drug; or

a metabolite of any of the substances listed in this paragraph. An employer may test an individual

for any or all of such drugs.

Team Member - Any person who performs services for compensation and/or is covered by the

Workers' Compensation Law.

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Illegal Drug - Any drug which is not legally obtained.

Medical Review Officer (MRO) - A licensed physician employed with or contracted by the City who

is responsible for receiving and reviewing all confirmation results, and for contacting all positively

tested individuals to inquire about possible prescriptions or over the counter medication that could

have caused a positive test result. The MRO has knowledge of substance abuse disorders and has

appropriate medical training to interpret and evaluate and confirm positive test results.

Positive Alcohol Test - A blood or breath test that reveals a blood alcohol content of .04 or higher.

Positive Drug Test - A breath, blood, or urine test that reveals the presence of illegal drugs or any

of the controlled substances shown:

Amphetamines

Marijuana Metabolites Hallucinogen

Barbiturates

Methaqualone Synthetic Narcotic

Benzodiazepine

Opiates Designer Drug

Cocaine Metabolites

Phencyclidine Metabolite of any substances

listed

Reasonable Suspicion - Reasonable suspicion that a Team Member is under the influence of

alcohol or a controlled substance while on duty or representing the City in an official capacity, will

include but is not limited to one or more of the following circumstances:

Erratic and/or reckless behavior by an individual.

Otherwise, unexplainable slurred speech; signs of altered motor function including inability to stay

awake, poor coordination or staggering gate; or extreme emotional states.

Observance of an individual consuming, selling, or distributing what appears to be alcohol or a

controlled substance.

The odor of alcohol or any controlled substance on the individual.

Medical or physical information such as track marks, excessive patterns of absenteeism or

tardiness. Any facts which lead Supervisors and/or Department Directors to believe a Team

Member is under the influence of illegal drugs or alcohol.

A mishap or accident involving a Team Member in which injury to persons or damage to property

has occurred.

If any Team Member believes that there is a reasonable suspicion that another Team Member is

under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance, that Team Member will report their

suspicion to their immediate Supervisor.

When the City is informed from a third party during the course of employment that a Team Member

is/was under the influence of a prohibited substance, an investigation will be conducted, and

disciplinary action in accordance with the City's Drug and Alcohol Policy will be administered.

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Rehabilitation Provider - A licensed physician (medical doctor or doctor of osteopathy) or a

licensed or certified psychologist, social worker, Team Member assistance professional, or certified

addiction counselor with knowledge of and clinical experience in the diagnosis and treatment of

alcohol and controlled substances related disorders.

Mandatory Testing Position - “Mandatory-testing position” means, with respect to a public

employer, a job assignment that requires the Team Member to carry a firearm, work closely with an

Team Member who carries a firearm, perform life-threatening procedures, work with heavy or

dangerous machinery, work as a safety inspector, work with children, work with detainees in the

correctional system, work with confidential information or documents pertaining to criminal

investigations, work with controlled substances, or a job assignment that requires an Team Member

security background check, pursuant to s. 110.1127, or a job assignment in which a momentary

lapse in attention could result in injury or death to another person.”

Special-Risk Position - A position that is required to be filled by a person who is certified under

Chapter 633, Fire Protection or Chapter 943, Law Enforcement.

Substance Abuse - Inappropriate use of any drug, or alcohol in such a manner as to jeopardize

the individual's physical or mental health or impair judgement or motor function.

REQUIRED TESTING

Post-Offer Employment Testing - Applicants who are in a mandatory testing position as defined per

the drug free workplace program, Chapter 440.102, and have been offered City employment must

successfully complete testing for controlled substances as a condition of employment. Individuals

who test positive will be prohibited from employment with the City for one year, unless they provide

certified documentation of successful completion of a substance abuse rehabilitation program

subsequent to the positive post-offer employment test. Applicants who have completed a

rehabilitation program will be subject to drug screening prior to being considered for employment.

Reasonable Suspicion Testing - A Supervisor who has witnessed any questionable behavior

leading them to have a reasonable suspicion that the Team Member is under the influence of drugs

or alcohol shall consult with the Team Member in an attempt to determine the cause for the

behavior. A Supervisor who has witnessed such questionable behavior will complete the

Supervisor's Checklist documenting the behavior and then forward the completed checklist to

Human Resources within twenty-four (24) hours of the reasonable suspicion determination.

While under Part A of this Policy, only one Supervisor is required to make a reasonable suspicion

determination, if a Supervisor has sufficient reason to believe that an Team Member is under the

influence of drugs or alcohol, they are encouraged to obtain a second opinion from another

Supervisor or Team Member before initiating the testing process. Such determination must be

based upon the Supervisor's reasonable finding that specific, contemporaneous articulable

observations concerning the appearance, behavior, speech, and/or body odors of the Team

Member indicate the presence of alcohol or drugs in their system. In suspected cases of the

presence of a controlled substance, the Supervisor's observations must be based upon the Team

Member's appearance, behavior, speech, and/or indications of the chronic or withdrawal effects of

controlled substances.

In addition, and only upon the Team Member's request, the Supervisor will endeavor to notify a

union representative, where applicable, before testing the Team Member. Supervisors are not

required to wait for the union representative before initiating the testing procedure, but will attempt

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to do so, if possible, without slowing down the initiation of the testing process. In no event will the

union representative accompany the Supervisor and/or Team Member to the testing site.

Post-Crash Testing - Team Members will be subject to alcohol and drug testing when:

• the Team Member contributes to or is responsible for an on-the-job preventable vehicular crash or;

• any time the driver receives a citation under state or local laws, or;

• personal injury or death is involved, or;

• one or more motor vehicles incurring disabling damage as result of the accident, requiring the motor

vehicle to be transported away from the scene by a tow truck or other motor vehicles.

If it is not feasible to move an injured Team Member from a treating facility, specimens may be

obtained at the treating facility following the procedures set forth by the approved laboratory and

transported to an approved laboratory.

Any Team Member subject to post-crash testing who leaves the scene of an accident (unless it is

prudent to do so for medical or notification purposes, or permission is granted by a Supervisor or

management) before testing is administered, drinks alcohol within eight (8) hours following the

accident without first being tested, or fails to remain available for testing, will be deemed by the City

to have refused to submit to testing. Such refusal will be treated as if the Team Member had

received a verified positive for controlled substances or has an alcohol test result of .04 or greater.

Fitness for Duty Testing - Any routine fitness for duty medical examination that is established

policy for all Team Members of a classification or group will include drug testing.

Follow-up Testing - If a Team Member has an alcohol test result of .04 or greater (first

occurrence), they will be evaluated by an EAP professional who will determine if professional

assistance is needed to resolve the Team Member's misuse of alcohol. If it is determined that

professional assistance is needed, the Team Member will be subject to unannounced follow-up

alcohol abuse testing.

A Team Member receiving assistance will be subject to a minimum of two (2) unannounced follow-

up alcohol tests within the first twenty-four (24) months following the Team Member's return to duty.

The EAP professional may direct additional tests during this period.

TESTING PROCEDURES

Team Member - The Team Member being tested for reasonable suspicion, post-crash, or follow-up

will be transported to the testing facility by a Supervisor. If it is not feasible to move an injured Team

Member from a treating facility, specimens may be obtained at the treating facility following the

procedures set forth by the approved laboratory and transported to an approved laboratory.

Alcohol tests for reasonable suspicion or post-crash will be administered within two (2) hours

following the determination; otherwise, a report will be prepared by the Supervisor and sent to

Human Resources explaining why the alcohol test was not administered within two (2) hours

following the determination of reasonable suspicion. In any event, alcohol testing will not be

administered after eight (8) hours, requiring an additional report to Human Resources explaining

why the test was not administered.

Drug tests for reasonable suspicion and post-crash will be administered within two (2) hours

following determination; otherwise, a report will be prepared by the Supervisor and sent to Human

Resources explaining why the drug test was not administered within two (2) hours. In any event,

Page 24

drug testing will not be administered after thirty-two (32) hours, requiring an additional report to

Human Resources explaining why the test was not administered.

If test results are immediately known and negative, the Supervisor will return the Team Member to

work, or as otherwise stated by a treating physician. If the test results are not immediately known,

the Team Member must make arrangements to be transported home. If the Team Member refuses

to make other arrangements and indicates an intent to drive themselves, the Supervisor will notify

the appropriate law enforcement agency.

The Team Member will not return to work until such time as the alcohol or drug test results are

received by the City and discussed with the Team Member. During this waiting period, the Team

Member will receive full pay for their regular work schedule and must remain within reach during

working hours. If the Team Member tests are confirmed as negative, the Team Member will return

to work immediately thereafter.

In the event of a positive drug screen, the Medical Review Officer (MRO) is required to notify the

Team Member to inquire about possible prescriptions or over-the-counter medications that could

cause a positive result. When the Team Member receives a call from the MRO, the Team Member

has 24 hours to return the call and may use this time to contact a union representative and/or meet

with the MRO.

Drug/Alcohol Tests - Analysis of specimens will be performed only by laboratories licensed or

certified by the Florida Department of Health and/or the Florida Agency on Health Care

Administration and/or the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

(formerly NIDA), and utilizing qualified sites, and employing collectors trained to follow authorized

collection protocols and properly maintain legal specimen chain of custody.

DISCIPLINARY CONSEQUENCES FOR VIOLATIONS

Disciplinary consequences for violating this Drug Free Workplace Policy may include termination of

employment for cause and denial of Unemployment Compensation and/or Workers' Compensation

benefits.

Refusal to Submit to a Required Alcohol or Controlled Substances Test - Refusal to submit to an

alcohol or drug test means that a Team Member:

• Fails to provide adequate blood or breath for alcohol testing without a valid medical explanation

after they have received notice of the requirement;

• Fails to provide adequate blood or urine for drug testing without a valid medical explanation after

they have received notice of the requirement; or

• Engages in conduct that clearly obstructs the testing process.

No Team Member may refuse to submit to:

• A post-crash alcohol or drug test;

• A reasonable suspicion alcohol or drug test;

• A fitness-for-duty alcohol or drug test; or

• A follow-up alcohol or drug test.

No Supervisor or Manager shall permit a Team Member who refuses to submit to such required

alcohol and/or drug tests to perform or continue to perform their duties and responsibilities.

Page 25

Any Team Member who refuses to submit to alcohol or drug testing will be terminated for

insubordination.

Positive Drug Test Result - Any Team Member who receives a verified positive drug test result will

be terminated from employment in accordance with the Personnel Rules and Regulations, Section

XV, Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Measures, Number 42: Dismissal.

Positive Alcohol Test Result - Any Team Member who receives an alcohol test result of .04 or

greater will be removed from performing in their position and disciplined in accordance with the

Personnel Rules and Regulations, Section XV, Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Measures,

Number 40: Five (5) day suspension.

Any Team Member who receives an alcohol test result of .04 or greater (first occurrence) shall not

return to work until the Team Member has:

• Completed the required five (5) day suspension;

• Been evaluated by the City's designated Substance Abuse Professional;

• Agreed in writing to release progress reports and results of any counseling and/or rehabilitation

treatment program recommended by the City's EAP Administrator;

• At the Team Member's own expense (except any portion of the counseling and/or treatment costs

that the City EAP and/or group health plan pay for), completed any counseling and/or treatment

program deemed appropriate by the City's EAP Administrator;

• Completed a return-to-duty alcohol test with a result of less than .02 alcohol concentration; and,

• After returning to work, the Team Member will be subject to random alcohol testing as specified by

the EAP Administrator and/or rehabilitation provider. The EAP Administrator will establish the

number of tests required and the period of time in which the tests must be administered.

APPEALS

Positive Drug Tests - A Team Member or job applicant may appeal to Human Resources for a

second test of the same specimen. The appeal must be made in writing and received within

seventy-two (72) hours of notice of positive results by the City. The second test will be paid by the

Team Member or applicant.

Discipline - A Team Member has the right to appeal any disciplinary decisions resulting from a

positive drug or alcohol test through the grievance procedure detailed in the Personnel Rules and

Regulations, Section XIII (Personnel Advisory Board), or through the applicable bargaining unit

grievance procedure.

PART B – DOT REGULATED TEAM MEMBER PROGRAM

(Applies only to DOT regulated Team Members)

GENERAL INFORMATION

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) requires the City of Largo to have an alcohol use and

controlled substances testing program for Team Members who operate commercial motor vehicles

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(CMV) and/or are required to possess a commercial driver's license (CDL). Consequently, the City

has developed Part B - DOT Regulated Team Member Program of this Policy.

All Team Members, including DOT regulated Team Members, are subject to Part A of this Policy;

however, DOT regulated Team Members will also be subject to the provisions of Part B. Risk

Management has been designated by the City to answer DOT regulated Team Members' questions

about this policy.

DEFINITIONS

Abuse of a Prescribed Drug - Use of any drug ordered by a physician in a manner not in

compliance with the prescription.

Alcohol - The intoxicating agent in beverage alcohol, ethyl alcohol, or other low molecular weight

alcohols including methyl and isopropyl alcohol.

Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) - Refers to a motor vehicle or combination of motor vehicles

used to transport passenger or property, if the motor vehicle:

• Has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 26,001 or more pounds;

• Has a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds;

• Is designated to transport sixteen (16) or more passengers, including the driver; or

• Transports hazardous materials requiring the vehicle to be placarded.

DOT Accident - Anytime a DOT regulated Team Member who is operating a commercial motor

vehicle is involved in a vehicular crash.

DOT Alcohol Testing - Refers to an evidential breath test (EBT). Alcohol content is expressed as

the number of grams of alcohol per 210 liters of breath. Such alcohol testing will be conducted by a

breath alcohol technician who is trained to proficiently operate the EBT.

A DOT regulated Team Member must be removed from performing any DOT safety-sensitive

function when tested at any alcohol concentration of .02 or greater.

If a DOT regulated Team Member has an alcohol concentration of .02 or greater, but less than .04,

the Team Member will not be allowed to perform DOT safety-sensitive functions again until the next

scheduled duty period, if at least twenty-four (24) hours have elapsed, or until a retest shows an

alcohol concentration of less than .02.

If a DOT regulated Team Member has an alcohol concentration of .04 or greater, the Team Member

will not perform a DOT safety-sensitive function until:

• The Team Member has been evaluated by an EAP professional;

• The Team Member has received treatment, if required, by an EAP professional; and

• The Team Member has been retested with a result below .02.

(Note: The FHWA has established .02 as the standard because it represents the lowest level

at which a scientifically accurate alcohol concentration can be measured. This basically

establishes a zero-tolerance standard for alcohol.)

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DOT Controlled Substance or Drug Testing - Refers to a split-sample urine specimen or blood

test administered for the purpose of determining the presence or absence of the following drugs or

their metabolites:

• Amphetamines

• Barbiturates

• Cocaine Metabolites

• Marijuana Metabolites

• Opiates

DOT Regulated Team Members - City positions that require Team Members to:

• Operate, or be immediately available and in a state of readiness to operate, a commercial motor

vehicle, requiring a Florida A, B, or C driver's license or

• Supervise Team Members who operate commercial motor vehicles, and, due to the nature of such

Supervisory responsibilities, are required to maintain a Florida A, B, or C driver's license.

DOT Safety-Sensitive Function/Duty - DOT safety-sensitive functions essentially mean on-duty

functions which include, but are not limited to:

• All time spent at a carrier or shipping plant, terminal, facility, or other property, or any public

property, while waiting to be dispatched;

• All time spent inspecting, servicing, repairing, or conditioning any commercial motor vehicle;

• All driving time;

• All time other than driving time spent in a commercial motor vehicle except time spent resting in a

sleeper berth;

• All time spent, loading or unloading a commercial motor vehicle, or supervising, assisting, or

attending such a task, or remaining in readiness to operate the vehicle, or in giving or receiving

receipts for shipments loaded or unloaded;

• All time spent in performing the requirements of 49 C.F.R. §392.40 - §392.41 as they relate to

accidents; and

• All time spent repairing, obtaining assistance for, or remaining in attendance upon a disabled

vehicle.

49 C.F.R. §382.107. The trigger event prompting testing in many situations under the regulations is

the performing or prospective performance of DOT safety-sensitive functions. Performing a DOT

safety-sensitive function means more than the actual performance of that function. Performance

also includes time when the Team Member is ready to perform or is immediately available to

perform a DOT safety-sensitive function.

DOT Safety Sensitive Positions - See DOT regulated Team Members above.

Drug - Any chemical substance used as or in a medication. This includes controlled substances,

prescription medications, over the counter pharmaceuticals, and alcohol.

Team Member - A person who performs services for compensation and/or is covered by the

Workers' Compensation Law.

Illegal Drug - Any drug which is not legally obtained.

Medical Review Officer (MRO) - A licensed physician employed or contracted with/by the City,

who is responsible for receiving and reviewing all confirmation results, and for contacting all

Page 28

positively tested individuals to inquire about possible prescriptions or over the counter medication

that could have caused a positive test result. The MRO physician has knowledge of substance

abuse disorders and has appropriate medical training to interpret and evaluate and confirm positive

test results.

Substance Abuse Professional - A licensed physician (medical doctor or doctor of osteopathy) or

a licensed or certified psychologist, social worker, Team Member assistance professional, or

certified addiction counselor with knowledge of and clinical experience in the diagnosis and

treatment of alcohol and controlled substances related disorders.

Verified Positive DOT Drug Test - This refers to a determination made by the MRO that there is

evidence of prohibited drugs in a DOT regulated Team Member's urine or blood sample. The

standards for determining evidence of prohibited drugs shall be those established in 49 C.F.R.

§40.29.

REQUIREMENT TO SUBMIT TO TESTING

DOT regulated Team Members must submit to alcohol and controlled substance tests administered

in accordance with the FHWA rules. Refusal to submit to testing upon request, except for

emergency medical treatment, shall subject the Team Member to disciplinary consequences,

including termination for cause.

REQUIRED TESTING

Post-Offer Employment Testing - Prior to actually being permitted to perform City CDL driving, for

the first time, applicants who have been offered City employment, or promoted, must successfully

complete testing for controlled substances as a condition of their employment or promotion.

With the applicant's written consent, the City shall obtain information concerning the applicant's

alcohol tests with a concentration result of .04 or greater, positive controlled substances test results,

and refusals, to be tested within the preceding two (2) years, which are maintained by the

applicant's previous employers pursuant to 49 C.F.R. §382. This information must be secured no

later than fourteen (14) calendar days after the first time the Team Member performs a DOT safety-

sensitive function, if it is not feasible for the City to obtain the information prior to the Team Member

performing safety-sensitive functions.

The City may not permit the Team Member to perform DOT safety-sensitive functions after fourteen

(14) days without obtaining the information. The Team Member may be placed on leave without pay

pending the receipt and processing of the information.

The City cannot continue to employ a DOT regulated Team Member if the City obtains information

that in the past two years (2) the Team Member had alcohol test results with concentrations of .04

or greater.

If a DOT regulated Team Member stops performing DOT safety-sensitive functions for the City

before the expiration of the fourteen (14) day period or before the City has obtained the information,

the City must still obtain the information.

The City will maintain written, confidential records with respect to each past employer contacted.

Random Testing - DOT regulated Team Members are subject to random alcohol and controlled

substance testing as a condition of employment. Selection for random testing will be made by a

Page 29

scientifically valid method, such as computer-generated random number table. DOT regulated

Team Members will have an equal chance of being tested each time selections are made. The City

will ensure that random drug and alcohol tests are unannounced and test dates are spread

reasonably throughout the year.

Initially, the City will select a sufficient number of CDL drivers, each calendar year, as follows:

• For random alcohol tests, a minimum of 10% of the average number of DOT regulated positions

will be tested and

• For random controlled substance tests, a minimum of 50% of the average number of DOT regulated

positions will be tested.

A DOT regulated Team Member who is notified of selection for a random test will immediately be

transported to a designated test site. Team Members actually driving a CMV at the time they are

notified will be relieved of such duty in order to take the test as soon as possible.

A DOT regulated Team Member will only be tested for alcohol just before, while performing, or just

after performing a safety-sensitive function. Random controlled substance tests may be performed

any time a DOT regulated Team Member is performing City duties.

Reasonable Suspicion Testing - A Supervisor who has witnessed any questionable DOT

regulated Team Member behavior leading them to have a reasonable suspicion that the Team

Member is under the influence of drugs or alcohol shall consult with the Team Member in an

attempt to determine the cause for the behavior. A Supervisor who has witnessed such

questionable behavior shall complete the Supervisor's Checklist documenting the behavior and then

forward the completed checklist to Human Resources.

While under Part B of this Policy, only one Supervisor is required to make a reasonable suspicion

determination. If a Supervisor has a reasonable suspicion that an Team Member is under the

influence of drugs or alcohol, they may obtain a second opinion from another Supervisor designated

to make a reasonable suspicion determination before initiating the testing process. Such

determination must be based upon the Supervisor's reasonable finding that specific,

contemporaneous articulable observations concerning the appearance, behavior, speech, and/or

body odors of a DOT regulated Team Member indicate the presence of alcohol in their system. In

suspected cases of the presence of a controlled substance, the Supervisor's observations must be

based upon the driver's appearance, behavior, speech, and/or indications of the chronic or

withdrawal effects of controlled substances.

In addition, and only upon the Team Member's request, the Supervisor will endeavor to notify a

union representative, where applicable, before testing the Team Member. Supervisors are not

required to wait for the union representative before initiating the testing procedure, but shall attempt

to do so, if possible, without slowing down the initiation of the testing process. In no event shall the

union representative accompany the Supervisor and/or Team Member to the testing site.

In the event a reasonable suspicion determination of alcohol and/or drugs is made by a Supervisor,

the DOT regulated Team Member must submit to an alcohol and/or controlled substances test.

Documentation of the basis for the reasonable suspicion to require an alcohol or drug test must be

completed, signed by the Supervisor, and forwarded to Human Resources within twenty-four (24)

hours of the reasonable suspicion determination or before the test results are released, whichever

is earlier.

Page 30

The Team Member will not be allowed to return to work until all test results are received. During this

time, the Team Member will be on paid leave of absence but must hold themselves reasonably

available for consultation with the City during the Team Member's normal working hours. If the

Team Member tests are confirmed as negative, the Team Member can return to work immediately

thereafter.

Reasonable suspicion alcohol and drug tests shall be administered within two (2) hours following

the determination. Otherwise, a report shall be prepared by the Supervisor, sent to Human

Resources, and maintained on file for the FHWA which describes why the test was not

administered within two (2) hours following the determination of reasonable suspicion. If the 2-hour

testing requirement cannot be met, the alcohol test shall be administered within eight (8) hours and

the drug test within thirty-two (32) hours. If the tests are not performed within these time frames, the

Supervisor must prepare a second report explaining why the tests were not performed and send it

to Human Resources. If the alcohol test is not performed within eight (8) hours, the Team Member

may not perform a DOT safety-sensitive function until either (a) an alcohol test is administered with

a result of alcohol concentration of less than .02; or (b) twenty-four (24) hours has lapsed following

the reasonable suspicion determination.

Each DOT regulated Team Member's Supervisor, or other person designated to make a reasonable

suspicion determination, will receive at least sixty (60) minutes of training on controlled substances

use and sixty (60) minutes of training on alcohol misuse. The training shall cover the physical,

behavioral, speech, and performance indicators of alcohol misuse and drug abuse.

Post-Crash Testing - Post-crash alcohol and drug testing shall be administered within two (2)

hours following the accident, and a controlled substances test shall be administered within thirty-two

(32) hours. Otherwise, a report shall be prepared by the Supervisor, sent to Human Resources, and

maintained on file for the FHWA which describes why the test was not administered within two (2)

hours following the crash. If the two- (2) hour testing requirement cannot be met, the alcohol test

shall be administered within eight (8) hours and the drug test within thirty-two (32) hours. If the tests

are not performed within these time frames, the Supervisor must prepare a second report

explaining why the tests were not performed and send it to Human Resources.

If it is not feasible to move an injured Team Member from a treating facility, specimens may be

obtained at the treating facility following the procedures set forth by the approved laboratory and

transported to an approved laboratory.

No DOT regulated Team Member required to take a post-crash test shall use alcohol for eight hours

following the accident or until the Team Member undergoes a post-accident alcohol test, whichever

occurs first.

Any DOT regulated Team Member subject to post-crash testing who leaves the scene of a crash

before testing is administered, drinks alcohol within eight (8) hours following the accident without

first being tested or fails to remain available for testing shall be deemed by the City to have refused

to submit to testing. Such refusal shall be treated as if the Team Member had received a verified

positive for controlled substances or has an alcohol test result of .04 or greater.

While the Team Member should be tested within the required time frames, the City is not required

to delay necessary medical attention or prohibit the driver from leaving the scene of the accident so

assistance might be obtained. Otherwise, however, the Team Member must remain available so

testing can take place.

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Twenty-four (24) hours after a Team Member is taken for a post-crash drug/alcohol test, it is

expected that the Team Member will report to work. If after the 24-hour period is completed, the

Team Member is not scheduled to work, the Team Member is expected to report to work for their

next scheduled shift. If the 24hour period places the Team Member mid-shift, the

Supervisor/Manager will instruct the Team Member as to when to report for work. Until the post-

crash drug/alcohol results are determined, the Team Member is not to perform any safety-sensitive

work or drive a city vehicle. Please contact the Human Resources Department if there are any

questions regarding an Team Member's return to work after post-crash drug testing.

Follow-Up Testing - If a DOT regulated Team Member has an alcohol test result of .04 or greater

(first occurrence), they will be evaluated by an EAP professional who will determine if professional

assistance is needed to resolve the driver's misuse of alcohol. If it is determined that professional

assistance is needed, the driver will be subject to unannounced follow-up alcohol abuse testing.

A DOT regulated Team Member receiving assistance shall be subject to a minimum of six (6)

unannounced follow-up alcohol tests within the first twelve (12) months following the Team

Member's return to duty. The EAP professional may direct additional tests during this period and

may direct testing be continued up to a total of sixty (60) months.

Before a Team Member returns to duty requiring a DOT safety-sensitive function, the Team

Member will not be permitted to work unless a return-to-duty alcohol re-test shows a concentration

level of less than .02.

DOT REGULATED TEAM MEMBER PROHIBITED CONDUCT

Alcohol Concentrations - It is a violation of this Part for any City DOT regulated Team Member to

report for duty or remain on duty requiring the performance of DOT safety-sensitive functions with

an alcohol concentration of .04 or greater.

It is a violation of this Part for a Supervisor or Manager, with actual knowledge that a DOT regulated

Team Member has an alcohol concentration of .04 or greater, to permit the Team Member to

perform or continue to perform safety-sensitive functions.

DOT regulated Team Members having an alcohol concentration of .02 or greater, but less than .04,

shall be immediately relieved of DOT safety-sensitive functions and not permitted to perform such

functions until at least twenty-four (24) hours later or until a retest shows an alcohol concentration of

less than .02.

Alcohol Possession - No DOT regulated Team Member shall be on duty or operate a CMV while

the Team Member is in possession of alcohol.

No Supervisor or Manager, having actual knowledge that a DOT regulated Team Member is in

possession of alcohol, may not permit the Team Member to drive or continue to drive a CMV.

On-Duty Alcohol Use - No DOT regulated Team Member shall use alcohol while performing DOT

safety- sensitive functions.

No Supervisor or Manager, having actual knowledge that a DOT regulated Team Member has used

alcohol within four (4) hours, shall permit such driver to perform or continue to perform DOT safety-

sensitive functions.

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Pre-Duty Use - No DOT regulated Team Member shall perform DOT safety-sensitive functions

within four (4) hours after using alcohol.

No Supervisor or Manager, having actual knowledge that a DOT regulated Team Member has used

alcohol within four (4) hours, shall permit such driver to perform or continue to perform safety-

sensitive functions.

Alcohol Use Following an Accident - No DOT regulated Team Member, required to take a post-

crash alcohol test, shall use alcohol for eight (8) hours following the crash, or until they undergo a

post-accident alcohol test, whichever occurs first.

Use of Controlled Substances - No DOT regulated Team Member shall report for duty or remain

on duty requiring the performance of DOT safety-sensitive functions when the Team Member uses

any controlled substance, except when the use is pursuant to the instructions of a physician who

has advised the Team Member that the prescribed substance does not adversely affect the driver's

ability to safely operate a commercial motor vehicle (CMV). A DOT regulated Team Member who

has a verified positive drug test shall be deemed to have reported for or remained on duty following

the use of a controlled substance.

No Supervisor or Manager, having actual knowledge that a DOT regulated Team Member has used

a controlled substance, shall permit the Team Member to perform or continue to perform a DOT

safety-sensitive function.

A DOT regulated Team Member shall inform their Supervisor or Human Resources of any

therapeutic drug use which results in the Team Member not being able to perform the essential

functions of their job or which creates a direct threat to the safety or welfare of themselves or others

in the workplace.

Controlled Substances Testing - No DOT regulated Team Member shall report for duty, remain

on duty, or perform a DOT safety-sensitive function if the Team Member tests positive for controlled

substances.

No Supervisor or Manager, having actual knowledge that a DOT regulated Team Member has

tested positive for controlled substances, shall permit the Team Member to perform or continue to

perform DOT safety-sensitive functions.

Refusal to Submit to a Required Alcohol or Controlled Substances Test - Refusal to submit to

an alcohol or controlled substances test means that a DOT regulated Team Member:

• Fails to provide adequate breath or blood for alcohol testing without a valid medical explanation

after they have received notice of the requirement;

• Fails to provide adequate urine or blood for controlled substances testing without a valid medical

explanation after they have received notice of the requirement; or

• Engages in conduct that clearly obstructs the testing process.

No DOT regulated Team Member may refuse to submit to:

• A post-crash alcohol or controlled substances test;

• A random alcohol or controlled substances test;

• A reasonable suspicion alcohol or controlled substances test; or

• A follow-up alcohol or controlled substances test.

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No Supervisor or Manager shall permit a DOT regulated Team Member who refuses to submit to

such required alcohol and/or controlled substances tests to perform or continue to perform DOT

safety-sensitive functions.

Once a DOT regulated Team Member refuses to submit to alcohol or drug testing, they will not be

permitted to perform DOT safety-sensitive functions and may be terminated.

REQUIRED REPORTING OF RESULTS

The City shall prepare and maintain an annual calendar year summary of the results of its DOT

alcohol and drug testing program.

If the City is notified by the FHWA during January of a given year to submit its results, it shall do so

prior to March 15 of that year.

The City's summary of results will be in the format prescribed by the FHWA pursuant to Federal

Regulations.

DISCIPLINARY CONSEQUENCES FOR VIOLATIONS

Disciplinary consequences for DOT regulated Team Members for violating Part B of this Drug Free

Workplace Policy may include termination of employment for cause and denial of Unemployment

Compensation and Worker's Compensation benefits. Additionally, a civil penalty may also be

assessed by the Secretary of Transportation against the Team Member if the Team Member's

actions were grossly negligent or showed a reckless disregard for safety.

Following a verified positive drug or alcohol test, a Team Member will be subject to the following

disciplinary action:

Positive Drug Test Result - Any DOT regulated Team Member who receives a verified positive

drug test result shall be terminated from employment in accordance with the Personnel Rules and

Regulations, Section XV, Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Measures, Number 42: Dismissal.

Positive Alcohol Test Result - Any DOT regulated Team Member who receives an alcohol test

result of .04 or greater shall be removed from performing in their position and disciplined in

accordance with the Personnel Rules and Regulations, Section XV, Code of Conduct and

Disciplinary Measures, Number 4: Five-day suspension.

Any DOT regulated Team Member who receives an alcohol test result of .04 or greater (first

occurrence) shall not return to work until the Team Member has:

• Completed the required five (5) day suspension;

• Been evaluated by the City's designated Substance Abuse Professional;

• Agreed in writing to release progress reports and results of any counseling and/or rehabilitation

treatment program recommended by the City's EAP Administrator;

• At the Team Member's own expense (except any portion of the counseling and/or treatment costs

that the City EAP and/or group health plan pay for), completed any counseling and/or treatment

program deemed appropriate by the City's EAP Administrator;

• Completed a return-to-duty alcohol test with a result of less than .02% alcohol concentration; and

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• After returning to work, the Team Member will be subject to follow-up alcohol testing as specified

by the EAP Administrator and/or rehabilitation provider. The EAP Administrator will establish the

number of tests required and the period of time in which the tests must be administered.

TEAM MEMBER EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION

General Requirements - The City will provide educational materials explaining the requirements of

the FHWA and Part B of this Policy. A copy of the above-described educational materials will be

provided to each DOT regulated Team Member before the start of required testing and to each

DOT regulated Team Member subsequently hired or transferred into a DOT regulated position.

Required Content of Educational Materials - Educational materials made available to City DOT

regulated Team Members will include a detailed discussion of at least the following:

The identity of the person designated by the City to answer DOT regulated Team Member's

questions about the materials.

Sufficient information about the DOT safety-sensitive functions performed by City DOT regulated

Team Members to make it clear when the Team Member is required to be in compliance with the

FHWA rule.

Specific information describing conduct which is prohibited by the FHWA rule.

Circumstances under which City DOT regulated Team Members will be tested for alcohol and/or

controlled substances under the FHWA rule.

Post-crash procedures and instructions prior to initial operation of a commercial motor vehicle.

The procedures that will be used to:

• Test for the presence of alcohol or controlled substances;

• Protect the Team Member and integrity of the testing processes; • Safeguard the validity of the test

results; and

• Ensure those results are attributed to the correct Team Member.

The requirement that a City DOT regulated Team Member submit to alcohol and controlled

substances tests administered in accordance with the FHWA rule.

An explanation of what constitutes a refusal to submit to an alcohol or controlled substances test

and the attendant consequences.

The consequences for City DOT regulated Team Members found to have violated the FHWA

prohibitions, including immediate removal from DOT safety-sensitive functions and required referral,

evaluation, and treatment procedures.

The consequences for DOT regulated Team Members found to have an alcohol concentration of

.02 or greater, but less than .04.

Information concerning:

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• The effects of alcohol and controlled substances use on an individual's health, work, and personal

life;

• Signs and symptoms of an alcohol or a controlled substances problem (the Team Member's or

coworker's); and

• Available methods of intervening when an alcohol or a controlled substances problem is suspected,

including confrontation, referral to an EAP program, and referral to management.

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Employee Assistance Program

(EAP)

Policy Number: E-01-05

Policy Manager: Human Resources

Effective Date: January 1, 2022

Preceding Policy Date: 07/29/2014

POLICY

The City of Largo has an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to provide confidential, professional

assistance to team members for personal issues that may be affecting either job performance or team

member well-being.

Some of the issues that can be successfully handled through EAP counseling include family issues,

marital issues, emotional issues, financial issues, alcoholism, other chemical dependency, and more.

It is recognized that these are illnesses which can be treated if identified and proper help is offered

and sought. The City of Largo's policy is to offer and provide help for team members and their

dependents before the illness/situation progresses to the point it jeopardizes their job security.

PROCEDURE

A Team Member or family member of a Team member may call the EAP office for information or to

make an appointment to discuss a personal issue. An emergency response system has been

established to handle such calls on a 24-hour-a-day/7-day-a-week schedule. The EAP contact, as

well as what is discussed, is handled in the strictest confidence. Team Member’s supervisors or other

management personnel are not informed of those who choose to use EAP services. The office is

located away from the City of Largo and all records and services are treated in a highly confidential

manner. The EAP services are provided free for the first five visits per occurrence in each fiscal year;

although sometimes the specific treatment or community resources which may be recommended

involve a fee. In such cases, these will be fully discussed by the EAP Administrator.

Fees and charges for services by individuals or agencies to which a Team Member or dependent

family member is referred by the EAP Administrator are the responsibility of the Team Member.

Neither the City of Largo nor the EAP Administrator will be held responsible for the payment of such

fees or charges.

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CITY OF LARGO PERSONNEL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Policy:

Exit Interviews

Policy Number: E-01-07

Policy Manager: Human Resources Department

Effective Date: July 1, 2022

Preceding Policy Date: May 1, 2004

PURPOSE

To provide a method of communication with team members leaving the organization;

learning from their employment experience.

POLICY

The City of Largo is committed to identifying and addressing improvement opportunities

when presented. The Human Resources Department will provide an exit interview process

to determine whether there are any trends in separations that would indicate a need to take

corrective action, change in policy, or provide needed training to enhance working

conditions. All team members leaving the City's employment for any reason will be emailed

an Exit Interview questionnaire via a link and (if requested) will be provided the option to

meet with Human Resources to discuss reasons for leaving and/or recommendations for

improvement.

PROCEDURE

1. The manager will begin and complete the Termination process in Workday notifying

Human Resources of an exiting Team Member.

2. An email will be automatically sent to the team member’s home e-mail address on file

with a link for completion. (www.Largo.com/ExitInterview).

3. If the team member completes the survey, Human Resources will collect the responses.

4. Human Resources will review all responses and identify any concerns listed.

5. Human Resources will send an email with a Departmental listing of separations and

survey responses to the Director and City Manager, or Assistant Manager depending on

the department.

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)

Policy Number: E-01-08

Policy Manager: Human Resources

Effective Date: January 1, 2022

Preceding Policy Date: 07/01/2008

POLICY

To administer the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) within the City organization.

DEFINITIONS

Non-Exempt- Team Members that are covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act including requiring

overtime premium pay for hours worked over 40 in a work week in addition to minimum wage laws.

Non-Exempt public safety staff have varying definitions of work week which are covered in their

respective collective bargaining agreements. This classification is often referred to as “hourly.”

Exempt- Team Members that are not covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act as it relates to

overtime compensation and eligibility for minimum wage. This classification is often referred to as

“salary.”

PROCEDURE

Definition

All team members, including both full-time, part-time, variable, and temporary who are non-exempt,

are subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The provisions of this act include minimum

wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping requirements, and child labor standards.

Exempt/Non-Exempt

Each position ’Job Profile’ denotes the classification status as Job Exempt “Yes” or “No”. If a

position is classified as “Job Exempt = Yes’, it is exempt (not covered under the FLSA provisions). If

a position is classified as “Job Exempt = No’, it is non-exempt and the incumbents in the position

are covered under FLSA provisions.

Minimum Hourly Wage

Team Members are entitled to the applicable minimum wage in effect during hours worked.

Time Records

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Team Members covered by the FLSA are required to keep accurate record of their hours worked.

Work hours reported should show the time the Team Member began work and the time the team

member stopped working.

Hours of Work

It is important that team members that are Non-Exempt team members don’t start work before their

appointed start time, that team members don’t work through lunches, or work past the appointed

stop time, without having received prior authorization by a supervisor. Responsibility for monitoring

work hours begins at the supervisory level closest to the team member. Non-exempt team members

need to be knowledgeable of FLSA and the effect it has on the day-to-day work hours. There is no

such thing as voluntary overtime. In order to properly pay overtime non-exempt team members

need to be educated and trained to report for work and leave their job sites at the established hours.

Nonsubstantial and insignificant periods of time are considered de minimus under Fair Labor

Standards and are not counted as hours worked. Court decisions have held that time periods of

approximately ten (10) minutes can be considered de minimus as long as the work is not performed

on a daily basis.

Meal Periods

A bona fide meal period which occurs during the scheduled work day is not considered hours

worked if the team member is completely relieved from duty for the purpose of eating a regular meal

and is permitted to leave his/her post of duty. Ordinarily, 30 minutes or more is considered a bona

fide meal period. Where a team member's meal periods are uninterrupted except for rare and

infrequent emergency calls, the meal period can be excluded from compensable working time.

Rest Periods

Rest periods of short duration, from 5 to 15 minutes, are counted as hours worked. Rest periods

may not accumulate beyond the work day, and are forfeited at the end of each work day.

Travel Time

It is important to understand what is considered Travel Time as it relates to the FLSA. Time spent in

ordinary home-to-work travel is not compensable even if the team member works at different job

sites. However, time spent traveling during the work day is compensable hours worked. If a team

member goes directly home from an outlying job site, the time spent driving home is not

compensable. Other examples of travel time are:

1. One-Day Assignment Out-of-Town: Where a team member is given a specific one-day work

assignment in another city, time spent traveling to and from another city is working/compensable

time, except any time spent in eating while traveling.

2. Overnight Out-of-Town Assignment: If a team member has an out-of-town assignment which

requires an over night stay during his/her normal working hours or non-working hours, the team

member must be paid for time spent traveling, except for meal periods.

3. If a team member utilizes public transportation, time spent traveling between home and the public

transportation is not compensable.

Training Time

Time spent in actual training required by the City is compensable working time under the FLSA.

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Exempt Team Members

As stated in the definitions section of this policy, Exempt Team Members are not covered by the

Fair Labor Standards Act as it relates to overtime compensation. This classification of team

member is often referred to as “salary.” In the Public Sector, exempt team members may have their

accrued leave reduced to accommodate absences, Exempt team members will not experience a

loss of wages until such time as accumulated leave is expended. A non-pay status will only occur

when the exempt team member has exhausted accumulated leave and is absent for the entire

workday.

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Discrimination and Harassment

Policy Number: E-01-10

Policy Manager: Human Resources

Effective Date: January 1, 2022

Preceding Policy Date: 10/07/2003

POLICY

The City of Largo is committed to maintaining a work environment in which all individuals are

treated with respect and dignity. Each individual has the right to work in a professional atmosphere

that promotes equal employment opportunities and prohibits discriminatory practices, including

harassment. Acts of discrimination and/or harassment will not be tolerated and shall be promptly

reported as outlined in this policy.

PROCEDURE

The City expects that all relationships among team members, managers, contractors, vendors, and

the public will be professional and free of bias, prejudice, intimidation, coercion and harassment.

Any behavior that is discriminatory, coercive, intimidating, harassing, or sexual in nature is

inappropriate and prohibited. Any verbal, physical, or visual conduct that belittles, demeans,

denigrates, or shows hostility toward an individual or group based on race, religion, national origin,

gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or similar characteristic or

circumstance is prohibited. Conduct prohibited by this policy is unacceptable in the workplace and

in any work-related setting outside the workplace, such as during business trips, business meetings

and business-related social events.

The standard of professional conduct governing this policy is established by the City and not by

individuals or groups of individuals. Conduct prohibited by this policy is never acceptable. This

includes situations in which individual team members or work groups regard the prohibited conduct

as permissible within their group's standards of behavior.

Retaliation is Prohibited

The City of Largo absolutely forbids retaliation of any kind against any individual who complains to

anyone about alleged discrimination or harassment against themselves or others. The City also

forbids retaliation against any individual who is closely related to or associated with a person who

participates in any reasonable opposition to discrimination and/or harassment carried out in good

faith is also prohibited. Acts of retaliation shall be reported immediately and will be promptly

investigated and addressed.

A team member's protests against alleged discriminatory employment practices will not release the

worker from appropriate discipline or discharge. Opposition to perceived discrimination or

harassment does not serve as a license for the team member to neglect job duties.

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Definitions and Examples

Incidents of harassment and retaliation may be subjective and include a range of subtle and overt

behaviors. To help team members and managers in understanding what harassment is, the

following definitions and examples are provided.

1. Harassment is any verbal, physical, or visual conduct that belittles, demeans, denigrates, or

shows hostility toward an individual or group based on race, religion, national origin, gender, age,

disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression, or similar characteristic or

circumstance and includes but is not limited to, any action that:

a. creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment.

b. unreasonably interferes with an individual's work performance.

c. otherwise adversely affects an individual's employment opportunities.

2. Harassing Conduct includes but is not limited to:

a. epithets, slurs, offensive or derogatory comments, or negative stereotyping;

b. threatening, coercive, intimidating, or hostile acts;

c. denigrating jokes; and written or graphic material that belittles, demeans, denigrates or shows

hostility or aversion toward an individual or group.

3. Sexual Harassment is unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other

physical, verbal, or visual conduct of a sexual nature when:

a. submission to the conduct is an explicit or implicit term or condition of employment; or

b. submission to or rejection of the conduct is used as the basis for an employment decision; or

c. the conduct has the purpose of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.

4. Sexual Harassment may involve individuals of the same or different gender and includes, but is

not limited to the following kinds of behavior.

a. Verbal: Sexual innuendos, suggestive comments, insults, humor, jokes about sex, anatomy or

gender-specific traits, explicit sexual propositions, threats, repeated requests for dates or

statements about someone's anatomy or statements about other team member(s) even outside

of their presence of a sexual nature.

b. Non-Verbal: Suggestive or insulting sounds (i.e. whistling, catcalls, smacking or kissing noises),

leering or obscene or sexually suggestive gestures.

c. Visual: Posters, signs, pin-ups or slogans of a sexual nature.

d. Physical: Touching, unwelcome hugging or kissing, pinching, brushing the body, coerced

sexual intercourse, or assault.

5. Retaliation is adverse action against a team member because they have reported discrimination

or harassment or because they have participated in an investigation related to such complaints.

The adverse action might be in the form of:

a. threats;

b. harassment in or out of the workplace;

c. any other adverse treatment that is likely to deter that individual or other team members from

reasonable opposition to discrimination and/or harassment.

6. Examples of Adverse Actions include but are not limited to:

a. denial of promotion or job benefits;

b. limiting access to an internal grievance procedure;

c. reprimands, demotion, suspension, and discharge;

Page 43

d. subjecting the individual's work performance to heightened scrutiny;

e. unsubstantiated negative evaluations;

f. giving an unsubstantiated negative job reference;

g. unfair treatment of a team member because his/her relative, who is also a team member, filed

a complaint.

Reporting Incidents of Harassment, Discrimination or Retaliation

City team members are required to promptly report all perceived incidents of discrimination,

harassment, or retaliation, regardless of the offender's identity or position. If any team member has

a complaint or allegation of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation, the team member should

report the incident to his/her immediate supervisor or manager. If the team member is not

comfortable taking the complaint to the supervisor or manager or is not satisfied with the corrective

action taken by the supervisor or manager, the allegation must be reported to the Department

Director, the Assistant Human Resources Director, or the Human Resources Director.

False Claims

False and malicious complaints of harassment, discrimination or retaliation will result in disciplinary

action. Individuals who report a complaint made in good faith, even it not sustained, are not subject

to disciplinary action.

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Internal Investigations

Policy Number: E-01-11

Originating Department/Division: Human Resources

Effective Date: October 1, 2005

Preceding Policy Date: 03/01/04

POLICY

The purpose of this policy is to establish and implement a system for the receipt, investigation, and

determination of complaints received by the City regarding alleged employee misconduct.

Fair, thorough, and professional investigations of allegations of misconduct are essential to maintain

high standards of professional conduct and for the protection of City employees against unfair or false

allegations. The quality of investigations are a direct reflection upon the City's ability to govern itself

and, consequently, is A critical element in maintaining the Community's faith and trust in the City.

It is the responsibility of each City employee to conduct himself/herself in a professional manner. It

is the responsibility of supervisors to ensure that employees are treated in a fair, equitable, and

consistent manner according to City policy.

While this policy applies to all employees of the City of Largo, in most cases, the Police Department

and Fire Rescue Department will use their own internal investigations process. All internal

investigations concerning the City of Largo's Discrimination and Harassment policy will be handled

by the Human Resources Department.

PROCEDURE

An internal investigation will be conducted when a report alleging that an employee breached the

public trust and confidence or committed a violation of a City policy. Before an investigation is

commenced, the investigator will determine if the report presents sufficient facts that, if proved true,

will constitute a violation of the public trust or the violation of a City policy.

An internal investigation is not indicated nor is one deemed to exist in disciplinary matters that come

to the attention of supervisory personnel during the course of normal duties i.e. supervisor has direct

knowledge of an infraction being committed by a subordinate. Each Department will process reports

concerning employees only as they relate to job duties, performance of the job duties and violation

of written directives that apply to job duties, or performance of job duties. While the supervisor

receiving the report may conduct sufficient inquiry of the complaint to test the allegation, an internal

investigation will be initiated only at the direction of the City Manager or Human Resources Director.

All internal investigations will be conducted by or under the direction of the Human Resources

Department and the City Attorney.

The employee who is the subject of the report will be notified of the allegations if they are found

sufficient to justify an Internal Investigation. Human Resources will contact the employee prior to the

start of the investigation.

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Receipt and Processing of Report

1. The complaining party shall be directed to the employee's immediate supervisor or next level

supervisor if that individual is not available.

2. The supervisor will take the report. The immediate supervisor and next level supervisor,

Department Director, and/or Human Resources Director will confer to review the facts of the

complaint and to determine that the complaint is related to job duties and/or performance and can

be processed within the Department.

3. Should the report involve more than a job performance or job duty issue, or be found more serious

than originally believed, the report will be handled as an internal investigation, pursuant to this

policy.

4. The immediate supervisor will complete a Discrimination/Harassment Report Form. The

completed form will be hand delivered to the Human Resources Department.

Internal Investigations – Human Resources Department

5. The Human Resources Department will review the Discrimination/Harassment Report Form and

information provided to:

a. determine with the City Attorney whether the report is sufficient to justify an investigation;

b. identify the need for an investigation including the witnesses to be interviewed and the

anticipated length of time needed to conduct the investigation;

c. select the appropriate investigator;

d. identify and/or assist with the identification of potential witnesses and documents to be

reviewed;

e. prepare or assist with the preparation of a plan for the investigation, an outline of questions,

and to review the plan on a periodic basis.

6. Should the Human Resources Director or the City Manager determine that an internal investigation

is justified the employee will be notified in writing through certified mail of the allegation and

purpose of the investigation. Depending upon the severity of the allegation and the position held

by the employee, he/she may be placed on Administrative Leave with pay pending the results of

the investigation. The investigator should not expand the investigation beyond the initial

allegations without good cause and after consultation with the City Attorney. The investigator

should advise the employee of the anticipated length of time necessary to conduct the

investigation.

7. If the employee requests another employee, an attorney, or a union representative to be present

during an administrative fact-finding meeting, every effort will be made to honor the employee's

request. The respective manager/supervisor must be notified in advance if an employee will be

accompanied by an attorney. The attorney will be admitted to the meeting solely in the role of an

observer. In the event the respective manager/supervisor is not informed of the presence of an

attorney previous to the meeting, the meeting may be rescheduled at the investigator's discretion.

In the event there is a scheduling conflict with the employee's representative or an attorney, or no

advance notice of an attorney occurred, the meetings must be rescheduled to occur within five

business days. If, at any time during the investigative process, it appears there may be criminal

implications of misconduct, the Human Resources Director will be advised and immediate

notification will be made to the employee and appropriate authorities.

8. The investigator shall prepare and submit the final report to the Department Director. This report

will include the Discrimination/Harassment Report Form with supporting documentation; report of

Page 46

the investigation; copies of applicable policies, procedures, rules, and regulations; copies of written

statements, interview forms and supporting documentation, and findings of fact.

9. All internal investigations shall have one of the following conclusions:

a. Unfounded- The allegation is false and not factual.

b. Exonerated- The incident occurred, but was lawful and proper.

c. Not Sustained- Insufficient evidence to prove or disprove the allegation.

d. Sustained- The allegation is supported by sufficient evidence to justify a reasonable conclusion

that the allegation is factual.

e. Policy/Procedure Deficiency- Employee's actions are in compliance with Department policies,

procedures, or rules, but the policy, procedure, or rule is deficient.

10. The Department Director will determine the final adjudication.

11. All applicable laws, rules and regulations, and policies relating to code of conduct, disciplinary

action, and individual rights will apply.

12. Should disciplinary action be taken as a result of an investigation, guidelines for the use of the pre-

disciplinary procedure appeals through appropriate collective bargaining unit or through the

Personnel Advisory Board will apply.

Page 47

CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Tobacco Free Workplace

Policy Number: E-01-13

Policy Manager: Human Resources

Effective Date: January 1, 2022

Preceding Policy Date: 03/01/2012

POLICY

This policy is to establish a Tobacco Free Workplace and work to protect and benefit the public

health, comfort, and environment for citizens and team members.

PROCEDURE

The City of Largo is a Tobacco Free Workplace. Team members are not allowed to use tobacco

products during city paid working hours including city-paid breaks - except for meal breaks which are

taken on the team member's own time. A team member who chooses to use tobacco products during

his/her meal break or on his/her own time must do so off City premises. Use of tobacco products is

always prohibited in City vehicles.

For purposes of this policy, "City Premises" would include City-owned and/or maintained parks,

buildings and facilities including the surrounding grounds and indoor and outdoor associated

walkways. City premises do not include city-owned roadways or rights-of-way including public

sidewalks in the rights-or-way. "Use of tobacco products" includes smoking or carrying a lighted

cigarette, cigar, cigarillo, pipe or other smoking material (i.e. e-cigarettes) or use of chewing tobacco,

snuff, herbal tobacco, and/or any smokeless tobacco products.

The City Manager is responsible for ensuring uniform citywide implementation of this policy.

Department Directors, managers, and supervisors are responsible for uniform implementation of this

policy in their respective work area(s)/facilities/buildings/vehicles.

Department Directors, managers, and supervisors are responsible for installing "No Smoking" signs

indoors, outdoors and inside vehicles as appropriate.

The Department of initial hire is responsible for explaining this policy to prospective team members

during the interview process before an offer of employment is made.

Human Resources is responsible for communicating this policy to new team members in the regularly

scheduled orientation meetings. In addition, Human Resources is responsible for supporting the

smoking cessation programming.

Citizens, clients, contractors, and visitors to City facilities are encouraged to voluntarily comply with

the Tobacco Free Workplace.

When team members are off duty, team members are members of the Public and may use tobacco

as a member of the Public (other than Police and Fire which have Tobacco-Free Hiring since 1990 -

Page 48

CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

City Payments to Team Members

Policy Number: E-01-14

Policy Manager: Human Resources

Effective Date: January 1, 2021

Preceding Policy Date: 03/5/2010

PURPOSE

To provide a secure, confidential, convenient, timely, and cost-effective method for transmitting all

City payments to Team Members, including payroll.

POLICY

Team Members are encouraged to set-up Direct Deposit for all City payments, including payroll.

Direct Deposit is a secure, accurate and efficient way for the City to transmit funds to Team Members

in a timely manner and mitigates the risk of lost or misplaced physical checks. For Team Members

who do not elect Direct Deposit, the Finance Department is responsible for the distribution of physical

checks to a Team Member’s Department Director or their designee. Team Members may access new

Direct Deposit information via the Workday system on every regular payday.

It is a Team Member’s responsibility to notify the Payroll Specialist in the Finance

Department of any change to their bank and/or bank account(s) that affects their Direct Deposit by

completing a new Direct Deposit Authorization Agreement. Additionally, it is the Team Member’s

responsibility to ensure that City payments are posted prior to disbursing funds from their bank

accounts.

Should a Team Member fail to notify the Payroll Specialist that a bank account was closed or

changed, the City will not issue a replacement physical check until all misdirected funds are received

from the banking institution.

The City is not liable for any fees or penalties charged for mis-directed payments by any banking

institutions. If fees or penalties are deducted from the return of misdirected payments to the City, by

the banking institution, a physical check will not be issued.

When a Direct Deposit account change is requested, payment elections should be made in the

Workday system and the Direct Deposit Authorization Agreement must be returned to the Payroll

Specialist.

A Direct Deposit change request will normally be effective on the 2nd payroll cycle (2nd payroll period)

following the receipt of the Direct Deposit Authorization Agreement by the Payroll Specialist in the

Finance Department.

Page 49

PROCEDURE

1. Physical checks will be made available to Department Directors or their designees by 2:00 p.m.

on the day before each regular payday.

2. Physical checks may be released to Team Members at any time on a regular payday, on the

preceding day or at the end of work shifts at the discretion of each Department Director, based

on each department’s unique operating conditions.

3. An early release of physical checks is a convenience for Team Members. Physical checks that

are released prior to a regular payday may not be cashed or deposited until the regular payday.

Page 50

CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Personnel Changes (New Position, Reclassification,

Delete / Add)

Policy Number: E-01-16

Originating Department/Division: Human Resources

Effective Date: May 1, 2004

Preceding Policy Date: 06/15/21

POLICY

From time to time departments desire to make personnel changes. These changes can be

categorized as the reclassification of an existing position or the process of deletion and addition of a

position. The purpose of this procedure is to explain the specific steps needed to be taken by a

department when it wishes to effect one of these personnel changes. All changes will be initiated by

completing the appropriate form as listed below and forwarding it to the Human Resources

Department (HR). Forms can be found in /home/largo/lg/forms/personnel/directory.

PROCEDURE

Reclassification (Form No. P006 - located in

/home/largo/lg/forms/personnel/p006reclass.stw)

Over an extended period of time, the duties and responsibilities of an existing position may change

from those originally identified in the job description. These changes may necessitate a change in

the classification of the position. A Department Director shall request HR to perform a job audit to

determine the need for a reclassification. After review of the job audit with the requesting Department

Director, HR will make the decision as to the proper classification for the revised position.

Implementation of a reclassification is subject to review by the City Manager and may be subject to

approval by the City Commission.

New Position (Form No. P005- located in

/home/largo/lg/forms/personnel/p005newposition.stw))

Most new positions are requested as part of the budget preparation process each spring for

implementation on October 1. New positions added during the fiscal year must be added by means

of a budget amendment prepared by the Assistant City Manager and approved by the City

Commission. All requests for new positions must be submitted to HR accompanied by a completed

position questionnaire. HR shall recommend the proper classification for the position and prepare a

job description if the duties of the position do not fall within a current job description.

Delete/Add (Form No. P007 - located in /home/largo/lg/forms/personnel/p007-

delete_add.stw))

A department may determine that a current, budgeted position is no longer appropriate and that

another classification is needed in its place. This replacement of a position of one classification with

another is referred to as a delete/add. Compared to a reclassification, which is a gradual evolutionary

change in the duties and responsibilities of a position, a delete/add is actually a reorganization. A

delete/add may be requested either as part of the annual budget submission or may be requested

during the fiscal year. A request for a delete/add position shall follow essentially the same procedure

as a new position request.

Page 51

CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Service Recognition

Policy Number: E-01-17

Originating Department/Division: Human Resources

Effective Date: January 1, 2016

Preceding Policy Date: 10/07/08

POLICY

A solid wood plaque inscribed with the City seal will be presented by the City Manager or designee

to any employee on his/her last work day who has tenor more years of service with the City of Largo.

If an employee does not want a plaque, the employee may choose a gift card, or charitable

contribution in the amount equal to the cost of the plaque.

In addition to the recognition described above, an employee with 20 years or more of service will be

given a life-time membership with the Recreation, Parks and Arts Department.

PROCEDURE

As soon as an eligible employee gives notice of his/her separation, it will be the responsibility of each

department to notify the Human Resources to order the City Plaque. The department should specify

the account number to be charged for the plaque. If the employee chooses the gift card the

department will obtain the gift card and report the purchase to the Payroll / Senior Accounting Clerk

in Finance. If the employee chooses a charitable contribution, the department will request a check to

the charity to be prepared by Finance which will not be taxable.

Page 52

CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Travel

Policy Number: E-01-18

Originating Department/Division: Administration

Effective Date: October 1, 2021

Preceding Policy Date: 10/01/2019

PURPOSE

The State of Florida has established travel per diem and expense regulations, which municipalities

must follow unless a separate ordinance is adopted by the City Commission. The City established

alternative per diem and expense reimbursement policy via City Ordinance 2019-76 (creating section

2-52 of the City Code) to reduce administrative burden and complexity associated with processing

travel arrangements and align with federal reimbursement rates. This policy communicates the

established per diem and travel expense reimbursement policies and associated administrative

procedures.

POLICY

2-52(a) Policy: Pursuant to section 166.021 (9)(b), Florida Statutes, the passage and adoption of this

policy by the Largo City Commission provides for a per diem and travel expense policy for its travelers

which varies from the provisions of section 112.061, Florida Statutes. As such, the City of Largo is

exempt from all provisions of section 112.061, Florida Statutes. This policy is subject to the provisions

of section 166.021 (9), Florida Statutes.

2-52(b) The intent of this policy is to provide parameters that will support team member learning and

development opportunities that cultivate a high-performance culture. The City of Largo encourages

team members to participate in professional and organizational development by attending training

events, conferences, seminars, etc. This policy governs expenses associated with attendance at such

events. This policy does not pertain to routine, local travel associated with City business (meetings,

committees, etc.). This policy does not pertain to expenses related to tuition reimbursement for

college or trade school courses. It is the responsibility of the team member who is traveling (traveler)

to ensure correct documentation, authorization, and submission of any required forms both before

and after travel. Pursuant to section 166.021 (9)(c), Florida Statutes, travel claims submitted in

compliance with this policy do not have to be notarized, but must contain a statement that the

expenses were actually incurred by the traveler as necessary travel expenses in the performance of

official duties and shall be verified by a written declaration that it is true and correct as to every

material matter.

2-52(c)Travelers must be mindful that costs are paid with public funds and that the public expects all

costs incurred to be reasonable and necessary. Our City value of integrity is exercised through the

use of good judgement in all decisions made regarding the types of travel costs incurred and the

amounts incurred, so that the public's trust is always maintained. Pursuant to section 166.021 (9)(c),

Florida Statutes, any person who willfully makes and subscribes any claim that he or she does not

believe to be true and correct as to every material matter, or who willfully aids or assist in, or procures,

counsels or advises the preparation or presentation of such a claim that is fraudulent or is false at to

any material matter, whether or not such falsity or fraud is with the knowledge or consent of the person

authorized or required to present such claim, commits a misdemeanor of the second degree,

punishable as provided in section 775.082, Fla. Statutes or section 775.083, Fla. Statutes. Whoever

receives an allowance or reimbursement by means of a false claim is civilly liable in the amount of

the overpayment for the reimbursement of the public fund from which the claim was paid.

Page 53

2-52(d): Allowable Expenses

2-52 (d)(1) Registration & Fees: Costs to register for a conference or training event, pre-paid before

attending the conference.

2-52 (d)(2) Lodging: Lodging costs are permissible outside Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, or

Manatee Counties. Reasonableness of lodging costs should be considered prior to booking

reservation, and travelers must be prepared to provide written justification for the selected lodging.

2-52 (d)(3) Meal Per Diem: The City will include travel and training per diem payments based on the

Federal GSA Meals and Incidentals (M&IE) Per Diem Rates for the Tampa/St. Petersburg area

(rounded to the nearest $5), regardless of travel destination. Per diem payments will be processed

as a direct deposit to the team members bank account on file before or after travel, depending on

when Spend Authorizations/Expense Reports (Workday) are approved in the Finance Department

and costs are incurred. No special pre-travel special checks will be printed, nor will petty cash be

provided, regardless of the reason or cause.

2-52 (d)(4) Outside Area: Travel outside of Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, or Manatee Counties will

be eligible for a per diem as outlined above. Travel days will be eligible for 50% of the per diem rate,

regardless of departure time.

2-52 (d)(5) Inside Area: Per diem rates for full-day travel within Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, or

Manatee Counties will be eligible for $15 per diem for out-of-pocket meal expenses, except when a

meal is provided as part of the meeting or conference.

2-52 (d)(6) Airfare: Regular cabin airline tickets will be purchased online directly through a carrier or

online travel site (e.g. Kayak, Orbitz, Expedia) with a City purchasing card. Travelers must shop for

the best price available for airline reservations, taking into reasonable consideration the length or

number of stops for available flights. The City will pay for one piece of checked luggage, if necessary.

The City will not pay for priority boarding, seating upgrades or other special service charges unless a

reasonable accommodation is necessary and documentation has been provided.

2-52 (d)(7) City Vehicle: Travelers are encouraged to use a City vehicle for in-state travel when

practical. Travelers who receive a car allowance are not eligible to use a City vehicle unless they are

traveling in a group that does not fit in the team member’s personal vehicle.

2-52 (d)(8) Private Vehicle: If authorized by the traveler’s supervisor, use of a private vehicle will be

reimbursed for mileage at the rate established by the Federal Internal Revenue Service annual

mileage rate, rounded down to the nearest penny. Travelers who receive a car allowance will not be

reimbursed for mileage or fuel.

2-52 (d)(9) Car Rental: Rental cars may be authorized at the point of destination. An appropriate

rental car will be arranged before travel. The City will not pay for supplemental insurance or other

add-ons. Rental vehicles will be returned on-time with the appropriate fuel level. Additional costs will

be the responsibility of the traveling team member.

2-52 (d)(10) Other Transportation: The City will prepay or reimburse for transportation to and from

hotel, airport, and event. Public transit, regular shuttle services, and/or ridesharing should be used

whenever available or practical. Transportation for dining or other personal reasons will not be

reimbursed.

Page 54

2-52 (d)(11) Parking: Airport parking will be reimbursed at the maximum daily rate for the Economy

Parking Garage. The City will reimburse other reasonable parking expenses (e.g. hotel, garage, lot)

at actual costs if a receipt is provided. The lesser cost of ride-share/taxi or economy parking will be

used when traveling (e.g.: economy parking for four days may be less expensive than round-trip costs

using ridesharing).

2-52 (d)(12) Fuel & Tolls: City vehicles will be fueled at Fleet Services before departure. Elsewhere, a

purchase card should be used to fuel City vehicles, if available. Team members without a purchase card will

be reimbursed with receipt for fueling City or rental vehicles. Tolls for both City vehicles and personal vehicles

are reimbursable with a receipt.

PROCEDURE – PRE-TRAVEL

A) Authorization Parameters: All travel must be authorized by the supervisor and the Department

Director or designee (if over $3000) by entering a Spend Authorization in Workday before incurring

any expenses. Expenses incurred before obtaining approval are ineligible for reimbursement. A

traveler may not approve their own travel or reimbursement.

Local Travel*

All Team Members

In-State Travel

Out-of-State Travel

for Represented

Team Members

Required

Approvals

(in order)

No fee/ One

Day

All Other

Supervisor

Director

(+$3,000)

CM / ACM

As Needed

(“Add

Approver” in

Workday)

As Needed (“Add

Approver” in

Workday)

As Needed (“Add

Approver” in

Workday)

(B) Pre-Paid Expense: The City will pre-pay all possible expenses using a purchase card or

purchase order. The City will pay reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in connection with

approved travel that could not be pre-paid. Team members can make travel arrangements

themselves, prepay travel expenses, and complete the travel expense documentation in Workday via

Spend Authorizations (pre-approval and per diem) and Expense Reports (only those items needing

to be reimbursed to team members). If necessary, Department staff with the Workday role of “Expense

Data Entry Specialist” can enter Spend Authorizations and Expense Reports for other team members.

Spend Authorization is submitted in Workday no less than two weeks prior to travel.

Page 55

(D) Pre-Travel Considerations: In an effort to reduce expenses associated with travel whenever

practical, staff should evaluate the following factors:

a) Use of bulk travel or event registration discounts;

b) Carpooling;

c) Conducting training in-house or hiring a training instead of travel;

d) Whether the event will be available locally at another time;

e) Flying vs. driving costs;

f) Any other general issues of efficiency, cost reduction and public perception.

(E) Travel Cost Thresholds: Total conference costs exceeding $3,000 require approval by the

Department Director prior to booking the travel.

(F) Personal Funds: Travelers should review reimbursement guidelines before spending personal

funds for travel to determine if such expenses are reimbursable. The City reserves the right to deny

reimbursement of travel-related expenses for failure to comply with policies and procedures.

Travelers who use personal funds to facilitate travel arrangements will not be reimbursed until after

the trip occurs and proper documentation is submitted on the Workday expense report.

(G) Extended Travel or Vacation in Conjunction with Business Travel: If a traveler requests

additional travel time beyond what would be reasonably necessary surrounding the event, additional

travel time will be charged as leave time and additional expenses incurred will be the responsibility

of the traveling team member. Supervisors are responsible for determining reasonable travel times

and expenses. Travelers should provide documentation of cost comparisons.

(H): Expenses Incurred During Travel: Traveling team members are responsible for keeping

receipts for all reimbursable expenses. Travelers using personal funds to pay eligible expenses will

not be reimbursed without a receipt or without an explanation for the lost receipt. Since a meal per

diem is received, no food or beverages should be charged to a City purchasing card, and no food or

beverage costs will be reimbursed. When

traveling within the State of Florida, travelers take a tax-exempt certificate and ensure that no sales

taxes are included for hotel/lodging.

PROCEDURE – POST TRAVEL

(A): Reporting: The traveler must submit a final Expense Report in Workday that includes all

supporting documentation. If the Expense Report is not routed for final approval to the Finance

Department within 45 days of return, all or any reimbursements will be denied. The final Expense

Report must be completed even if no money is owed to the traveler.

(B) Approval of Post Travel Expenses: The traveler’s supervisor is responsible for ensuring that

travel expenses claimed on an Expense Report are reasonable, in compliance with all City policies,

and in alignment with the pre-travel Spend Authorization. The Finance Department will conduct a

secondary review upon receipt of the final Expense Report and consult with the traveler’s supervisor

and Department Director regarding any questions on reported expenses.

(C): Fines & Penalties: Vehicle related fines and penalties incurred while traveling are the

responsibility of the team member. Common fines include: parking and speeding fines, towing costs

and other costs associated with enforcement activities, regardless of the reason or cause. Travelers

are personally responsible for vehicle operation and must remain aware of speed limits, parking time

and place limits, and all vehicle operator responsibilities.

Page 56

CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Temporary Position, Request to Hire Non-Budgeted

Policy Number: E-01-19

Originating Department/Division: Administration/City Manager

Effective Date: July 15, 2001

Preceding Policy Date:

03/12/90

POLICY

The hiring of a temporary position not authorized in the budget must be approved by the Assistant

City Manager. A temporary position may be filled with either a temporary City employee hired through

the normal City hiring procedures or through a temporary service with which the City has a contract.

PROCEDURE

In order to request the hiring of a non-budget temporary position, it is necessary for the requesting

department to complete the attached form and submit it to the Assistant City Manager. After review,

the Assistant City Manager shall return the form to the requesting department. If employment of a

temporary position through an agency is approved, the form with the Assistant City Manager's

signature must be forwarded to the Human Resources Department for processing. All contact with

the temporary service will be made through the Human Resources Department.

If a temporary City position is approved, the form with the Assistant City Manager's signature and a

signed Position Vacancy Approval form must be forwarded to the Human Resources Department.

Page 57

REQUEST TO HIRE NON-BUDGETED TEMPORARY POSITION

Department:

Position Title:

Work Site Location/Address:

Supervisor:

Telephone:

Reason for Request:

Approximate Length of Employment:

Working Hours: Date Needed:

Approximate Cost:

Source of Funds:

Budget Account:

Temporary City Employee: □ Employment Agency: □ (Check One)

Specific Skills:

Driver's License Required: Yes No CDL

Equipment Operated:

Job Duties and Responsibilities (Be Specific):

Date:

Department Director Signature

Approved/Denied

Date:

Assistant City Manager

Page 58

CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Interview Expenses & Relocation Assistance

Policy Number: E-01-20

Policy Manager: City Administration / City Manager

Effective Date: October 1, 2021

Preceding Policy Date: 07/15/2001

PURPOSE

The City of Largo is committed to attracting and retaining a high-quality workforce that delivers

superior city services. Recruitment is an essential function, and the ability to engage with all

candidates, regardless of location is an important part of the recruitment process. This policy is

intended to provide clarity and establish uniformity among interview expense and relocation

assistance practices throughout the City.

POLICY

Interview expenses and/or relocation assistance for non-represented positions, outlined in the

procedure below, may be paid based on approval of the Department Director. Interview expenses

may include travel, per diem, and overnight accommodations when applicable. Reimbursement for

an accompanying spouse or other person(s) traveling with the applicant are not permitted unless it is

an Executive Management recruitment.

PROCEDURE

Interview Expenses

Interview expenses must be related to the interview process. Expenses associated with vacation-

related activities while in the area are not eligible for reimbursement. Staying extra nights in a hotel

outside of the interview process is not eligible for reimbursement.

Expenses eligible for reimbursement are outlined below:

• Airline reservations that are made based on the most direct route at the best rates available.

• Personal automobile mileage reimbursement based on the shortest driving distance, and at the City's

current mileage reimbursement rate plus tolls.

• Car rentals may be reimbursed if the cost of standard airport taxi or vendors such as UBER or LYFT

are estimated to be more than the cost of renting a car.

• The City will not reimburse for meal costs. Candidates will be provided a per diem, as outlined in the

City’s Travel Policy.

• Candidates must provide receipts, invoices or mileage estimates before reimbursement is made.

• Lodging will be provided for candidates who are required to stay overnight. The interviewing department

will make the necessary arrangements and the City will pay these expenses directly.

Interview Expense payments will be charged to the cost center where the position is budgeted within

the recruiting Department’s budget utilizing the Ad Hoc Payment process in Workday.

Relocation Assistance

Relocation assistance is offered with the contingent offer letter and contains a repayment clause due

to voluntary separation, or separation for cause prior to six months of employment.

Page 59

Relocation Assistance Parameters:

Relocation assistance may be offered to candidates living outside Pinellas, Pasco, Hillsborough, and

Manatee Counties. Relocation assistance amounts are outlined below:

1. Executive Management: Negotiated with approval by the City Manager/Assistant City

Manager.

2. Senior Management: $6,000

3. Supervisory: $4,000

4. Professional: $2,500

5. Represented: $1,000

Requests to provide Relocation Assistance greater than the amounts outlined above must be

approved by the City Manager or Assistant City Manager.

All Relocation Assistance payments will be charged to the cost center where the position is budgeted

within the recruiting Department’s budget. Relocation Assistance is a taxable payment and will be

processed through payroll in Workday.

Page 60

CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Ethics

Policy Number: E-01-21

Originating Department/Division: Human Resources

Effective Date: February 1, 2020

Preceding Policy Date: 1/25/08

PURPOSE

Team members have the honor and privilege to serve our community, and demonstrate the values

of our organization through the quality of work we do and decisions made. As a public service

organization, ethics and upholding the public trust and confidence is our first goal and priority.

Team members will maintain the highest ethical standards in the conduct of City affairs with integrity

and comply with all applicable laws in a manner that excludes considerations of personal advantage

or gain.

Team members must demonstrate professional excellence and attitude based upon sound judgment,

free of personal biases. The most important responsibility of all team members is to believe in, and

then act upon, the shared values of our organization. It is in this way that we inspire public confidence

and trust in City government. The City’s Ethics Policy, in accordance with Chapter 112 of FL Statutes,

and posted in the Ethics section of the Administrative Policies & Procedures Manual.

Ethical Standards:

We must strive for professional excellence and exhibit at all times a professional attitude based upon

sound judgment free of personal biases. The most important responsibility of management is to

believe in, and then act upon, the shared values of our organization. The following standards of

ethics are presented to further define the organization's values and to establish the expectations of

the City ethics policy.

1. Personal Honesty and Integrity: Each employee has a responsibility to the organization and

his or her colleagues to demonstrate the highest standards of personal integrity, honesty, and

fortitude in all public activities. It is in this way that we can inspire public confidence and trust

in City government.

2. Open and Accessible Government: A primary responsibility and fundamental value must

be open and honest government. Our competence is encouraged by subjecting actions to

the public arena and ideas become better when we expose them to public scrutiny. It is crucial

that we maintain an organizational reputation for honesty and integrity. In order to further our

service goals, we must remain accessible to the public at all times.

3. Fiscal Responsibility: Proper use of public funds is a trust that must continually be guarded.

Public funds must be managed in the most efficient manner at all times. All rules and

regulations pursuant to their use must be adhered to.

4. Citizen Service Orientation: This organization recognizes that the chief function of local

government at all times is to serve the best interests of all the people. We are committed to

serve the public with respect, concern, courtesy and responsiveness, recognizing that service

to the public is beyond service to oneself.

Page 61

PROCEDURE

1. Florida Statutes:

Chapter 112 of the Florida Statutes ("Conflict of Interest Law") applies to all public officers and

employees, including officers and employees of municipalities. The declared policy of this law

is to prohibit any public officer or employee from having any interest in, or engaging in any

business or transaction, or from incurring any obligation "which is in substantial conflict with

the proper discharge of his/her duties in the public interest."

Florida law states that "No public officer, employee of an agency...shall solicit or accept

anything of value to the recipient, including a gift, loan, reward, promise of future employment,

favor or service, based upon any understanding that the vote, official action, or judgment of

the public officer, employee...would be influenced thereby."

If an officer or employee of the City is an officer, director, partner, proprietor, associate, or

general agent (other than a resident agent solely for service of process) of, or owns a material

interest in, any business entity which is granted a privilege to operate in the State of Florida,

he/she must file a statement disclosing such facts with the Clerk of the Circuit Court.

The law further prohibits any public officer or employee from:

• using or attempting to use the official position to secure special privileges or exemptions for

himself/herself, or others;

• accepting employment or engaging in any business or professional activity which might

reasonably be expected to require or induce the disclosure of confidential information

acquired by the public officer or employee by reason of official position;

• disclosing to others, or using for personal benefit any confidential information gained by

reason of official position;

• accepting other employment which might impair the independence or judgment of the public

officer or employee in the performance of public duty;

• receiving any compensation for official services to the City from any source other than the

City;

• transacting any business in an official capacity with any other business entity of which the

public officer or employee is an officer, director, agent, member, or owns a controlling

interest;

• having personal investments in any enterprise which will create a substantial conflict

between private interests and the public interest.

This procedure is not intended and shall not be construed to prevent any public officer or employee

from accepting lawful private employment or following any pursuit which in no way interferes with the

full and faithful discharge of public duties.

2. General

This procedure prescribes appropriate standards of ethical conduct for all employees of the

City. Each department has the right to institute more restrictive policies which conform to the

intent of these guidelines. It is the intent of this procedure that an employee avoid any action,

whether or not specifically prohibited, which might result in or create the appearance of:

• using City position for private gain;

• offering preferential treatment to any person;

• impeding City efficiency or economy;

• losing complete independence or impartiality;

• making a City decision outside of official channels;

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• affecting adversely the confidence of the public in the integrity of the City

POLICY

1. Outside Employment:

No employee may secure employment outside the City service, including being retained as

an expert, except in accordance with the following conditions:

• Employee first files a written notification with his/her department director. The request must

state the type and place of employment, the hours of work, and the employer's name. If the

job has more than one location, the employee must furnish the name, address, and

telephone number of someone who will know his/her whereabouts.

• The employee makes arrangements with the outside employer to be relieved from his/her

duties if called for emergency work by the City. City employment is the first priority.

• In the opinion of the employee's department director, the outside employment must not

present a conflict of interest with City employment.

• If any time outside employment interferes with an employee's job requirement or

performance for the City, the department director may require the employee's resignation

from his/her City employment, a modification in the conditions of the outside employment,

or resignation from the outside employment.

2. Gratuities:

• No employee shall solicit directly or indirectly any gratuity regardless of value from any

person.

• No employee shall accept directly or indirectly any gratuity, regardless of value, which is

offered based upon any understanding that the vote, official action, or judgment of the

employee would be influenced thereby.

• An employee shall not accept a gift, gratuity, or reward in response to performing an official

act or providing a specific service that requires a decision that may benefit the recipient.

• An employee may accept unsolicited gratuities of a value up to and including $100, provided

such offer and acceptance do not violate the provisions of Florida Statute 112.313 -

112.318.

• City employees may accept gratuities without regard to value when such gratuities are

offered to the City and are accepted on behalf of the City, with said gratuity to remain the

property of the City.

• Employees or their designee may accept, regardless of value, admission to events to which

they are invited in their official, representative capacity as an official of the City of Largo.

This procedure shall not be interpreted to prevent an employee from entering into a bona fide

business transaction for the services of or purchase of goods or materials from a person, firm,

or corporation doing business with the City when no special benefit is accorded or sought by

the employee, which is not otherwise available to other patrons.

3. Honoraria

A City employee may not accept an honorarium from anyone seeking to influence the

governmental decision-making of the employee or the City, or who seeks to encourage the

passage, defeat, or modification of any proposal or recommendation of the employee or the

City either at the present time or who has done so in the preceding 12 months. In such cases,

only acceptance of actual and reasonable transportation, lodging, and food and beverage

expenses related to the honorarium event is permissible.

A City employee may not attend an event on City time for which an honorarium is received. If

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only actual expenses are received, then the employee's department director must approve

attendance on City time.

4. Divulgence of Information

No employee shall furnish to anyone any information, other than public information, that was

obtained as a result of employment with the City to gain personal advantage for himself/herself

or another. This shall not be construed to limit, hinder, or prevent the divulgence or use of

information in the performance of official duties, but shall prohibit the use of or providing of

information that would place the employee or the recipient in a position of advantage over the

general public, and thereby constitute a violation of public trust.

5. Coercion:

An employee is prohibited from using or allowing a family member to use the employee's City

employment to coerce or give the appearance of coercing a person to provide benefit to

himself/herself, or another person, particularly one with whom the employee has family,

business, or financial ties.

6. Interest in contract with City - Employees of the City:

No employee of the City of Largo shall be directly or indirectly employed by any person, firm,

or corporation nor be interested, directly or indirectly, in any firm, or corporation having, or

proposing to have, any contractual relation with or rendering, or proposing to render for any

consideration, services to the City or any department, board, or agency thereof, when the

approval, concurrence, decision, recommendation, or advice of the employee or member shall

be sought, obtained, or required in any connection with such contract or service. No person,

firm, or corporation having, or proposing to have any contractual relationship with, or

rendering, or proposing to render for any consideration, services to the City, or any

department, board, or agency of the City shall employ or have as an interested party, directly

or indirectly, any employee of the City, when the approval, concurrence, decision,

recommendation or advice of such employee shall be sought, obtained, or required in

connection with such contract or service. No person, firm, or corporation shall be deemed to

be proposing to have a contractual relation with the City or to be proposing to render services

to the City unless such person, firm, or corporation shall submit a bid to the City for a City

contract, shall make a contractual offer to the City, or shall request the City to consider

entering a contractual relation with the person, firm, or corporation.

7. Penalty:

Violation of these provisions by an employee of the City shall be sufficient cause for discipline

pursuant to City Code of Conduct and may be cause for immediate dismissal.

8. Reporting Incidents of Potential Violation of Ethics Policy:

City employees are required to promptly report all perceived violations of the City's Ethics

Policy. If the employee is not comfortable with reporting the perceived violation to a supervisor

or manager, or is not satisfied with the corrective action taken by the supervisor or manager,

the employee must report the perceived violation to the Department Director, Assistant

Director of Human Resources or the Human Resources Director.

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Hiring Process

Policy Number: E-01-22

Originating Department/Division: Human Resources

Effective Date: May 1, 2015

Preceding Policy Date: 08/28/03

POLICY

This policy provides guidelines for the recruitment and selection process for all full- and part-time

regular positions. The Hiring Process Policy incorporates previous policies and processes for criminal

history checks, pre-employment physical and employee onboarding (formerly called sign in).

Important tools to aid in the process such as: Recruitment Planning – Steps to Success Worksheet,

Selected Applicant Checklist, Veterans Preference Summary are attached and can be found in the

Human Resources Directory (Recruitment Important Forms folder) under the City Seal on all City

desktops.

PROCEDURE

1. Recruitment Process

a. Create a Requisition in NEOGOV

The requisition is completed by the hiring department when a budgeted position is vacant, or upon

receipt of a resignation to begin the process. It is electronically forwarded for approval to:

• Department Director

• Assigned Management Analyst

• Office of Management & Budget (OMB) Manager and Assistant City Manager

c. Planning

After approval, the hiring manager initiates a meeting with the Staffing & Recruitment Specialist to

discuss specifics of posting, time frames and process.

d. Job Posting

The hiring manager will collaborate with the staffing & recruitment specialist to create the posting and

supplemental questions to help target applicants who meet the minimum qualifications of the position.

• Internal: When the vacancy is expected to be filled from a pool of current employees, an

internal posting for five (5) or more work days is initiated.

• External when consideration will be given to both internal and external applicants the posting

will be active for ten (10) or more work days is initiated.

e. Advertising

i. Free Advertising

• All jobs are posted to our website, governmentjobs.com, Monday Morning Briefing

(MMB), ziprecruiter.com (who posts jobs to over 100 of the most visited job boards,

websites and social networks), external email distribution to over 100 local business

owners, community activists and others.

ii. Paid Advertising

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f. Since the department is charged back for costs associated with media advertising, the

hiring manager and staffing & recruitment specialist work closely to determine:

• Content, time frames and placement for all additional advertising.

• Suitable advertising venues to include professional associations, various online sites

including those with large audiences (Tampa Bay Times, monster, etc.) and those with

focused target audiences (niche sites that cater to public works, planning, solid waste,

environmental services, IT/technology, library, recreation parks and arts, human

resources, etc.) are discussed including cost that will be charged back to the

department.

• Department Director approves the advertising budget and Human Resources drafts

and places the advertisement(s).

g. Application Review

Those listed as hiring managers on the requisition will receive applicant pools of those who meet the

minimum qualifications as outlined in the supplemental questions. Applicant files include:

• Application

• Resumes, certifications, DD-214, copies of certifications, driver’s license, transcripts, training

and/or any other attachments an applicant has chosen to up load to his/her applicant file, if

any.

• Candidates approved for veterans' preference will be highlighted for the hiring manager and

include the number of points/% each applicant should receive at every step in the processes

• Internal candidates will be highlighted for the hiring manager. Human Resources

encourages offering an interview (telephone screen at a minimum) to internal applicants as

a developmental opportunity, if possible.

2. Selection Process

a. The hiring department will discuss the selection process with Human Resources to determine

the best method to select the most suitable candidate(s)for the position, and to ensure selection

validity and defensibility. The hiring department will not conduct written or practical tests without

the prior review and authorization from Human Resources. The selection process may include

as many of the following methods as determined appropriate:

• Written Test

Online or hard copy test to demonstrate the applicant’s general knowledge of the duties and

responsibilities of the position.

• Practical Test

A practical test provides an actual demonstration of a portion or portions of the vacancy, e.g. typing

test for speed and accuracy; driving equipment in a secured area that the applicant will be required

to drive; or demonstrating the use and safety of a chain saw that is a required tool in the performance

of the position.

• Assessment Center

An assessment center includes a number of selection process tools that are reviewed by an

assessment panel. Assessment tools may include an in-basket task to determine how the applicant

would handle or prioritize work-related issues; a verbal test to determine immediate response aptitude

and/or verbal communications skills; a written or computer test; and/or a panel interview.

• Polygraph and/or Psychological

Fire Rescue and Police Departments utilize polygraph and/or psychological screens for specified

classifications to assist in determining suitability for employment in public safety positions.

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b. After reviewing all qualified applicant files, the Department Hiring Manager and/or designee:

• May conduct preliminary telephone screen as a selection tool to cull the list of finalists

scheduled for a personal interview.

• A personal interview may be conducted by two employees or a panel interview including

three or more employees. Sample interview questions may be obtained from the Human

Resources Department and actual interview questions should be reviewed by Human

Resources at least three days prior to telephone or personal interviews in order for

suggestions and feedback to be returned. If possible, a representative from Human

Resources should participate in the interview process.

During the panel interview, the Prospective Employment Checklist (Form P067) is reviewed with each

applicant. This form conveys important information to finalists necessary to know before accepting

an offer of employment (For example, starting salary, assigned hours, required dress, emergency

response level, any other unique aspects of the job (i.e. 4 – 10 hour days, work outside, etc.),health

insurance and mandatory retirement contribution. This form is located in our HR General Forms

folder at:

home/largo/lg/largo_information/department_forms/HR/HR_GeneralForms_prospective_employee_

checklist_r201410.pdf.prospempcheck.stwInterview

c. Employment Verification / Reference Checking

3. After Selection – What's Next?

a. Prepare contingent offer letter to include:

• Tentative starting date

• Starting salary

i. At range minimum can be included in the letter

ii. Above range minimum

• Written approval from the City Manager is required before the offer of employment

• Create memo outlining the following information: Desired starting salary, rationale for

request, backup documentation to confirm applicant's current salary and/or review of

possible compression issues with recommendations to justify recommendation.

• Contingencies - Depending on the position requirements, the process may include:

i. Pre-Employment Physical

ii. Drug Screen, if applicable

iii. Background Investigation may includes

• Criminal history check

• Ten year background checklist

• Degree verification (if required for job and/or if listed on application)

• Driver license verification (if driving if required for the position)k (if position warrants).

Only required when the job function of the vacancy includes responsibility for major

purchasing or budget control.

• Social media checks

4. Post Offer of Employment – Hiring Manager Follow Up

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• After receiving notice that the post-offer physical and drug screen is acceptable, the hiring

department will forward the following forms to the Human Resources Department at least

two-and- a-half work days before the prospective employee is scheduled to begin work:

i. Executed Personnel Action Request PAR(/home/largo/lg/forms/personnel/p066par.stw)

with appropriate signatures.

ii. Employment Application with copies of all attachments (Cover Letter, resume, DD214,

etc.).

iii. Original Prospective Employee or Promotional, Demotion transfer Checklist.

iv. Completed interview panel questionnaires (dated and signed).

v. completed scoring sheets.

vi. Interview Form(s).

5. Neogov Notifications – Hiring Manager

i. notifying unsuccessful applicants and close the recruitment in Neogov by moving the

selected applicant to hired.

ii. Staffing & Recruitment Specialist will provide training to those new to using Neogov or to

those in need of refresher.

6. Onboarding Appointment – Can be scheduled on any Monday morning and will coincide with the

employee's start date. After the date has been identified, Human Resources will forward an email

to the new employee outlining:

i. Date, time and duration of onboarding session.

ii. Documents to complete in advance and what to bring to the session.

iii. What to expect after the session – report to work, go home (Part time employee not

scheduled to work that day, etc.).

RECRUITMENT PLANNING – STEPS TO SUCCESS

ROLE DEFINITIONS

Hiring Manager (HM) or designee

• Person assigned authority to oversee the hiring process from beginning to end

• Selects candidate for hire and makes contingent offer

• Primary department point of contact (POC) for Human Resources Recruiter

• Strategically guides the hiring process in collaboration with the assistance of the Recruiter

Human Resources Recruiter (HR)

• Primary Human Resources point of contact (POC) for the Hiring Manager(s)

• Consults with Hiring Manager to determine the recruitment plan (for example: establish

milestones/time line, questions, advertising sources and scoring tools, etc.) and assists in helping

to remove challenges during the during the process

• Collaborates with Hiring Manager(s) through the process until the selected candidates

employment date

• May or may not participate on the interview panel

Subject Matter Expert (SME)

• Assigned by Hiring Manager to assist in screening, reviewing and ranking applicants throughout

the hiring process

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• Highly qualified, subject matter expert who best understands the technical aspects of the job

requirements and can quickly provide feedback on applicant qualifications

Office Administrator (OA)

• Trusted coordinator assigned limited system administrator access for purposes of assisting Hiring

Manager with the process.

STEPS

Step

Assigned

Description of Activity for both Internal & External Applicant

SME

Notifies of separation date and reason.

Separation is processed.

Job requisition is entered into NeoGov.

After requisition approval, HR contacts recruiter to schedule meeting to develop

Recruitment Project Plan (RPP) (including review of interview questions and/or

appropriate testing).

Posts vacancy and advertise based on RPP. Reviews applications after closing

date to determine those qualified. Highlights Veterans Preference and internal

candidates and refer to HM.

Reviews applications, scores applicants (if appropriate) and selects candidates to

move to the next step. See Veterans Preference Guidelines. Send interview

questions to HR prior to interviews. Referred list can be used for 90 days from

closing date of the posting.

Conducts telephone screening interviews with top candidates to determine final

list for panel interviews.

Schedules in person interviews with selected candidate(s).

Prepares interviewing packets including approved interview questions and scoring

tool, and secures logistical support (including equipment needed, etc.)

Notifies rejected applicants via email in NeoGov.

Conducts interviews with selected panel. Oversees debriefing and scoring after

interviews to ensure fairness and equality. Ranks applicants based on results

carefully following state statutes regarding veteran preference.

Selects candidate, check references, recommends starting salary, secures

approval to hire with department head and makes the contingent offer. After

acceptance, completes the Selected Candidate Checklist.

Emails recruiter with selected candidate and copies the Office Administrator to

begin internal processes.

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Prepares and submits PAR for approval. Closes requisition by moving candidate

under Offered Position tab in NeoGov.

Completes the Selected Applicant Checklist (below) and ensures PAR and all

appropriate documentation are forwarded for approval and received by HR or it

can delay scheduling an onboarding appointment.

Sends Sterling E-Invite with link to complete background check authorization

forms and data online. (Sends email requesting alias names and copy of DL and

SS card in the same email on external selected candidates.) Schedules physical.

Forwards contingent offer via email to selected candidate.

Coordinates physical and background screening process appropriate for position.

Ensures Selected Applicant Checklist and all supporting documents have been

completed, approved and received by HR or it can delay scheduling the

onboarding appointment.

When appropriate, notifies hiring manager of physical and background test

results.

Notifies applicant that physical and background checks are clear and confirms

start date.

Notifies those interviewed (phone call/personal email is preferred and

recommended for internal candidates) and rejected applicants (email template

available in NeoGov) that position has been filled.

Notifies recruiter of onboarding date (Mondays only) and start.

Emails confirmation to new employee (with cc to HM)

NeoGov Adm – updates selected candidate's status to hired to close out record

for metrics reporting.

Selected Applicant Checklist

(To be completed by Hiring Manager)

Hiring Manager (HM) extends an employment offer to selected applicant, contingent upon

successful background check conducted by HR. This process takes approximately 3-7

business days. If internal candidate, advise candidate additional background checks/physical

may be applicable.

If internal applicant, obtain their completed 'Prospective Promotion, Lateral, Demotion

Checklist'

Notify Recruiter & Office Administrator (OA) of selected candidate, via email.

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If internal candidate - HR will advise HM of any additional items that might be

required for background check. These can fall under two categories. New elements

required for:

(1) the new position

(2) all background checks that were not conducted when employee was hired

HM provides Personnel Action Request (PAR) information to OA to initiate the PAR

process, to include all required signatures.

HM submits complete package on selected applicant to HR for review. This

package includes:

□ Executed PAR with complete data & signatures

□ Employment application

□ All printed information from Neogov (cover letter, resume, DD214, etc.)

□ Completed interview panel questionnaires (dated, signed)

□ Completed scoring worksheet

□ Completed reference checks

□ 'Prospective Checklist' or 'Promotional, Demotion, Transfer Checklist'

Upon receipt of above items, the background check process is initiated by HR Analyst

HR Analyst sends E-invite background check email to candidate requesting alias

names, copy of drivers license and social security card and a link with mandatory

background check requirements.

HR schedules physical with selected candidate

HR monitors internal progress of background check and physical, and communicates

status updates, and final results to HM.

HM works with HR to identify and secure a start date for onboarding/sign-in

HM notifies applicant of successful background check and finalizes employment offer

details with candidate. Notifies OA to initiate to send first day notice.

HR sends “welcome email” to successful applicant.

HM returns full package of interview notes, test scores, etc. of all other

unselected applicants to HR for filing.

Veterans Preference Summary

• Intent of Legislature: Provide preference and priority for veterans in the hiring

practices of the state and its political subdivisions

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• Human Resources will highlight those veterans approved for preference and the

number of points or percentage each candidate should receive.

• Only Minimum (not preferred) qualifications can be used when reviewing and/or

scoring a candidate approved for preference.

• At any stage during the recruitment process, if the veteran does not move forward in

the process, we must notify in writing with specific reasons based on state statute. Staffing

& Recruitment Specialist can assist you in drafting your response

• Department head must approve an offer to a non-Veteran candidate

• All written communication should be sent by the Staffing & Recruitment Specialist from

Neogov to ensure it is attached to the applicant file, if required for future reference.

•

• An offer to a non-veteran candidate should not be made until all veterans in the pool

have been notified.

• We allow for comment (typically 5 business days) if the applicant did not meet

minimum qualifications or was eliminated after the telephone screen.

• Period for comment is not required if interviewed and email is sent with specifics as to

why the veteran was not chosen.

Process

• Applicant Pool Review – All qualified candidates should be reviewed and a list of

those who will be scheduled for telephone interviews identified

• Interview Questions – Screening and/or In-person – Please submit, several days

in advance, to Staffing & Recruitment Specialist for review prior to interviews. Based

on state statutes:

We cannot exclude a vet from consideration because We can confirm:

- s/he listed a minimum salary requirement higher - the title and starting salary of

the position to than the posted rate amount

which applied and ask if s/he would be willing to

accept a position, should one be

offered, at this rate

- they appear to be overqualified for the position based - the minimum job

responsibilities and education with

upon our review of the application the applicant

- others already telephone screened have some (or all) - the applicant meets

minimum qualifications to

of the preferred qualifications determine whether or not a

veteran will move forward in the process

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- an internal candidate has applied for the job and would - Proceed with process

to determine who will be

require very little training (Veterans' Preference trumps the best candidate

given the minimum qualification local ordinances and union contracts)

• Telephone Screen Interview – Those approved for veterans' preference who meet

the minimum qualifications for the position should receive a telephone screening

interview.

◦ Individual scoring tool should be used so points can be added to a veterans' final

score. If a hiring manager decides to schedule all veterans for in person interviews,

scoring sheets for this phase are not required.

◦ Summary score sheet should be used to ensure preference points have been

added

◦ If candidates approved for veterans' preference will not be telephone screened, an

email must be drafted outlining specific reasons why the applicant does not meet

the minimum qualifications for the position and sent from Neogov.

• In-person Panel Interviews

◦ As outlined in the screening process, scoring tool and summary score sheet should

also be used for panel interviews

◦ When a panel is selected, care should be taken to ensure that each person has

the available time to attend all applicant interviews for fairness and equity.

◦ Scores should not be used from panel members who, for whatever the reason,

cannot attend all applicant interviews.

◦ The Staffing & Recruitment Specialist should be included in all interviews when

veterans' preference candidates present

•

• Threshold Performance – Per supplemental questions, all applicants must meet

threshold performance of 70% (of 100%) or greater at every step in the recruitment

process (telephone screen, testing – if required – and panel interview) in order to

move forward to the next step.

• Veteran not selected as finalist

◦ An offer to a non-veteran candidate should not be made until written notification to

all veterans' preference candidates have been emailed. Department head must

approve an offer to a non-Veteran candidate

◦ Hiring Manager and Staffing & Recruitment Specialist will collaborate to draft email

notification to veteran alerting them to the reason(s) why they have not met

threshold performance using specific examples from the telephone screening or

in-person interview and email will be sent from Neogov. Vague wording should be

avoided such as:

▪ not having a unique blend of skills, or

▪ lacks experience with COL unique programs, technology and/or systems, etc.

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◦ Scoring tool should be used to ensure appropriate points are added. Human

Resources has developed generic scoring tools that total 100 points for ease of

use that can be easily updated to your department needs. The following

documents can be found in shared our HR directory under the City's Seal on our

desktops under: City Forms / Forms from HR / Recruitment Important Forms:

▪ Interview Scoring Professional Positions (2 sheets – scoring with and without

a Writing Sample, Presentation or Short Answer Test)

▪ Interview Scoring Nonexempt Positions (2 sheets – scoring with and without

a Writing Sample, Presentation or Short Answer Test)

▪ Peer Rating Template (with scoring)

▪ Peer Feedback Template (no scoring)

▪ Generic Interview Ranking Sheet Summary (Showing Veterans' Preference

Points)

◦ After interviews are completed, the hiring manager should average all scores,

include approved veterans' preference points and complete the Interview

Ranking Sheet that will be forwarded to HR with all other appropriate.

Important

• Veteran Approved for Disability Preference (30% or greater)

◦ Disabled veteran moves to the top of the list

◦ Automatically added to the telephone screening interview list if meets minimum

qualifications

◦ If threshold performance (70%) is met, candidate should move forward to in-

person panel interview

◦ If threshold performance (70%) is met during in-person interview, candidate

should be offered the job

◦ The normal ranking of applicants by interview scores (high to low) does not apply

to veterans in this category

◦ If a veteran in this category does not meet threshold performance in any stage

and does not move forward, written notification including specific reason(s) why

must be emailed from Neogov. Email including rationale must be reviewed by

human resources prior to response being sent to veteran.

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Sick Leave Transfer

Policy Number: E-01-25

Originating Department/Division: Human Resources

Effective Date: January 25, 2008

Preceding Policy Date: 02/02/07

POLICY

Employees who have exhausted all accumulated leave due to an extended illness or injury, or an

illness or injury of a member of the employee's household, may be eligible to receive transferred sick

leave from other employees. With approval from the City Manager, the transfer of sick leave from

one employee to another will be governed by the Human Resources Department.

PROCEDURE

1. The full- or part-time regular employee with a minimum of one year of employment at the time of

the Sick Leave Transfer Request may submit a request, with Department Director approval, to

Human Resources. Such request will include a doctor's statement indicating the nature of the

illness/injury and the anticipated time needed for recovery.

2. Human Resources will review the following factors and submit to the City Manager for final

approval:

a. Length of permanent employment.

b. The amount of time already used for this specific situation.

c. Patterns of sick leave previously used prior to the event.

d. Eligibility for long-term disability insurance.

e. The employee's work record and job performance.

3. The City Manager shall have sole and final discretion in the authorization of sick leave transfer.

4. If approved, a memo will be distributed by the Human Resources Department to all departments

with instructions on how to contribute.

a. Contributions will be made in one-hour increments to a maximum of eight hours per employee.

The contributing employee will be notified when the sick leave is deducted from his/her account.

b. A maximum combined contribution of 160 hours will be transferred into the employee's sick

leave record.

i. Any unused portion of the donated sick leave will remain in the contributing employee's

record.

ii. Contributions in excess of 160 hours will be kept on file in the event the requesting employee

has need beyond the initial request.

5. Sick leave contributions will have no bearing on the donor's sick leave usage.

6. An employee who has been denied sick leave transfer, can bring additional information for

consideration to the Department Director.

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Veteran's Preference

Policy Number: E-01-26

Originating Department/Division: Human Resources

Effective Date: July 1, 2014

Preceding Policy Date: 8/15/2013

POLICY

The City of Largo, in keeping with the federal and state veteran's preference statute, will provide

preference and priority for veterans in hiring and promotional practices as defined by federal and state

guidelines. It is important to note that when a non-veteran is more qualified he/she can be

hired/promoted before a veteran. Preference must be shown at each step in the process. Human

Resources will work with each department to ensure compliance with the law.

PROCEDURE

Vacant positions that receive Veteran's Preference must:

• Be open to all applicants (promotions are covered on Page 2 of this policy)

• Not be temporary or part-time

• Not be for training

• Not be an internship

• Not be without benefits (part-time)

• Not be Heads of Departments/positions which require licensure for a Doctor or

Lawyer, etc.

Types of Eligibility for Veteran's Preference includes:

1. Service Connected Disability when a Veteran is receiving compensation for a Service

Connected Disability (10% or greater).

2. Spouse of Veteran Unable to Work/Veteran has a Permanent and Total Service Connected

Disability; or spouse of a veteran that is missing in action, captured in the line of duty by a

hostile force, or detained or interned in the line of duty by a government or power.

3. A Veteran of any war, who has served at least one day during that war time period as defined

in subsection 1.01 (14) or who has been awarded a campaign or expeditionary medal. Active

duty for training shall not e allowed for eligibility under this paragraph. Wartime Veteran/War

Time Eras include:

• World War II 12/07/41 – 12/31/46

• Korean Conflict 6/27/50 – 01/31/55

• Vietnam Era 02/28/61 – 05/07/75

• Persian Gulf War 08/02/90 – 01/02/92

• Operation Enduring Freedom 10/07/01 – to be determined

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• Operation Iraq Freedom 03/19/03 – to be determined

• Operation New Dawn 09/01/10 – to be determined

Campaigns of Granada, Kosovo, and Panama receive Veteran's Preference only if they get

an expeditionary medal or campaign medal. Also, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary

Medal is approved to receive Veteran's Preference.

4. Unremarried Spouse of a Veteran who Died of a Service Connected Disability.

5. The mother, father, legal guardian, or unremarried spouse who died as a result of military

service under combat related conditions.

6. All Veterans as defined in Section 1.01(14) Florida Statute. Active duty training does not count.

7. A current member of any reserve component of US Armed Forces or the Florida National

Guard.

For details regarding documentation required for each category, please go to:

floridavets.org/benefits services/employment/.

Eligibility Requirements (All supporting forms/information must be attached and submitted with the

employment application before the closing date.)

1. Veteran must submit a DD214 (Member 4 copy), or comparable document to provide the

following information:

• military status/branch

• date entered service

• date separated service

• discharge status (must list character of service upon discharge)

2. Honorable discharge is required for preference. Less than an Honorable Discharge may

include:

• General Discharge

• General Discharge/Under Honorable Conditions

• Undesirable Discharge/Under Other Than Honorable Conditions

• Bad Conduct Discharge/Special Court Martial

• Dishonorable Discharge/Bad Conduct Discharge/General Court Martial

• Uncharacterized (accident during basic training, etc.)

3. Disabled veteran and/or spouse, mother, father or legal guardian requesting preference must

attach appropriate documentation for the category requested at the time of application.

• Proof of Service Connected Disability Award and amount of award,

• Marriage Certificate,

• Death Certificate,

• Permanent and Total (PT) Disability Award Letter,

• Military Orders,

• Drivers' License, etc.

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For details regarding all the required documentation required for each specific category,

please go to: floridavets.org/benefits-services/employment/

Veteran's Preference for Promotional Positions:

When an employee in a covered position leaves employment of the City to serve in the Armed Forces

(active deployment), and separates with an Honorable Discharge, the Veteran shall be given

preference for promotion applicable only to the veterans' first promotion after reinstatement or

reemployment without exception. Once the veteran attains the promotion, veteran's preference

cannot be used for another promotion, unless the employee is again actively deployed to serve in the

Armed Forces and again separates with an Honorable Discharge. A DD214 should be on file with

the employer, and may not be a requirement of the applicant.

Qualified Veteran Applicant Must:

4. Respond to open vacant announcement

5. Submit application for employment

6. Meet all minimum requirements

7. Submit all required documents, including DD214, or comparable document

Employer Obligations:

8. In the event two individuals are equally qualified and one is a veteran, the veteran will be

awarded the position. Applicants who meet preferred qualifications of a job description cannot

preclude veterans from being considered if the veteran meets the minimum qualifications of

the position.

9. Veterans, who are equally qualified or better qualified than the other top candidates, with a

30% or greater disability in a numeric system, will go to the top of the roster.

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Acting Pay

Policy Number: E-02-24

Policy Manager: Human Resources

Effective Date: January 1, 2022

Preceding Policy Date: 05/01/2004

PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to compensate team members who are acting in a higher position

classification.

POLICY

Any team member, excluding those who fall under the Acting Officer provisions in either Police or

Fire contracts, shall be compensated for acting in a higher classification.

PROCEDURE

1. All team members will be expected to cover on a temporary basis for vacations, illness, normal

search to fill job vacancies, or absences less than three weeks in length. In such cases, no

increase in pay will be recommended.

2. An acting designation will only be given to a team member who will be performing duties

significantly different from those the team members would normally be called upon to perform.

Acting pay will be effective the first payday of a payroll period closest to the acting status

appointment. A team member who is in an acting capacity and is requested to train the new team

member who fills the position will be compensated by being allowed to remain in acting status for

a maximum of two (2) weeks. In such instances, the team member's salary will be increased to

the minimum of the range in the higher classification or five percent (5%), whichever is greater.

3. A job change transaction in Workday will be initiated by the manager to begin and conclude the

Acting Pay for the team member. This transaction must include the actual end date specified, and

if the actual end date is not known at that time, a separate job change transaction must be initiated

by the manager once the actual end date is known.

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Notice of Privacy Practice/HIPAA

Policy Number: E-04-26

Policy Manager: Human Resources

Effective Date: January 1, 2022

Preceding Policy Date: 03/01/2004

PURPOSE

The following outlines the City of Largo's policy concerning the Health Insurance Portability and

Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rules. It is important to inform team members about how medical

information about a team member may be used and disclosed, and how a team member can get

access to this information per the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Team

members may find these rules at 45 Code of Federal Regulations parts 160 and 164. This policy

attempts to summarize the regulations. The regulations will supersede any discrepancy between the

information in this policy and the regulations.

PROCEDURE

The City of Largo utilizes a fully insured group health plan provider, (“The Plan”). Therefore, the City

of Largo does not receive any Protected Health Information (PHI) concerning the administration of its

group healthcare plan.

The City of Largo is required by law to take reasonable steps to ensure the privacy of your personally

identifiable health information and to inform you about:

• The Plan's uses and disclosures of Protected Health Information (“PHI”);

• Your privacy rights with respect to your PHI;

• The Plan's duties with respect to your PHI;

• Your right to file a complaint with the Plan and to the Secretary of the Department of Health

and Human Services; and

• The person or office to contact for further information about the Plan's privacy practices.

THE TERM “PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION” (“PHI”) INCLUDES ALL INDIVIDUALLY

IDENTIFIABLE HEALTH INFORMATION TRANSMITTED OR MAINTAINED BY THE PLAN,

REGARDLESS OF FORM (ORAL, WRITTEN, ELECTRONIC).

Section I. Notice of PHI Uses and Disclosures

Required PHI Uses and Disclosures

Upon your request, the Plan is required to give you access to certain PHI in order to inspect and copy

it.

The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services may require the use and disclosure

of your PHI to investigate or determine the Plan's compliance with privacy regulations.

Uses and Disclosures to Carry out Treatment and Health Care Operations

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The Plan and its business associates will use PHI without your consent, authorization, or opportunity

to agree or object to carry out treatment, payment, and health care operations as deemed necessary

by the Plan.

Treatment is the provision, coordination, or management of health care and related services. It also

includes, but is not limited to, consultations and referrals between one or more of your providers. For

example, the Plan may disclose to a treating orthodontist the name of your treating dentist so that the

orthodontist may ask for your dental x-rays from the treating dentist.

Payment includes, but is not limited to, actions to make coverage determinations and payment

(including billing, claims management, subrogation, plan reimbursement, reviews for medical

necessity and appropriateness of care, and utilization review and pre-authorization). For example,

the Plan may tell a doctor whether you are eligible for coverage or what percentage of the bill will be

paid by the Plan.

Health care operations include, but are not limited to, quality assessment and improvement, reviewing

competence or qualifications of health care professionals, underwriting, premium rating, and other

insurance activities related to creating or renewing insurance contracts. It also includes disease

management, case management, conducting or arranging for medical review, legal services and

auditing functions including fraud and abuse compliance programs, business planning and

development, business management, and general administrative activities. For example, the Plan

may use information about your claims to refer you to a disease management program, project future

benefit costs, or audit the accuracy of its claims processing functions.

Uses and Disclosures that Require your Written Authorization

Your written authorization generally will be obtained before the Plan will use or disclose

psychotherapy notes about your conversations with your mental health professional during a

counseling session. They do not include summary information about your mental health treatment.

The Plan may use and disclose such notes when needed by the Plan to defend against litigation filed

by you.

Uses and Disclosures that Require you be Given an Opportunity to Agree or Disagree Prior to the

Use or Release

Disclosure of your PHI to family members, other relatives, or your close personal friends is allowed

if:

• The information is directly relevant to the family member's or friend's involvement with your

care or payment for that care; and

• You have either agreed to the disclosure or you have been given a clear opportunity to object

and have not objected.

Uses and Disclosures for which Consent, Authorization, or Opportunity to Object is not Required

Use and disclosure of your PHI is allowed without your consent, authorization, or request under the

following circumstances.

1. When required by law.

2. When permitted for purposes of public health activities, including reporting product defects,

permitting product recalls, and conducting post-marketing surveillance. PHI may also be used or

disclosed, if authorized by law, if you have been exposed to a communicable disease, or are at

risk for spreading a disease or condition.

3. When authorized by law to report information about abuse, neglect, or domestic violence to public

authorities if there exists a reasonable belief that you may be the victim of abuse, neglect, or

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domestic violence. In such case, the Plan will promptly inform you that such a disclosure has been

or will be made unless that notice would cause a risk or serious harm. For the purpose of reporting

child abuse or neglect, it is not necessary to inform the minor that such a disclosure has been

made or will be made. Disclosure may generally be made to the minor's parent(s) or other

representative(s) although there may be circumstances under federal or state law when the

parent(s) or other representative(s) may not be given access to the minor's PHI.

4. The Plan may disclose your PHI to a public health oversight agency for oversight activities

authorized by law. This includes uses or disclosures in civil, administrative, or criminal

investigations, inspections, licensure, or disciplinary actions (for example, to investigate Medicare

or Medicaid fraud).

5. The Plan may disclose PHI when required for judicial or administrative proceedings. For example,

your PHI may be disclosed in response to a subpoena or discovery required provided certain

conditions are met. One of those conditions is that satisfactory assurances must be given to the

Plan that the requesting party has made a good faith attempt to provide written notice to you, and

the notice provided sufficient information about the proceeding to permit you to raise an objection,

and no objections were raised, or any objections raised were resolved in favor of disclosure by the

court or tribunal.

6. When required for law enforcement purposes (for example: to report certain types of wounds).

7. For law enforcement purposes, such as: identifying or locating a suspect, fugitive, material witness,

or missing person. Also, when disclosing information about an individual who is or is suspected

to be a victim of a crime but only if the individual agrees to the disclosure or the covered entity is

unable to obtain the individual's agreement because of emergency circumstances. Furthermore,

the law enforcement official must represent that the information is not intended to be used against

the individual, the immediate law enforcement activity would be materially and adversely affected

by waiting to obtain the individual's agreement, and disclosure is in the best interest of the

individual as determined by the exercise of the Plan's best judgment.

8. When required to be given to a coroner or medical examiner for the purpose of identifying a

deceased person, determining a cause of death, or other duties as authorized by law. Also,

disclosure is permitted to funeral directors, consistent with applicable law, as necessary to carry

out their duties with respect to the decedent.

9. The Plan may use or disclose PHI in connection with certain research activities.

10. When consistent with applicable law and standards for ethical conduct if the Plan, in good faith,

believes the use or disclosure is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to

the health or safety of a person or the public and the disclosure is to a person reasonably able to

prevent or lessen the threat, including the target of the threat.

11. When authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with workers' compensation or other

similar programs established by law.

EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE INDICATED IN THIS NOTICE, USES AND DISCLOSURES WILL BE

MADE ONLY WITH YOUR WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION SUBJECT TO YOUR RIGHT TO REVOKE

SUCH AUTHORIZATION.

Section 2. Rights of Individuals

Right to Request Restrictions on PHI Uses and Disclosures

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You may request the Plan to restrict uses and disclosures of your PHI to carry out treatment, payment

or health care operations, or to restrict uses and disclosures to family members, relatives, friends, or

other persons identified by you who are involved in your care or payment for your care. However,

the Plan is not required to agree to your request.

The Plan will accommodate reasonable requests to receive communications of PHI by alternative

means or at alternative locations. You or your personal representative will be required to complete a

form to request restrictions on uses and disclosures of your PHI. Such requests should be made to

the Privacy Officer.

Right to Inspect and Copy PHI

You have a right to inspect and obtain a copy of your PHI contained in a “Designated Record Set” for

as long as the Plan maintains the PHI.

“Designated Record Set” includes the medical records and billing records about individuals

maintained by or for a covered health care provider; enrollment, payment, billing, claims adjudication,

and case or medical management record systems maintained by or for a health plan; or other

information used in whole or in part by or for the covered entity to make decisions about individuals.

Information used for quality control or peer review analysis and not used to make decisions about

individuals is not in the Designated Record Set.

The requested information will be provided within 30 days if the information is maintained on site, or

within 60 days if the information is maintained off site. A single 30 day extension is allowed if the

Plan is unable to comply with the deadline.

Requests for access to your PHI should be made to the Privacy Officer. You or your personal

representative will be required to complete a form to request access to the PHI in your Designated

Record Set. If access is denied, you or your personal representative will be provided with a written

denial setting forth the basis of the denial, a description of how you may exercise those review rights,

and a description of how you may complain to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services.

Right to Amend PHI

You have the right to request the Plan to amend your PHI or a record about you in a Designated

Record Set for as long as the PHI is maintained in the Designated Record Set.

The Plan has 60 days after the request is made to act on the request. A single 30 day extension is

allowed if the Plan is unable to comply with the deadline. If the request is denied in whole or in part,

the Plan must provide you with a written denial that explains the basis for the denial. You or your

personal representative may then submit a written statement disagreeing with the denial and have

that statement included with any future disclosures of your PHI.

Requests for amendment of PHI in a Designated Record Set should be made to the Privacy Officer.

You or your personal representative will be required to complete a form to request amendment of the

PHI in your Designated Record Set.

The Right to Receive an Accounting of PHI Disclosures

At your request, the Plan will also provide you with an accounting of disclosures by the Plan of your

PHI during the six years prior to the date of your request. However, such an accounting need not

include PHI disclosures made:

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• to carry out treatment, payment or health care operations;

• to individuals about their own PHI; or

• prior to the compliance date.

If the accounting cannot be provided within 60 days, an additional 30 days is allowed if the individual

is given a written statement of the reasons for the delay and the date by which the accounting will be

provided.

If you request more than one accounting within a 12-month period, the Plan will charge a reasonable,

cost-based fee for each subsequent accounting.

The Right to Receive a Paper Copy of This Notice Upon Requested

To obtain a paper copy of this Notice, contact the Privacy Officer.

A Note About Personal Representatives

You may exercise your rights through a personal representative. Your personal representative will

be required to produce evidence of his/her authority to act on your behalf before that person will be

given access to your PHI or allowed to take any action for you. Proof of such authority may take one

of the following forms:

• A power of attorney for health care purposes, notarized by a notary public;

• A court order of appointment of the person as the conservator or guardian of the individual;

• An individual who is the parent of a minor child.

The Plan retains the discretion to deny access to your PHI to a personal representative to provide

protection to those vulnerable people who depend on others to exercise their rights under these rules

and who may be subject to abuse or neglect. This also applies to personal representatives of minors.

Section 3. The Plan's Duties

Generally

The Plan is required by law to maintain the privacy of the PHI and to provide individuals (participants

and beneficiaries) with notice of its legal duties and privacy practices.

This notice is effective beginning April 14, 2004 and the Plan is required to comply with the terms of

this Notice. However, the Plan reserves the right to change its privacy practices and to apply the

changes to any PHI received or maintained by the Plan prior to April 14, 2004. If a privacy practice

is changed, a revised version of this Notice will be provided to all past and present participants and

beneficiaries for who the Plan still maintains PHI.

Any revised version of this Notice will be distributed within 60 days of the effective date of any material

change as to the uses of disclosures, the individual's rights, the duties of the Plan, or other privacy

practices stated in this Notice.

Minimum Necessary Standard

When using or disclosing or when requesting PHI from another covered entity, the Plan will make

reasonable efforts not to use, disclose, or request more than the minimum amount of PHI necessary

to accomplish the intended purpose of the use, disclosure, or request, taking into consideration

practical and technological limitations.

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However, the minimum necessary standard will not apply in the following situations:

• Disclosures to or requests by a health care provider for treatment;

• Uses or disclosures made to the individual;

• Disclosures made to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services;

• Uses or disclosures that are required by law; and

• Uses or disclosures that are required for the Plan's compliance with legal regulations.

De-identified information or records contain no health information from which an individual's identity

could reasonably be obtained. This notice does not apply to de-identified information.

In addition, the Plan may use or disclose “summary health information” to the plan sponsor for

obtaining premium bids; or modifying, amending, or terminating the group health plan, which

summarizes the claims history, claims expenses, or type of claims experienced by individuals for who

a plan sponsor has provided health benefits under group health plan, and from which identifying

information has been deleted in accordance with HIPAA.

Section 4. Your Right to File a Complaint with the Plan or the HHS Secretary

If you have any questions regarding this Notice or the information addressed in it, you may contact

the Privacy Officer. The City of Largo's Privacy Officer is the Team member Benefits Coordinator.

who may be reached by phone at (727) 586-7448, extension 7448 or in writing at P.O. Box 296,

Largo, FL 33779. You will be notified if and when there is a change with respect to the Privacy

Officer.

Page 85

CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Federally Designated Day of Observance

Policy Number: E-05-27

Originating Department/Division: Human Resources

Effective Date: February 1, 2005

Preceding Policy Date: N/A

POLICY

The federal government occasionally designates a day in commemoration of a specific event as a

National Day of Mourning or a National Day of Celebration.

PROCEDURE

On such designated days of observance, all City of Largo functions will continue as usual. Employees

wanting to participate in ceremonial functions of the day may request vacation or personal option

leave. Department Directors will authorize the leave as staffing levels permit.

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CITY OF LARGO PERSONNEL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Policy:

Employee Referral Incentive Program

Policy Number: E-07-28

Policy Manager: Human Resources

Effective Date: April 15, 2021

Preceding Policy Date: 4/02/07

PURPOSE

The purpose of this program is to increase awareness that every employee is a “talent scout” and to

reward those employees who refer qualified, competent hires.

POLICY

All employees are eligible to receive a referral award according to the eligibility guidelines defined

below. It is the policy of the City of Largo to grant recruitment referral awards to eligible employees

for referring candidates who are hired to fill regular full-time positions.

PROCEDURE

Eligibility

Employees not able to receive the incentive:

• Human Resources Department Employees

• Department Directors and Senior Management

• Supervisors or employees for positions that are under their direct management

responsibility, or in which they participate in the interviewing, evaluation, or selection of the

candidate

The program excludes any candidate referred through an outside agency, or who has been a

previous employee of the City of Largo. The new employee referral may not be a spouse or

dependent of an employee.

Procedure: The amount of the referral incentive is $200 upon initial hire:

• To qualify for a Referral Incentive, the referring employee’s legal name must appear on the

employment application under the question that asks, “How did you learn about the

position?”

• Only one referring employee is eligible for the incentive per application; multiple names

cannot be listed

• Upon successful hire of the candidate, the employee will receive the one-time Referral

Incentive payment via direct deposit with their payroll

Payment of Awards

• Both the recipient and the new employee must be active employees at the time the award is

paid

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• The Employee Referral Incentive will be paid when the new employee is hired

• Recruiting awards are considered taxable and are subject to applicable Federal, State and

local taxes

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Team Member / Manager of the Quarter

Policy Number: E-07-29

Originating Department/Division: Human Resources

Effective Date: October 1, 2021

Preceding Policy Date: 01/09/2014

PURPOSE

In order to recognize team members and team managers for their efforts and

accomplishments, a team member recognition program has been developed. The goal of this

program is to recognize those team members who provide superior service, help to develop

a sustainable organization and community, and exhibit outstanding performance consistent

with the City's Mission, Vision, and Values.

POLICY

The recognition of the team members and team managers consists of:

• A framed recognition certificate presented at a Commission Meeting.

• Recognition in the Monday Morning Briefing Largo.com/MMB.

• 8.0 hours of Personal Time for full time and 4.0 hours for part time team members.

• $50 monetary award added one pay check.

PROCEDURE

Eligibility for Team Member and Team Manager of the Quarter:

• Full-time and part-time team members

• Temporary team members with more than one year of service

• Probationary team members may not be considered for “Team Member of the

Quarter”

Nomination Process: This award is open to any team member who works to advance the

City’s mission by exemplifying our values and/or supports a sustainable and resilient

organization that delivers superior City services. Nominations may be submitted for any team

member who exhibits outstanding performance of their assigned duties or additional duties,

whether within the quarter or over an extended period of time. Nominated team members

should be team members others would want to emulate.

• Anonymous applications will not be accepted – please see nomination form

• Any team member is able to submit a nomination – self-nomination is not allowed

• Nominations may be submitted electronically on Largo.com/EOQ

• HR Department will review nomination forms for any discipline and/or performance

issues

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• Committee members will review nominations

Team Members of the Quarter Selection Process

• Upon receipt of the nominations, it is the committee members' responsibility to gather

information from their department, including the nominees' supervisor, to assist with the

election decision

• Up to four (4) team members will be selected as Team Members of the Quarter

• Voting procedures will consist of numeric ranking

• Selections should be completed to allow for the announcement at the next scheduled

Regular Commission meeting

Team Manager of the Quarter

• A City of Largo team manager who serves in a supervisory capacity may be recognized

as Team Manager of the Quarter

• The Team Member of the Quarter Selection Committee will select the Team Manager of

the Quarter

• The same nomination form and criteria will be utilized to nominate Team Managers

• The same awards will be granted as the Team Members of the Quarter

Team Member of the Quarter Selection Committee

• Each Department Director will assign a member and alternate member to the Team

Member of the Quarter Selection Committee

• Each Committee Member must contact the alternate if the Committee Member is not

able to attend the quarterly meeting.

*The Committee Member or Alternate must read the nomination forms in advance of the Team Member of the

Quarter Selection Committee meeting, and provide necessary detail if there is a nominee from their department.

*The Team Member of the Quarter Selection Committee will select a Chairperson by simple majority to run the

Committee and voting process. A Vice-Chairperson will also be selected by simple majority to serve in the

absence of the Committee Chairperson.

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Long Term Disability

Policy Number: E-10-32

Originating Department/Division: Human Resources

Effective Date: June 22, 2010

Preceding Policy Date: N/A

POLICY

An employee who is unable to perform the duties and responsibilities of his/her position for an

extended period of time, due to a properly documented illness or injury limitation, is entitled to apply

for Long Term Disability benefits.

PROCEDURE

When an eligible employee is provided leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA),

Human Resources will track FMLA utilization and extended medical leave while the employee is on

a continuous absence. When it appears an employee will be out of work for more than twelve (12)

continuous weeks, or at the end of his/her accumulated sick leave if the absence is in excess of

twelve (12) weeks, Human Resources will recommend the employee apply for Long Term Disability

if appropriate (does not apply to employees covered by the Police/Fire Pension Plan). The employee

will not be able to utilize Sick Leave Transfer outside of the twelve (12) week FMLA leave. However,

an employee with a sick leave balance after the completion of FMLA leave will be allowed to exhaust

his/her accumulated sick leave. Following exhaustion of the allotted FMLA leave, accumulated sick

leave and/or acceptance on the Long Term Disability plan, the City Manager or his/her designee, with

input from Human Resources, will determine whether the position can be held open or temporarily

filled. After twelve (12) weeks on Long Term Disability, Human Resources will send a letter to the

employee to have his/her treating physician complete a restrictions form. If the employee is not

returned to full duty (with or without reasonable accommodation), Human Resources will determine,

with input from the employee's Department Director, whether the employee should be separated from

City employment or have the case reviewed again in another three months. If, at the end of six (6)

months on Long Term Disability, the employee still cannot return to full-time work (with or without

reasonable accommodation), the employee will be separated from employment.

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Social Media

Policy Number: E-11-33

Originating Department/Division: Administration

Effective Date: January 1, 2020

Approved By:

Supersedes Policy: N/A

Dated: 10/18/2011

PURPOSE

This document establishes the social networking and social media policy for the City of Largo. This

policy provides guidance to the public and the City for use of the City’s use of social media in all

forms. The City’s use of social media is intended to communicate information to the residents about

government matters in a designated or limited public forum. This Policy is intended to further and

protect the City brand on social media, educate and guide City staff on appropriate use for personal

and City social media pages relating to City business, and comply with applicable public records

and other applicable laws.

We define social media as any website or application that enables users to create and share

content, or participate in social networking. This includes, but is not limited to:

0. Social networking (Facebook, LinkedIn, Nextdoor)

(a) Microblogging (Twitter)

(b) Photo sharing (Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest)

This policy is applicable to all City of Largo employees. Failure to adhere to this policy or related

policies may result in suspension or revocation of social media/social networking access and/or

disciplinary action consistent with the City's Code of Conduct. Other laws, ordinance and policies

may also apply to the use of social media and this policy should not be interpreted to conflict with

any of those laws, ordinances and policies, including requirements under the Americans with

Disabilities Act.

The City’s Social Media Best Practices Guide embodies the policies provided for herein and shall

be fully incorporated into this Social Media Policy.

POLICY

The City of Largo uses social media to connect with the community and communicate City

programs, services, and events, in addition to creating a social presence allowing for residents,

businesses and visitors to receive information and provide feedback. Employees will ensure their

use of and participation on City social media accounts:

• Does not impact the efficiency of the workplace or impede the performance of their duties as

public employees.

• Does not include the posting of inappropriate or illegal matters or harassment and threats of

violence or similar inappropriate or unlawful conduct.

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• Does not disclose public records through a means other than the City’s public records

policies and procedures.

• Will use the designated social media account created by the City, and will not use personal

accounts for City business.

• Will adhere to public record laws.

PROCEDURE

Establishment of Official City Social Media Account(s)

Official City of Largo presence on social media sites is considered an extension of the City of

Largo's information network public forum, and is governed by all related policies, to include the City

of Largo Code of Conduct and Administrative Policies. Official City Social Media Accounts may be

established for individual City departments and/or function on behalf of City Officials in their official

capacity.

Request:

• All requests for the initiation of any social media account must have Department Director

approval and be submitted by either email or online form to the Office of Communications &

Engagement.

• The request will specify the department staff member who will be publishing content for the

specific City social media page (ie, Largo Fire Rescue) as well as include the

communication goals of the account.. The request will also specify that the department

representative understands that the Office of Communications & Engagement will oversee

the City social media page, but allows posting by the designated department representative

for the sake of timely content.

• The Office of Communications & Engagement will review each request to determine whether

a social media outlet is a viable option for accomplishing the department’s communications

goals.

• No private or closed groups or pages will be created on behalf of the City.

Implementation:

• If approved, the requesting department is responsible for archiving costs associated with

posted content.

• The Office of Communications & Engagement will work with the department liaison to

ensure they are aware of the standards, procedures and brand management applicable to

City-sponsored social media usage.

• The representative should be aware of compliance with public records retention

requirements.

• Social media pages will initially be created and named by the Office of Communications &

Engagement with input from the requesting department.

• The Office of Communications & Engagement will set up the page and password.

Representatives cannot change the password without notifying the Office of

Communications & Engagement as accounts and passwords are linked to the City’s

archiving software, to adhere to public records laws.

Account Management:

0. Department(s) are responsible for creating and maintaining timely social media page

content.

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a) The Office of Communications & Engagement reserves the right to edit incorrect or

misleading content or information that is not aligned with the City’s Mission, Vision and

Values.

b) Staff using social media for City business are prohibited from posting anything that is false,

misleading, obscene, defamatory, discriminatory, libelous, threatening, harassing, abusive,

hateful, objectionable, inflammatory, or embarrassing to another person or entity.

c) The Office of Communications & Engagement may post city-wide information on any City

social media page.

d) Login credentials, including user IDs and passwords, will be created by the Office of

Communications & Engagement and are not permitted to be changed, altered, or modified

without prior notification of the Office of Communications & Engagement.

e) All social media accounts shall use City email accounts, departmental or office names and

general office phone numbers.

Content & Posting

Posting:

• The City’s official social media accounts constitute limited public forums and are moderated

by City staff.

• All posts made on behalf of the City shall clearly state who is posting and from what City

department.

• The City reserves the right to deny access to City social media sites for any individual who

violates the City’s Social Media Policy, or any federal, state, or local law, at any time and

without prior notice.

• Overall, responses to social media posts on behalf of the City can be made when

appropriate to respond, ie: of a general customer service nature; questions and requests for

support of City services; praise or recognition of City services; and clarification necessary to

the original City social media post. Responses made by City staff monitoring social media

pages should be timely, valuable, friendly, informative and/or authentic.

Hiding, Deleting or Removing Social Media Posts:

• Any post on a City social media page that contains profane language, promotes

discrimination, contains explicit sexual content, promotes commercial solicitation (ads),

compromises public safety, endorses illegal behavior, violates HIPPA protected information

or includes copyrighted materials must be reported to the Office of Communications &

Engagement for potential removal.

• City staff managing social media pages cannot remove any post without consulting the

Office of Communications & Engagement first. Staff must not remove the viewpoints of

commenters, even if incorrect, and should follow overall best practices for removal

considerations.

• Any removed post must be documented with a description of why the post was removed and

a screenshot of the original post prior to removal, for record-keeping.

• Staff may, however, post a correction as follow-up to incorrect content.

Emergency Communications:

• In an emergency, all official communications and updates will be posted by the Public

Information Officer (PIO) on the City of Largo main relative social account and re-shared on

other City social media sites as necessary.

• Content providers should suspend all other day-to-day posting until your page is reviewed

by the acting PIO.

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Live Streaming & Web Accessibility:

• Live streaming of City programs, services and events may be used on City social media

accounts with the prior approval and at the discretion of the Office of Communications &

Engagement.

• A sign announcement must be displayed at the event stating that the event is being

recorded on Facebook Live by the City of Largo, with a link to the social media page or

broadcast.

• Videos and photo content must be made accessible with either closed captioning (video) or

alt text (images) in a timely manner.

Disclaimers:

The following Disclaimers are applicable to social media accounts and shall be posted on all City

social media accounts:

The purpose of this site is to present matters of public interest to the City of Largo, including its

many residents, businesses and visitors. We encourage you to submit your questions, comments,

and concerns, but please note this is a moderated online discussion site and not a public forum.

Any post on a City of Largo social media page that contains profane language, promotes

discrimination, contains explicit sexual content, promotes commercial solicitation (ads),

compromises public safety, endorses illegal behavior, violates HIPPA protected information, or

includes copyrighted materials must be reported to the Office of Communications & Engagement for

potential removal.

Please note that the comments expressed on this site do not reflect the opinions and position of the

City government or its officers and employees. Any content provided may be considered a public

record under Florida’s Public Records laws and may be subject to archiving and production in

response to a public records request. There is no reasonable expectation of privacy associated for

any content posted on a City social media site. The City does not guarantee the accuracy of the

information posted on its social media sites, assumes no liability for damages resulting from

reliance on inaccuracies, and does not warrant that social media sites will be uninterrupted,

permanent, or error free. Views on this site only reflect the comment’s author, and do not

necessarily reflect the official views of the City, its elected and appointed officials and employees.

The City may provide links to other social media sites and outside websites. If you follow the link to

another page or site, the City’s policies no longer apply and you become subject to the policies of

that page or site. The City is not responsible for any content that appears on outside links or sites

not maintained by the City.

Requests for emergency services should be directed to 9-1-1, not through this site.

The City strives to post accurate and relevant content, but does not guarantee the accuracy of any

information posted on this site and assumes no liability for damages resulting from reliance on any

inaccuracies.

Those accessing this site, including those who submit content to City social media sites,

acknowledge that they have read, understand, and agree to the foregoing. Futhermore, they agree

to the following terms and conditions by virtue of such use:

1. I am submitting content voluntarily and on my own behalf.

2. The content I post reflects my own original thoughts or work.

3. I understand that the City has the right to re-post or share any content, photos or videos that

I submit on this or other City social media sites.

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4. I have read and understand this Policy, including the right of the City to remove, or archive

content as described in the Policy and as may be allowed by law.

5. I understand that any content I provide may be considered a “public record” under state law.

6. I understand and agree that unless specifically identified as a resource for receiving

requests for information under the state public information laws, City social media sites are

not proper vehicles for making requests for public information or public records under state

law and any such requests must be made to the appropriate custodian of records.

7. I understand and agree that my and others’ comments are subject to archiving and that my

comments and others’ comments are subject to removal in whole or in part from this site if

my or their comments contain:

• Comments not directly on the topic raised for discussion,

• Obscene, indecent, or profane language, or pornographic images,

• Direct threats,

• Content that promotes discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, sexual

orientation, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, or gender identity.

• The solicitation, promotion or endorsement of specific commercial services, products

or entities,

• Links to any site or content posted by automatic software programs (i.e., “bots”),

• The promotion or encouragement of illegal activity,

• Personally identifiable information or sensitive personal information that if released

violates federal or state law,

• The promotion or endorsement of a political campaign or candidate,

• Information that compromises the public safety or security of the public or security

systems,

• Information that directly interferes or compromises ongoing investigations, public

safety tactics, or the safety of public safety officers,

• Confidential or exempt information in violation of state or federal law, or

• Appear to violate the intellectual property right of the City or a third party under

federal or state law.

8. I also understand that the views and comments expressed on this site only reflect those of

the comment’s author, and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the City, its elected

and appointed officers and employees or its departments and agencies.

9. Waiver of liability.

Because various laws exist that create liability for various actions, including but without limitation

defamation, invasion of privacy, false light, breach of contract, procurement violations, violations of

due process among many potential areas of exposure for which the City accepts no responsibility

based on the actions of others or for creating this social media site, I, for myself, successors and

assigns, release and hold harmless and agree to indemnify the City, including its officers and

employees, from any and all actions, claims, liabilities and damages of whatever kind and nature

arising out of or in connection with my use of the City social media accounts.

If you have any questions concerning the operation of this online moderated discussion site, please

contact webmaster@largo.com. Email addresses and all comments posted on City-sponsored

social media sites are public record under Florida Law and are not exempt from public records

requirements. If you do not want your comments or email address to be subject to being released

pursuant to a public records request do not send electronic mail or make comments on this site or

to this agency. Instead, contact this office by telephone at 727-587-6700.

POLICY FOR EMPLOYEE USE OF PERSONAL SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS

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This policy shall apply to employee use of personal or non-official social media accounts with

respect to the individual’s right to engage in free speech, including content posted through social

media outlets.

• Use of social media during working hours is strictly limited to use for City business and in

keeping with the City’s policies and procedures.

• Use of social media for personal interests (i.e. for reasons completely unrelated to an

employee's job duties or professional affiliations) is prohibited on city equipment except for

those computers designated for personal use.

• Use of social media for professional interests associated with a professional affiliation

should be limited during working hours. This would include social media activities which

constitute appropriate “professional” usage. Professional usage is restricted to social media

sites which enhance job knowledge.

• Staff should not use their personal social media accounts to comment and/or send, reply or

respond to the public regarding official City business. However, should staff respond, they

must identify themselves as a City of Largo employee when posting from a personal account

to official City social media sites or for other City business/purposes

• Staff who share photos or videos of material depicting City uniforms, City logos, City

vehicles, etc. must be mindful of the City brand, and Mission, Vision and Values.

• Staff may not post information or content on any social media site which would be a violation

of the City’s Code of Conduct or Policies at any time, whether on or off duty, or a violation of

federal, state or local laws.

• Staff are expected to exercise common good sense and exercise ethical judgment when

using social media.

• All information and material generated by the City and provided on City social media

accounts is the property of the City. The City retains all text, graphic images and other

content that was produced by the City and found on the City’s social media pages.

• Commercial use of text, City logos, photos or other graphics is prohibited without the

express written permission of the City. Use of the City logo is prohibited for any non-

governmental purpose.

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Authorized Leave Without Pay

Policy Number: E-12-34

Originating Department/Division: Human Resources

Effective Date: July 1, 2012

Preceding Policy Date: N/A

POLICY

Authorized Leave Without Pay (ALWOP) is to be used for situations that are exceptional and

infrequent. The requesting employee must have satisfactory work performance and attendance

record. In addition, the employee must not have any other appropriate paid benefit time available to

use for the absence.

For example: An employee has been responsible using their benefit time, has satisfactory job

performance and attendance. The employee has a family emergency that requires the employee's

extended absence which does not qualify for leave under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The

employee does not have enough appropriate paid benefit time to cover the absence and is requesting

one week of ALWOP to enable the employee to cover the remainder of the absence. This is an

acceptable use of ALWOP.

The City of Largo is a business, and as such, employees must be in attendance to run our business

appropriately. The City provides sufficient paid benefit time to assist employees with covering normal

absences. ALWOP is not to be used to provide more time to employees who have an absenteeism

problem. ALWOP is not to be used when employees happen to have exhausted all their paid benefit

time and need a way to cover ad hoc absences.

If an employee with an FMLA qualifying event has exhausted their paid benefit time (including sick

leave transfer), the employee would be eligible to receive ALWOP for the duration of the active FMLA

qualifying leave.

PROCEDURE

The Department Director or designee must approve ALWOP in advance of the absence based on the

operational need of the department. Once approved, the Department Director or designee must e-

mail Human Resources, Assistant Human Resources Director, to pro-actively coordinate any impact

on the employee's pay, seniority, vesting, sick/vacation accruals, coordination of health/dental/life

benefits. If the ALWOP was not anticipated, the Department Director will be required to approve

utilization of ALWOP in accordance with this policy. If an employee does not have benefit time to

cover the absence and the employee has not been granted ALWOP, then the employee's absence

will be classified as AWOL (Absence Without Leave), which can lead to disciplinary action up to and

including termination.

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Project Management

Policy Number: E-13-35

Originating Department/Division: Administration

Effective Date: December 6, 2013

Preceding Policy Date: 12/06/13

POLICY

This policy is intended to support the City's project managers by providing guidance and best

practices to aid in achieving project success. Most projects require cross division and inter-

departmental collaboration, effective communication, coordination and team work to achieve project

management success.

It is the intent of the City of Largo to plan, prioritize, fund, and execute projects in accordance with a

sound project management methodology. Projects should generally commence in three sequential

steps: 1) Project Initiation; 2) Project Planning; and 3) Project Performance. This methodology is

designed to provide consistent and effective results with respect to project schedules, cost

containment, and predictability of outcomes. It is intended that this methodology be adaptable to

projects of varying size and deliverables. The City Administration shall provide support for the

training, tools, and mentoring to implement effective project management throughout the

organization.

DEFINITIONS

PERSONNEL TERMS

Project Manager

An individual assigned to manage a project, from start to completion, to

include all assigned resources and personnel. To be successful, the Project

Manager must satisfy the needs of the Customer, which requires the support

of the Project Sponsor, Management and Administration. The Project

Manager shall be allowed to carry out duties without interference, influence,

or over-ruling from individuals outside of the capacities identified and

approved within a Project Management Plan. The Project Manager may be

a City employee or a contractor hired by the City.

Customer

A representative from the Department requesting work, tasked with serving

as the client through project completion.

Project Sponsor

A representative of the Servicing Department, or Administration, with the

organizational authority to appropriate funding and resources, within or

across Departments, in support of the Project Manager and for the success

of a project.

Project Team

An assembly of personnel assigned tasks and responsibilities necessary for

the successful completion of a project.

Servicing Department

The Department that performs project management for a Customer.

Administration

City Manager and/or Assistant City Manager(s).

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PROJECT TYPES

Project

A non-routine activity that has a beginning, an end, and an objective to be

achieved, and that requires a defined scope and resources.

City-wide Project

A project performed across multiple Departments with substantial

organizational impacts. The Project Sponsor and Project Manager may be

from separate departments.

Departmental Project

A project performed primarily within one Department, with minimal or no

impact to other Departments. The Department provides the Project Sponsor

and Project Manager.

Inter-Departmental

Project

A project performed across multiple Departments, with impacts to other

Departments. The Project Sponsor and Project Manager may be from

separate departments.

PROJECT TERMS

Business Case

The explanation of why the project is needed, to include what problem it will

solve, or what goal it will achieve.

Scope

Documenting the work to be accomplished to deliver a product, service, or

result with the specified features and functions.

Resources

Anything required to perform a project, to include funding, labor, materials,

equipment, etc.

Milestone

An event or point in time within the performance of the project that receives

special attention. Often found at the end of a stage in the project to mark

the completion of a work package or stage.

PROCEDURE

Step 1: Project Initiation

Project Initiation is Administration approval for the need of a requested project. The request for a

project will typically be made by individual Departments during the Capital Improvement Program

(CIP) development and annual budget preparation process.

Project initiation by its inclusion into the CIP or a Departmental budget is NOT authorization to

proceed with the project; it is only validating the need for the project to be performed. A project shall

not commence until Step 3.

Project initiation shall occur in one of five manners:

1. Operation & Maintenance (O&M) Projects

Planed O&M projects are typically initiated on an annual basis in accordance with the

schedules established for the CIP and Budget adoption. Each project should be compared to

the City-wide Priorities, Strategic Plan, and asset maintenance schedules by the Servicing

Department.

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2. New Project - With Funding Component

New projects with a funding component are typically initiated on an annual basis in accordance

with the schedules established for the CIP and Budget adoption. Each project should be

compared to the City-wide Priorities and Strategic Plan when determining project priority and

allocating resources.

3. New Project – Without Funding Component

New projects without a funding component (i.e., studies, reports, labor only, etc.) are typically

initiated on an annual basis in accordance with the work program established within the

respective Department.

4. Emergency Project

Emergency projects are projects that may affect the health, safety and welfare of employees

or citizens, or disrupt business continuity of the City, and are not anticipated, planned, or

budgeted. Emergency projects shall be forwarded to Administration for assistance in

authorizing the work, providing additional resources and/or re-prioritizing existing resources.

5. Unplanned Project

Unplanned projects that are interdepartmental and require significant financial resources shall

be forwarded to Administration by the Customer as a Project Initiation request. If approved,

the project will be forwarded to the appropriate Servicing Department with any appropriate

conditions or directives from Administration.

Step 2: Project Planning

Each project should, at a minimum, be assigned a Project Manager, Project Sponsor, and Customer.

Each Project Manager should plan for the performance of a project, prior to commencement, by

creating a Project Management Plan (PMP) using forms available from the City (see attached) or as

approved within their Department, dependent on Project Track. The PMP should identify the

minimum information required prior to commencement of a project, to include but not be limited to:

• Scope*

• Start and end dates*

• Budget*

• Project management team and individual responsibilities*

• Availability of resources (to include personnel)*

• Project purpose / business case

• Project milestones

• Expected outcome / deliverable / product

* - Minimum information requirements for all projects.

Step 3: Project Performance

Project Performance should generally follow one of three Project Tracks: Departmental Projects

(DPs); Inter-Departmental Projects (IPs); and City-wide Projects (CPs).

Track 1: Departmental Projects (DPs)

Departmental Projects (DPs) are performed primarily within one Department, with minimal or

no impact to other Departments. The projects are typically operational in nature, and

resources and funds are from the Internal Department's budget. Project costs are typically

less than the CIP threshold of $100,000.

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• Project Commencement Approval - The Department determines the amount of

information and detail required for individual PM forms, and has approval authority

for project commencement.

• Prioritization - The Department establishes prioritization for the performance of

IDPs throughout the course of the fiscal year.

• Funding - Funding for DPs is requested by the Department through the annual

budget preparation and approval process.

• Project Performance - The Department is responsible for assembling a Project

Team (to include Project Sponsor and Project Manager) with the skills necessary

to perform the project.

Track 2: Inter-Departmental Projects (IDPs)

Inter-Departmental Projects (IDPs) may be performed across multiple Departments, with

impacts to other Departments. The projects may be capital or operational in nature, and

resources and funds are from one or more Departmental budgets. Project costs are typically

less than the CIP threshold of $100,000.

• Project Commencement Approval - The Servicing Department determines the

amount of information and detail required for PM forms, and has approval authority

for project commencement.

• Prioritization - The Servicing Department establishes prioritization for the

performance of EDPs throughout the course of the fiscal year.

• Funding - The Customer typically includes the funding request as part of the annual

budget preparation process. This request should include any necessary

authorizations by the Servicing Department, and may result in the project budget

being assigned to either the Customer or Servicing Department budget.

• Project Performance - The Servicing Department is typically responsible for

assembling a Project Team and selecting a Project Manager with the skills

necessary to execute the project. The Servicing Department is responsible for

assigning a Project Sponsor.

Track 3: City-wide Projects (CPs)

City-wide Projects (CP) are executed across multiple Departments with substantial impacts.

Projects may be capital or operational, and resources and funds are from one or more

Departmental budgets. Project costs are typically more than the CIP threshold of $100,000.

Note: CPs of significant cost or organizational impact may have substantial involvement by

Administration, at its discretion, to include the development of a modified Project Track and

criteria unique to the project being performed.

• Project Commencement Approval - The Servicing Department determines the

amount of information and detail required for PM forms, and has approval authority

for project commencement.

• Prioritization – The Servicing Department establishes prioritization for the

performance of CPs throughout the course of the fiscal year. Administration

establishes prioritization of projects within the City's CIP.

• Funding - The Customer typically includes the funding request for CPs as part of

the City's CIP and budget approval process. This request should include any

necessary authorizations by the Servicing Department, and may result in the

project budget being assigned to either the Customer or Servicing Department

budget.

• Project Performance – The Servicing Department is typically responsible for

assembling a project team and selecting a Project Manager with the skills

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necessary to execute the project. The Servicing Department is responsible for

assigning a Project Sponsor.

Notes:

1. In the event the Customer and Servicing Department Directors cannot agree on an element in any

of the three Steps (1: Project Initiation; 2: Project Planning; or 3: Project Performance), the element

shall be brought to Administration for a final decision.

2. When a project is completed and under budget, and use of remaining funds is not considered by

the Project Management Plan, any use of those funds for an alternative project must be approved by

Administration.

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN

(Sample Template)

Project:

Job Number:

Date:

Project Scope – Briefly describe the work to be completed:

Start Date – When will the project begin:

End Date – When will the project be completed:

Budget – How much money is available for this project:

Project Management Team and Responsibilities

Project Manager:

Project Sponsor:

Customer:

Others:

Resources Needed and Availability

Personnel:

Materials:

Equipment:

Others:

Page 104

CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Personal Computing Device

Purchase Program

Policy Number: E-14-01

Policy Manager: Administration

Effective Date: October 1, 2021

Preceding Policy Date: December 5, 2014

PURPOSE

The City provides flexible benefits to employees, when possible and practical. Offering a personal

computing device purchase program by utilizing a cash-out of accrued vacation leave provides benefit

flexibility to employees, while potentially reducing the City's future liabilities

POLICY

Eligible Items: Eligible personal computing devices include: desktop, laptop, and tablet computers.

Related items eligible (if purchased along with personal computing devices) include:

productivity/educational software and applications, charging cord, air card, modem,

carrying/protective case, UPS/surge protection equipment, mouse, keyboard, backup hardware and

software, CD burner, printer, warranty and protection plans.

Eligible personal computing devices MUST have a means of connecting to the Internet, to include but

not limited to: Ethernet, WiFi, or cellular service/air card. Any personal computing device used by an

employee in the performance of work for the City is governed by the City's IT Policy.

Ineligible Items: Devices NOT eligible include: Electronic readers, cell phones, smart phones and

other devices where the device's primary function is voice or text communication. Ineligible related

items include: recreational/entertainment related applications, software subscriptions (paid on a

recurring basis, or having an expiration date), data plans (including Internet access), WiFi or cellular

service contracts, and hardware or software upgrades and applications for an existing device,

consumable supplies (ink, paper, cleaning supplies, mouse pads, etc.), flash drives and similar non-

essential items.

Eligible Employees: Regular full-time and part-time employees may cash-out accrued vacation

balances in whole hour increments. Employees must have taken at least 50% of their annual vacation

leave earned in the previous fiscal year. Employees may cash-out vacation leave once every twenty-

four (24) months.

Eligible Vacation Leave: The cash-out may not reduce an employee's vacation balance below forty

(40) hours. The vacation cash-out cannot be used to satisfy the minimum amount of annual vacation

leave required to be taken. Reimbursement Amount - Cash-out of up to $2,000 of vacation leave can

be made. The cash-out is subject to Federal income tax and FICA tax withholding, which will reduce

the actual amount received. The actual amount received is dependent upon each employee's specific

tax situation and employees should expect at least 25% withholding.

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PROCEDURE

Reimbursement Process:

1. The employee will provide a cost estimate for all eligible items to their Department Director.

2. The employee's department will verify that the employee and the items to be purchased are

eligible.

3. The employee submits a request for vacation cash-out for computer in the desired pay period

they would like to receive the funds.

4. The HR Business Partner will review the vacation usage and balance requirements to ensure

eligibility is met.

5. The employee must provide proof of purchase (items, amounts and date) to their Department

Director within 30 days of the cash-out. Purchases made more than thirty (30) days after the

cash-out will render the employee ineligible to participate in the program again for five years.

6. The total purchase must be no less than 80% of the vacation leave cash-out received.

Purchases that are less than 80% of the vacation leave cash-out received will render the

employee ineligible to participate in the program again for five (5) years. If no purchase is

made, the vacation leave cashed-out will be reinstated and the amount paid will be deducted

from the employee's paycheck

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Attendance

Policy Number: E-15-01

Originating Department/Division: Human Resources

Effective Date: 10/1/2015

Preceding Policy Date: 10/1/2015

POLICY

It is of utmost importance for employees to be consistently punctual and present for work. Punctuality

and regular attendance create a positive work environment that enhances productivity, morale and

the quality of services provided to the City's citizen and business customers. Tardiness and

absenteeism have a dramatic, immediate and costly impact on the City's ability to provide the full

range of high quality services. Tardiness and absenteeism also cause an undue burden for others

who must fill in for tardy or absent employees.

It is each department's responsibility to establish, communicate, monitor and control attendance

standards in accordance with each department's operational needs.

It is each employee's responsibility to be at his/her assigned work station or assignment area and be

ready to begin work promptly at the beginning of each shift, and to remain at his/her assigned work

station or assignment area until the end of each shift, according to established work schedules. It is

each employee's responsibility to leave and return from breaks and meal periods according to

established break and meal schedules.

Attendance Standards

Each department will establish attendance standards. Due to the differences and wide variety of City

operations, established work hours and schedules may vary considerably from one department to

another.

Each department will establish, communicate, monitor and control attendance standards in

accordance with each department's operational needs. All departments must maintain attendance

records and document punctuality, attendance and leave time usage. It is each supervisor's

responsibility to monitor, document and correct any deviations from established attendance

standards.

Each department will provide a copy of the department's attendance standards to the Human

Resources Director.

Each employee is expected to consistently comply with their department's attendance standards.

Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

In accordance with federal FMLA regulations, FMLA absences cannot be included in attendance

standards for performance evaluations or disciplinary purposes; therefore, all FMLA absences are

exempt from this policy.

Punctuality

Punctuality is defined as reporting at the established beginning of a work day or work assignment,

and adhering to established break and meal periods. Employees are responsible for promptly

notifying their supervisor when they are unable to report or return to their assigned work station or

work assignment location as scheduled.

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If an employee is 30 minutes tardy or more, personal option leave or vacation leave must be utilized.

Punctuality will be considered in performance management planning (performance evaluations,

compensation, promotions, etc.) and tardiness may result in corrective or disciplinary action.

Absences

Absences are defined as not reporting for work or not remaining at work as scheduled. Absences

include all time away from an employee's job, whether excused or unexcused, avoidable or

unavoidable, paid or unpaid. The only exceptions are holidays and approved use of leave time to

include vacations, personal option time, flex time, bereavement leave, workers' compensation leave,

leave of absences, jury duty, FMLA and days for which no work is scheduled.

Employees are required to promptly notify their supervisor (phone call, text or as determined by the

supervisor) when they will be absent, with an acknowledgment received by the employee from the

supervisor. Notification must be made no later than30 minutes before a scheduled starting time or

return time, unless departmental attendance standards state otherwise.

Absences will be considered in performance management planning (performance evaluations,

compensation, promotions, etc.) and absences may result in corrective or disciplinary action.

Leave Requests

All leave requests, whether paid or unpaid, planned or unplanned, must be approved in advance. A

leave request may not be approved, based on operational conditions or for other reasons. Employees

are responsible for requesting leave with as much advance notice as possible, to allow time for

coverage to be arranged based on departmental policy.

Promptness of submitting leave requests will be considered in performance management planning

(performance evaluations, compensation, promotions, etc.) and leave requests with insufficient notice

may result in corrective or disciplinary action.

Alternative Leave in Lieu of Sick Leave

If an employee has exhausted his/her sick leave, other leave may be authorized to maintain an

employee in a paid status. Note: The authorization of this leave is based on operational need, which

is determined by the supervisor. This leave will be, Alternative Leave in Lieu of Sick Leave (ALLSL),

and will count as sick leave. ALLSL is not new benefit time, rather coding vacation or personal option

time an employee has accumulated with an additional code to allow the employee to access this time

to keep them in a paid status, if they are authorized by the supervisor.

Employees using ALLSL must be engaged in activities commensurate with their medical condition or

eligible care-giving responsibilities during the entire period of ALLSL usage.

Authorized Leave Without Pay (Policy E-12-34) and Absence Without Leave

When an employee does not have sufficient leave time to remain in a paid status for an absence and

the employee has not been granted Authorized Leave Without Pay (ALWP - see Administrative Policy

“Authorized Leave Without Pay” E-12-34), due to operational needs or for other reasons, an

employee's absence will be classified as, Absent Without Leave (AWL), which may lead to corrective

or disciplinary action.

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Sick Leave Usage Standards

Employees using sick leave are expected to be engaged in activities commensurate with their medical

condition or eligible care-giving responsibilities during the entire period of sick leave usage.

An employee meets the City's sick leave usage standards, based on the following:

Six-Month Probationary Period

• Meets Standards, 0-4 occurrences

• Needs Improvement, 5 or more occurrences.

Nine-Month Probationary Period

• Meets Standards, 0-5 occurrences

• Needs Improvement, 6 or more occurrences.

Annual Evaluation Period

• Meets Standards, 0-7 occurrences

• Needs Improvement, 8 or more occurrences.

Full Sick Leave Occurrence

• One full work day, based on employee's scheduled shift (8 hour, 10 hour, etc.) that is

unrelated to any other absence;

• Two or more full, consecutive work days for the same reason;

• One or more full work days, back for one full or partial work day, then out for one or

more full work days for the same reason.

Partial Sick Leave Occurrence

• A partial sick leave occurrence is any usage of less than one full sick leave

occurrence.

• Partial sick leave occurrences will be combined for determining full sick leave

occurrences.

Example: If an employee has taken a total of 40 hours of partial sick leave during an

evaluation period, and the employee normally works an 8 hour schedule, 40 is divided

by 8, which equals five full occurrences (5), and five full occurrences will be added to

any other full occurrences.

Corrective and Disciplinary Actions

If an employee does not comply with the department's attendance standards, supervisors must

first review the department's attendance standards with the employee.

If attendance improvements are not made, supervisors must communicate any required

improvements in a Guidance & Counseling session, including the negative impact of non-compliance

on departmental operations and the potential consequences for the employee of continued non-

compliance. This proactive communication completes three goals: 1) it reinforces established

punctuality and attendance standards and expectations, 2) it clarifies the employee's

responsibilities, and 3) it clarifies the potential corrective and disciplinary actions that will

occur if improvements are not made.

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If non-compliance continues, a Needs Improvement for Attendance & Punctuality, will be given on

the employee's performance evaluation and other corrective and disciplinary actions may be initiated,

as required.

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Rehire of Retirees

Policy Number: E-16-02

Originating Department/Division: Human Resources

Effective Date: May 1, 2018

Preceding Policy Date: 9/1/2016

POLICY

When business needs dictate, and with City Manager approval, retired City of Largo employees may

be considered for rehire after a break in employment from the effective date of their retirement as set

forth below. It is the intent of this policy that a City of Largo retiree who is rehired will receive employee

benefits and compensation in accordance with the established compensation and benefits of the

position being sought.

PROCEDURE

1. Retired employees shall not be rehired in any regular part-time, or full-time position until at

least one (1) year for a part-time position and two (2) years for a full-time position have elapsed

from the effective date of retirement. For retirees that leave the city through the DROP

(Deferred Retirement Option Plan) the final date of separation from the City of Largo will be

utilized.

2. A rehired retiree must be employed in a substantially different capacity from the position held

prior to retirement.

3. The rehire must receive City Manager approval.

4. A rehired retiree who was vested in the City’s retirement plan 401(a) prior to terminating their

employment with the City of Largo will retain credit for prior service, for retirement earning

purposes.

5. A rehired retiree who is receiving or eligible to receive a defined benefit pension from the City

of Largo will not be eligible for rehire into a position which earns a defined benefit pension.

6. Upon separation, the rehired retiree will revert back to the benefit coverage (if applicable-

health, life, etc.) he/she had in force at the time of rehire.

7. The Human Resources Department will be responsible for ensuring compliance with this

policy.

8. Retired Certified Police Officers rehired to the position of part-time Reserve School

Resource Officer, are exempt from the provisions of sections1 and 2 of this policy.

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Public Information

Policy Number: E-17-01

Originating Department/Division: Administration

Effective Date: January 1, 2020

Preceding Policy Date: 06/01/2017

PURPOSE

The Office of Communications and Engagement collaborates with media, partnering agencies, and

staff to deliver information. When providing information to media outlets regarding City business,

news or programming, the primary role of Communications and Engagement and the Public

Information Officer (PIO) is to act as a liaison between media representatives and City subject matter

experts. In the absence of those subject matter experts, the PIO may represent the City with City

Manager approval. In addition, when City staff requests information to be disseminated, the PIO’s

role is to facilitate the timely release of that information using tools such as media releases, the City

website, social media, Everbridge (Alert Pinellas), as well as Largo television and online streaming.

PROCEDURES

Information Requests from Media

It is important to remember that when media representatives request information, they should be

treated with the same customer service focus and courtesy as any other member of the public. When

members of the media contact city staff requesting information, the following procedure should be

followed:

• Staff should refer media to Communications and Engagement as an initial point of contact via

email at [email protected]m or telephone at (727)586-7337.

• Staff should then notify Communications and Engagement at [email protected] or (727)586-

7337 that they were contacted by a member of the media. [Include the name of the media

representative, the subject of the inquiry and any other relevant information.]

• The PIO will then make contact with that media representative for any specifics or additional

information.

• In some cases, a member of the media may have an established relationship with staff

members such as a Director, Asst. Director, or Manager. In these cases, approved staff

members may provide information directly to the media representative.

• Notification of all media appearances or contacts such as telephone conversations and TV

interviews should be emailed to the City Manager’s Office and PIO@largo.com.

The role of the PIO is to facilitate the release of requested information in an accurate and timely

manner. This may occur by connecting a media representative with a City subject matter expert such

as a Department Director or other approved staff member. Staff may then facilitate the release of that

requested information. When appropriate, the PIO may communicate with a media representative as

a spokesperson, and it is important that the PIO be able to connect with a subject matter expert in

order to obtain the most accurate information in a timely manner that is responsive and respectful of

media deadlines.

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On-camera interviews may be approved by Administration or a Department Director. When an on-

camera interview is deemed appropriate, the assigned PIO will work with Administration or the

Department Director to identify the best staff member to give the on-camera interview and to assist

with that interview.

Information Requests from Staff

Communications and Engagement routinely receives requests from departments to assist with

promoting and marketing Largo programs, services and events. Those requests are processed and

tracked utilizing an established marketing request system. However, Communications and

Engagement is also occasionally asked to provide public information assistance with unexpected

events such as:

• Emergency Road Closures

• Boil Water Notices

• Water Main Breaks

• Organizational News

When a department requests urgent public information assistance, the following procedure should be

observed:

• The requesting department should establish a single authoritative Point Of Contact (POC)

who will be responsible for providing information to the Public Information Officer (PIO).

• The POC can submit a request via email at PIO@largo.com or via telephone at (727)586-

7337 or (727)586-7455.

• If those channels do not produce a timely response, the requesting department POC should

attempt to contact any Communications and Engagement team member.

• Communications and Engagement will establish a primary PIO for that incident who will

confirm with the requesting department POC.

Information Tools

The Office of Communications and Engagement utilizes several tools for publishing public

information including Largo.com, social media, the Everbridge (Alert Pinellas) emergency notification

system, press releases and Media Alert. While departments may request specific tools,

Communications reserves the right to make the final determination of which tools will be used.

Emergency Notifications

Everbridge Mass Notification enables users to send notifications to individuals or groups using lists,

locations, and visual intelligence. Messages can be sent to recipients in a specified group or a specific

geographic region (zip code, street address, radius from a specific point, or other attribute) with GIS-

based message targeting. Situations where notifications could be useful include, but are not limited

to, natural and man-made disasters, gas leaks, hazardous material investigations, road closures,

power outages, and City-sponsored events. Everbridge can also send notifications to public websites

and social media. The next section is designed to outline access to and use of the Everbridge Mass

Notification Suite that comprises the AlertFlorida Statewide Notification System provided to the City

of Largo by the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM).

Organizations

The City of Largo has three organizations within Everbridge. The three organizations are; City of

Largo-Alert Pinellas, City of Largo-Internal, and City of Largo-Training. Each organization has a

specific purpose. Largo-Alert Pinellas is used to provide the citizens located within Largo’s service

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area information. Largo-Internal is used to provide Largo employees information. Largo-Training is

used for training purposes only.

Access and Users

The Everbridge system is entirely web-based, with all management and notification functions

accessible via https://manager.everbridge.net. Access is limited to the following users and/or

positions:

◦ Account Administrator:

▪ Can manage users and contacts within their assigned organization, including adding,

deleting, editing, uploading, downloading, grouping, and viewing all contacts.

▪ Can create and delete message templates, alert notification settings, and system

defaults.

▪ Can send high priority and general notifications.

▪ Can create and send scheduled and recurring notifications.

▪ Can create, view, and edit notification and contact reports.

▪ Can create a member portal.

▪ Can edit GIS features such as default map views and shape-files.

◦ Group Manager:

▪ Can create groups for their respective department.

▪ Can manage users and contacts within their assigned group, including adding,

deleting, editing, uploading, downloading, grouping, and viewing contacts within their

assigned group.

▪ Can send high priority and general notifications.

▪ Can create and send scheduled and recurring notifications to employees and citizens.

▪ Can create, edit, and delete message templates.

▪ Can edit certain notification settings.

◦ Message Sender or Dispatcher:

▪ Can send general notifications.

▪ Can create and send scheduled and recurring notifications to employees and citizens.

▪ Can create, edit, and delete message templates.

▪ Can edit certain notification settings.

Access Suspension or Deletion

In an effort to maintain security of user and contact data, the establishment of Account Administrator

or Group Managers will be limited to the minimum number practical for functional administration of

the City’s departments in the system. Requests for access to the Everbridge System will be directed

to the City of Largo Emergency Management Coordinator or designee.

Group Managers will be responsible for periodically reviewing all users within their respective groups.

Users who no longer require access, whose job roles have changed, or separated from employment

shall have their accounts immediately deleted.

Any user found using the system in an unauthorized or improper manner will be immediately

suspended from Everbridge and their supervisor will be notified.

Sending Messages

All content for messages sent for department or division employee notifications must be approved by

the respective receiving department Director or designee. All content for messages sent to city-wide

staff must be approved by the City Manager or designee. Approval must be made prior to notifications

being sent.

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The message drafting and approval process for public notifications must be approved by the

respective department Director or designee. All requests for public notifications must also be

approved and sent by the Office of Communications and Engagement. All public notifications must

comply with City of Largo Administrative Policies and Procedures and this policy. In the event the

Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is operating, all public notifications will be sent by the Public

Information Officer (PIO) with prior approval by Incident Command.

Employee Contacts and Groups

All employee contact information is kept up to date in the City’s Enterprise Resource Planning

Software (ERP). Information is downloaded from HR/Financial System and uploaded into the

Everbridge system weekly, or as a potential threat is identified. IT and Human Resources are

responsible for ensuring this download/upload process.

Employees will be grouped according to their respective departments (FD, PD, IT, etc.). It is the

responsibility of the department Director or designee to create groups and update group information

as needed within their departmental structure.

Maintenance and Testing

The Everbridge system will be tested quarterly by each department to ensure information is up to

date. Emergency Management will test the system bi-annually. Emergency Management’s test will

include sending test messages to all City employees. The Emergency Management Coordinator or

designee will be responsible to run the test. Following a real-world activation of the notification

system, an after-action review will be conducted by the Emergency Manager Coordinator or designee.

Community Event Sharing

The City of Largo would like to make an effort to celebrate community successes and share

information about particular events that support Largo Strategic Plan initiatives or provide a specific

service or benefit the community.

Criteria

The intention of the City of Largo is to share existing information based on very simple criteria. City

of Largo Office of Communications and Engagement (OCE) will make sharing decisions based on

the following:

◦ Sharing information about official City of Largo business, events and programs will take

priority over non-City information.

◦ Information will only be shared as staff is able.

◦ Event or other information will only be shared for nonprofit organizations, civic groups,

community/neighborhood groups or other government organizations. Posts created by

individuals or promoting a specific business should not be shared unless directly related

to a community campaign in partner with a nonprofit, government, or other organized

group.

◦ The Communications and Engagement Director or assigned Public Information Officer will

be authorized to make decisions regarding whether to share event or other information,

or an assigned team member will be authorized to make decisions regarding whether to

share event or other information. Team members will use best judgment to ensure shared

posts are in line with the City's values and strategic plan and should check with the Director

when there is hesitation to share a post for any reason.

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◦ Event or information must celebrate community successes, support City of Largo Strategic

Plan initiatives (Sustainability, Public Health and Safety, and Community Pride) or provide

a specific service or benefit for the community.

◦ More information about Largo’s Strategic Plan can be found on Largo’s website.

Methods of Sharing

City of Largo Communications and Engagement information sharing will be limited to the following

tools or methods:

◦ “Sharing” is defined as re-posting existing content such as a Twitter “Retweet” or a

Facebook “Share.”

◦ Information will be “shared” only on Social Media.

◦ For re-posts, the City will not release event details but rather share provided content. For

example, in re-post include a simple header such as "Check out this local event!", "Check

out this local initiative!"

◦ OCE will not create new content or posts.

◦ OCE will make an effort to monitor comments, though event follow-up questions will be

understood as directed to the organization that provided the original post or content.

Event or Information Discovery

City of Largo Communications and Engagement is not offering a formal method for organizations to

request information sharing. Information will only be shared as it is discovered by staff, is deemed to

fit the above criteria, and only as staff is able. OCE has a limited staff and will use discretion in

determining how much time can be devoted to sharing events or information from outside

organizations.

Emergency Operations

During an emergency event or disaster, the Office of Communications and Engagement may serve

as the public information office or assist public safety PIOs with disseminating information to the

media and the public. One staff member will serve as the lead Public Information Officer (PIO), report

to the Incident Commander (IC), and work with other Communications and Engagement staff to

disseminate timely information that is approved for release by the IC. There are two primary PIO

roles. A lead PIO will work directly with the IC and City Manager's Office while a support PIO will

work directly with the Citizen Information Center and provide other communications support. Both

these roles may be accomplished by one PIO depending on the scope of an event.

• A lead PIO will be assigned for any event requiring PIO assistance. If working hours will carry

beyond normal business hours, a shift schedule will be implemented to provide relief for the

first shift lead PIO. If needed, additional support PIOs will be assigned shifts for their relief.

• The number of primary responders required to stay in Largo during an event will depend on

the nature of the event. It is likely only one or two PIOs will need to be on duty for a particular

shift.

• PIOs not on active duty will need to stay at an employee shelter (if activated) if conditions

prevent that person from traveling between work and home.

II. Responsibilities may include:

• Monitor news and weather reports for relevant information pertaining to an event.

• Receive information from the IC, media, public, and Pinellas County Communications

• Coordinate approval of all information with IC before release.

• Disseminate approved information to the media, public, and Pinellas County Communications.

• Coordinate all public information with the Citizen Information Center (CIC), if operational.

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• Respond to media inquiries

III. Communication Tools:

• Largo.com

• Everbridge (Alert Pinellas)

• Press releases

• Media Alert

• Social Media

• LTV

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Work-A-Mile Program

Policy Number: E-20-01

Originating Department/Division: Administration

Effective Date: February 1, 2020

Preceding Policy Date: N/A

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Work-A-Mile Program is to promote communication and collaboration between

departments through the ability to work in another department. This provides an

increased organizational understanding of the variety of services offered while allowing for the

sharing and understanding of various perspectives throughout the work experience. The Work-A-Mile

Program also builds employee pride and increases the efficiency and effectiveness of city services

by the transference of new ideas, experiences and expanding individual professional development.

POLICY

Any team member may shadow another employee in a department of their choice, with supervisor

approval, with the consideration that resources are available to support the

employee’s temporary absence. Team members can choose a half-day, full-day, or a few hours

depending on availability. Employees may shadow up to three different positions per year.

PROCEDURE

1. To apply, the employee needs to work with their supervisor to determine their availability.

2. Once given approval, the employee would apply online at http://Largo.com/WAM with their

choice of full, half or partial day shadow, three different days of potential availability, and the

department/job role they would like to shadow.

3. This form will be submitted to Human Resources, who will review and communicate with the

Department Director of interest.

4. The Department Director or designee will respond directly to the employee to schedule based

on their combined availability and copy the employee’s supervisor and Human Resources for

tracking purposes.

5. Employees wishing to shadow with the Largo Police Department or Largo Fire Rescue, would

need to complete and submit separate paperwork. For more information contact Michelle

Harman ([email protected]m) for Largo Police Department or Joe Manning

([email protected]m) for Largo Fire Rescue.

6. Time will be submitted as regular work hours and is not eligible for overtime or special pay.

7. In order to promote the Work-A-Mile Program and our organizational value of collaboration,

team members are encouraged to share photos of their experience by emailing

[email protected]m.

8. Questions to consider while shadowing may include:

i. How does this position provide superior services to the community?

ii. What best practices can you take back to your team?

iii. What opportunities for collaboration may exist?

iv. What innovative ideas can you share?

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Flexible Workplace

Policy Number: E-20-02

Originating Department/Division: Assistant City Manager / Administration

Effective Date: November 1, 2020

Preceding Policy Date: N/A

PURPOSE

It is the intent of this policy to provide flexibility, so our Team Members feel empowered to be

productive in any environment while remaining connected to coworkers and the organization.

This policy outlines guidelines for flexible workplace practices including flexible work schedules and

work locations. These guidelines will provide the basis for flexible workplace plans within individual

departments and work units.

Based upon the Strategic Plan Initiative to provide and advance a flexible and resilient organization

that delivers superior City services, the City has established a goal to recruit and retain an innovative

workforce. Providing a flexible workplace will create an environment that meets Team Members’

needs and expectations for work-life balance and ensures that they can continue to perform at a high

level.

POLICY

The parameters for a flexible workplace require compliance with the following State and Federal laws.

• Fair Labor Standards Act

• Worker’s Compensation

• American with Disabilities Act

In addition, flexible workplace guidelines will maintain consistency with our collective bargaining

agreements (CWA, PBA, and IAFF). Other considerations may include minimum staffing

requirements for regulated programs or in accordance with agency accreditation requirements.

Departments will develop plans for alternative work schedules and locations. These plans and

subsequent changes must be approved by the City Manager or Assistant City Manager to whom the

Director reports.

DEFINITIONS

Flexible Work Location: The ability to work under an arrangement in which an employee performs

the duties and responsibilities of such employee’s position, and other authorized activities, from an

approved, remote worksite other than the location from which the employee would otherwise work,

such as a City facility or office.

Flexible Work Schedule: An established work schedule that serves as an alternate to five consecutive

eight-hour workdays, Monday through Friday.

Flextime: A temporary rescheduling of an employee’s hours of work to accommodate operational

requirements and/or the needs of the employee.

Compensatory Time: A voluntary process regulated by the Department of Labor; wherein under

certain prescribed conditions, employees of State or local government agencies may receive

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compensatory time off, at a rate of not less than one and one-half hours for each overtime hour work,

instead of cash overtime pay.

PROCEDURE

Flextime

Departments may use flextime scheduling on a temporary basis in response to short-term operational

requirements and/or accommodation to employees as long as the scheduling does not hinder the

efficient operation of the service provided. For example, if a non-exempt employee must work two

hours as a result of an evening meeting, the Department Director may authorize the employee to

leave work two hours early during the same 40-hour week (Sunday through Saturday). The

Department Director, upon request, may also, for example, alter starting and ending hours for an

employee taking a three-month class at a local college. The accommodation would not be made if it

meant closing the office one hour early. Flextime should not be used to permanently change the

hours of work of an employee.

Departmental management is solely responsible for the approval of flextime. Normal operating hours

of facilities will not be changed when accommodating employee requests nor will services be

eliminated during the time periods impacted by an accommodation.

Meal Periods

All employees’ meal breaks may be set by the Department Director based upon operational

requirements of the department. Mealtimes will be no less than one-half hour and will not be

eliminated.

Alternative Work Schedules

Departments may establish alternative work schedules for full-time employees on a permanent basis.

These schedules may serve to provide alternate work hours or workdays. However, such schedules

may not incur overtime or provide for compensatory time.

Alternate work schedules may apply to individuals, or to entire work units, based upon operational

need. Such schedules shall ensure that there are no changes to facility hours, or level of services

for internal and external customers. Departmental management is solely responsible for approval of

alternative work schedules. Employees may be required to report to their normal work schedule to

attend meetings, trainings, or other events based upon operational need.

Flexible Work Locations

Departments may provide for full-time employees to work from alternative locations on an as-needed

or on an established schedule. This option shall be available to all employees, subject to operational

need. It is recognized that due to the nature of some employees’ responsibilities, such as field

assignments, supervisory responsibilities, or direct customer service, they may not be able to work

from alternative locations on a regular basis.

Individual departments shall develop policies to guide departmental flexible work plans based upon

operational need consistent with this policy.

Such arrangements shall ensure that there are no changes to facility hours, or levels of service for

internal and external customers; however, such schedules may not incur overtime or provide for

compensatory time.

The City will support remote work with appropriate technology and training to ensure that employees

can work productively and securely in an alternative work location. The City shall also establish

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minimum criteria for alternative work sites, such as connectivity to support remote work and workplace

safety.

Employees who are working remotely will be expected to be available during their agreed upon work

hours for phone calls, video conferencing, and by email and instant messaging. If the employee is

unable to work remotely for any reason, they will be required to report to their normal work location.

Employees may be required to report to their normal work location to attend meetings, trainings, or

other events based upon operational need. An employee must have a Meets Standards rating on

their performance evaluation in order to be eligible for remote work.

Technology & Equipment Provided by the City

The City is committed to providing a productive workplace and will furnish mobile technology. The

City will not furnish or equip a home office.

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Employee Volunteer Program

Policy Number: E-16-01

Originating Department/Division: Administration

Effective Date: January 1, 2020

Preceding Policy Date: 02/27/2019

INTRODUCTION

The City of Largo (the City) recognizes that many non-profits, businesses, public and private

institutions, and many others contribute to the City’s community. In order to best support all who work,

play, and live in Largo, City staff partner with a multitude of organizations and support various causes

that positively impact the entire community.

The Employee Volunteer Program (the Program) is an initiative that promotes individual staff

members’ volunteer service contributions to causes or organizations beyond regular work activities

within a staff member’s role*. The City requires clearly documented criteria for the Program to ensure

the public that the volunteering efforts undertaken by staff, during employee work hours, are in

alignment with the City’s strategic goals and benefit the local community. This Employee Volunteer

Program Policy Number AD-16-01 (the Policy) outlines the operational procedures for the Program.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this Policy is to:

1. Define employee volunteer efforts across causes and organizations; and

2. Establish a procedure for receiving authorization for Program participation

The Program enables City staff to volunteer time during employee work hours for causes or

organizations that benefit the local community directly or indirectly. The Program does not define

specific organizations or causes but rather sets the criteria for any cause or organization to be

considered eligible. The broad

parameters of the Program have multiple benefits:

• Community Benefit: Staff contribute time to advance positive social, economic, environmental,

or other community benefits outside of City facilities and regular duties.

• Employee Benefit: Staff have the freedom to volunteer for an organization or cause that not

only supports City initiatives but also motivates or inspires the individual.

• Organizational Benefit: Staff will build connections with multiple organizations across the

community which will strengthen the City’s network of partnerships and provide staff with additional

insight and perspective on the community we serve.

DEFINITIONS

Employee Volunteer Efforts: Contributing one’s time, during working hours, for an organization or

cause, beyond regular work activities within a staff member’s role.

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Cause: A movement or event (either formally or informally organized), whose mission is to provide

social, economic, or other community benefit and is not intended to advance a political or religious

movement, event or affiliation.

Organization: A non-profit corporation whose mission is to provide social, economic, or other

community benefit.

Direct Benefits: Providing a direct service to community members for a cause or organization (e.g.,

mentoring students, working at a food bank, canvassing in the community)

Indirect Benefits: Providing an indirect service to community members for a cause or organization

(e.g., participating in a regional committee that discusses a specific issue impacting Largo community

members such as: homelessness, youth development, etc.)

CRITERIA FOR PROGRAM

The following criteria is required for an organization or cause to be eligible for the Program:

1. Organization or Cause must impact the greater Largo community** (defined as the Largo Planning

Area according to Largo GIS map)

2. Organization or Cause must provide social, economic, environmental, or other community benefits

that align with the City’s mission, vision, and values as determined by the City Manager

3. Organization or Cause must not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender,

gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or

military status, in any of its activities or operations

4. Any Cause that advances a political or religious movement, event or affiliation is not eligible for the

Program

Additional Considerations:

• A list of organizations and causes can be accessed through the City’s internal website

(TeamLargo.com). This list does not serve as a pre-approved list, but rather a resource list of

local/regional organizations and causes that may be eligible. Employees are responsible to

ensure the specific volunteer opportunity meets all criteria outlined in the Program, including

supervisor approval. Additional organizations or causes may be added to the list at any time.

• If training is required for a specific volunteer activity, the hours spent in training should be

included as part of the time commitment. Cost associated with training, a background check,

or a reference check will be paid by the employee.

PROCEDURE FOR PROGRAM PARTICIPATION

The following procedure is designed to ensure the criteria is met for any participation in the Program.

1. Employee identifies volunteer opportunity with a specific organization or cause.

2. Employee reviews Program criteria.

3. Employee requests permission from Dept. Director or Designee to participate in the Program.

4. Dept. Director or Designee assesses eligibility of volunteer opportunity as well as time commitment

required by employee to ensure this Policy is met and participation will not disrupt regular work load,

and approves or denies request accordingly.

5. Employee documents all hours spent participating in the Program activity in their timesheet for the

relevant payroll period (Finance Department shall establish pay code[s] for tracking) and ensures

participation is within the time commitment specifications outlined below.

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MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE RESPONSIBILITY

General:

1. Annual hours contributed to the Program by any individual employee shall not exceed forty

(40) hours.

2. Maximum hours contributed during a pay period by any individual employee shall not exceed

eight (8) hours.

3. The Program will be administered in accordance with the City’s Policies & Procedures.

Department Directors shall:

4. Inform and educate staff on the Program, and encourage participation.

5. Approve or deny requests for participation in the Program during work hours. Criteria for

approval or denial may include any factors the Director deems appropriate.

6. Ensure proper reporting of employee time spent participating in the Program (the Finance

Department shall establish pay code[s] for tracking).

7. Monitor each department’s participation in the Program and communicate any concerns if the

Program is not functioning as intended (i.e. in line with the City’s strategic plan and program

criteria).

QUALITY ASSURANCE PROTOCOLS

Document Control

Administration shall be responsible to maintain this Policy and supporting documents. Any revisions

to the document[s] during the course of a fiscal year shall be noted by indicating Revision X on the

cover following approval of the revision by the City Manager.

Frequency of Revisions and Reviews

This Policy sets forth the entire Program. The City may amend this Policy at its discretion. Revisions

to the Policy may occur at any time during the course of the fiscal year.

*Employee volunteer efforts may fall under a staff member’s regular tasks if in a public educator or

out-reach liaison position (e.g., participation in a local committee or speaker’s bureau presentations

at a local organization or community group). Always clarify with supervisor when in doubt about a

volunteer/service-oriented task.

**Unincorporated neighborhoods within the exterior boundaries of Largo Planning Area are eligible

as these communities have the possibility of being annexed into the City of Largo limits.

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CITY OF LARGO PERSONNEL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Policy:

Sustainability and Resilience Action Team

Policy Number: E-21-01

Policy Manager: Sustainability Program Administrator/ Administration

Effective Date: June 1, 2021

Preceding Policy Date: N/A

PURPOSE

The City of Largo is committed to building a more sustainable and resilient community and

organization by ensuring all of its efforts are in alignment with the Largo Environmental Action Plan

(LEAP) and the Strategic Plan. The Sustainability and Resilience Action Team (SRAT) has been

established to support this dedication and to provide clarity for staff through the review of projects,

programs, policies, and other efforts to ensure their alignment with sustainability and resilience best

practices. SRAT will provide recommendations, technical assistance, and general support to staff and

assist with fostering a culture of resilience within the organization.

POLICY

In alignment with the Strategic Plan and LEAP, the City of Largo shall maintain a Sustainability and

Resilience Action Team and Steering Committee (the Team). The Team shall develop, implement

and maintain a comprehensive strategy to advance sustainability and resilience within both the

organization and the community. Ad hoc working groups may be formed to focus on specific topics

as needed, which may include additional team members.

The Team shall establish and maintain a Charter, as approved by the City Manager, which identifies

current team members, workflow processes, review timelines, and other procedural elements.

Goals:

1) Serve in an advisory capacity to the organization to help guide and coordinate sustainability

and resilience efforts including the evaluation of current programs and policies in order to

provide recommended improvements

2) Apply systems thinking to address issues across the spectrum of sustainability and resilience

simultaneously, including climate change, infrastructure, equity, energy, economy,

placemaking, environment, food, workforce, housing, etc.

3) Assist in the implementation, maintenance, and update of LEAP in a manner that is inclusive

of all City Departments and functions in order to improve community sustainability and

resilience

4) Assist in the incorporation of climate science, vulnerability assessments and resilience

strategies into emergency preparedness and response, risk management, CIP, procurement,

planning, public safety, the City budget and other critical functions

5) Ensure flexibility to adapt and build upon sustainability and resilience efforts across the

organization

6) Ensure all sustainability and resilience efforts are just and inclusive

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7) Assist in the development of practical implementation methods and metrics that are suitable

to the organization and the community and that are reflective of expressed community needs

DEFINITIONS

1) Sustainability: The ability to improve and maintain equitable and just living conditions for all

communities while restoring natural resources for all future generations.

2) Resilience: The ability of a system (ex: family, neighborhood, community, country, biosphere,

etc.) to cope with short-term disruptions and adapt to long-term changes without losing its

essential character and respecting its history and development.

3) Environmental Justice: The fair treatment and opportunity for meaningful involvement of all

people regardless of race, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, constitutional

factors, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of

sustainable and resilient laws, regulations, policies and practices.

PROCEDURE

City of Largo team members will submit projects to the Team as part of the project planning and

scoping process, prior to project initiation. The Team will review the following project types to provide

support and guidance to the project team:

A) Facilities Construction Projects

B) New or Redesigned Community-Wide Programming and Outreach

C) New or Redesigned City Policies

D) Enterprise Level Projects

E) Projects Submitted to the Capital Improvement Program

F) Projects Submitted to the Annual Budget Process

G) Other Programs, Projects, and Policies as Identified by the Team or as Requested by City

Leadership and/or Administration

The Team will support projects through review, technical assistance, and by providing

recommendations and/or alternative scenarios. These recommendations and/or alternative scenarios

may be made available to the City Commission, the Executive Leadership Team, Project Manager(s),

and other project stakeholders. The Team may schedule additional meetings with the Project

Manager(s) or stakeholders at future project milestones. The Team may alternatively choose to

assign a member of the Team as a primary or secondary project team member.

The Project Manager(s) will submit a final project summary to the Team after the project is complete,

including the final status of the Team’s recommendations. This summary may be made available to

the City Commission, the Executive Leadership Team, and other project stakeholders.

The Team shall submit an official summary report of SRAT actions to City Commission no less than

on an annual basis.

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CITY OF LARGO PERSONNEL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Policy:

Asset Management

Policy Number: E-21-02

Policy Manager: Asset Management Guidance Team

Effective Date: April 1, 2021

Preceding Policy Date: N/A

PURPOSE

This policy aligns with the City’s Strategic Plan and the City’s Vision of becoming the Community of

Choice in the Tampa Bay area. The Asset Management Policy:

• Defines the principles of the Asset Management System (AMS);

• Provides a framework for developing asset management objectives; and

• Expresses the City’s commitment to continual improvement to ensure each asset reaches its

full life expectancy and its full value is realized.

POLICY

The foundational principles of the City’s Asset Management System are:

• Leadership: The Executive Leadership Team is fully committee to:

o Using the ISO 55000 series as the guiding standards for the AMS.

o Using the Institute of Asset Management (IAM) Conceptual Model as the foundation

of the asset management culture.

o In line with the Leaders at All Levels philosophy of the City, enable all members

participating in the AMS to take responsibility for fostering a creative, collaborative,

passionate, and honest asset management culture, which is a major determinant in

realizing the full value from assets.

o A comprehensive approach will be taken to ensure that overall ownership and

accountability for initiatives in this policy are the responsibility of all City employees.

o Consistent reviews and feedback will be gathered to ensure that the City is continually

improving its asset management approach to align with stakeholder needs.

• Value: Assets exist to provide value to the organization and its stakeholders.

• An asset’s value to the organization is a function of the levels of service it provides

and how reliable it is at providing it.

• Each asset has a life-cycle, which must be identified and managed to realize its full

value.

• Alignment: Asset management translates organizational objectives into operational and

financial decisions.

o Decision-making processes should be aligned with organizational objectives, risk-

based, and data-driven.

o Strategic Plan initiatives, evaluating stakeholder needs, and AMS self-assessment

form the basis for creating asset management objectives.

o Asset management objectives must be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and

time-bound (SMART).

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o Asset management objectives will employ consistent management approaches across

departments and portfolios.

• Assurance: Asset management provides assurance that assets will fulfill their required

purpose and realize their potential value.

o The city is committed to satisfying all statutory requirements applying to its assets and

asset management.

o Processes shall be established to inform citizens and stakeholders of asset

performance, health, reliability, and the accomplishment of strategic asset

management objectives.

o Levels of service will be defined for all assets to guide purchase, maintenance, repair,

and replacement decisions.

DEFINITIONS

Level of Service – A qualitative and quantitative measure of an asset’s ability to deliver a defined

service in an efficient and reliable manner.

Example: A Stormwater Open Channel’s service definition is to convey a designed volume

of Stormwater that both increases Stormwater quality and decreases the risk of flooding to

surrounding areas.

PROCEDURE

• The content of the Asset Management Policy will be communicated to all City staff.

• The organizational structure, life-cycle management practices, and objectives of the AMS can

be found in the Strategic Asset Management Plan. The tasks and resources to achieve those

objectives can be found in the portfolio specific Asset Management Plans.

• The Asset Management Policy and the Strategic Asset Management Plan will be reviewed

whenever there is an update to the City’s Strategic Plan, or the Asset Management Guidance

Team determines there is a need for changes.

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

FMLA

Policy Number: E-22-01

Policy Manager: Human Resources

Effective Date: January 1, 2022

Preceding Policy Date: N/A

POLICY

Eligible Team Members who work for City of Largo can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected

leave in a 12-month period for the following reasons:

• The birth of a child or placement of a child for adoption or foster care;

• To bond with a child (leave must be taken within one year of the child’s birth or placement);

• To care for the Team Member’s spouse, child, or parent who has a qualifying serious health

condition;

• For the Team Member’s own qualifying serious health condition that makes the Team Member

unable to perform the Team Member’s job;

• For qualifying exigencies related to the foreign deployment of a military member who is the Team

Member’s spouse, child, or parent. An eligible Team Member who is a covered servicemember’s

spouse, child, parent, or next of kin may also take up to 26 weeks of FMLA leave in a single 12-

month period to care for the servicemember with a serious injury or illness.

A Team Member who works for City of Largo must meet three criteria in order to be eligible for FMLA

leave. The Team Member must:

• Have worked for the City of Largo for at least 12 months;

• Have at least 1,250 hours of service in the 12 months before taking leave;* and

• Work at a location where the City of Largo has at least 50 Team Members within 75 miles of the

Team Member’s worksite.

PROCEDURE

Generally, Team Members must give 30-days’ advance notice of the need for FMLA leave. If it is not

possible to give 30-days’ notice, a Team Member must notify their Supervisor as soon as. Team

Members do not have to share a medical diagnosis, but must provide enough information to the City

of Largo so it can determine if the leave qualifies for FMLA protection. The City of Largo has an FMLA

Medical Certification form that must be completed to authorize FMLA leave. Team Members must

inform the City of Largo if the need for leave is for a reason for which FMLA leave was previously

taken or certified.

The City of Largo uses the following method to establish the 12-month period:

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The 12-month period measured forward – 12-month period measured forward from the first

date an employee takes FMLA leave. The next 12-month period would begin the first time

FMLA leave is taken after completion of the prior 12-month period.

The City of Largo can require a certification or periodic recertification supporting the need for leave.

If the City of Largo determines that the certification is incomplete, it must provide a written notice

indicating what additional information is required. Once City of Largo becomes aware that a Team

Member’s need for leave is for a reason that may qualify under the FMLA, the City of Largo must

notify the Team Member if he or she is eligible for FMLA leave and, if eligible, must also provide a

notice of rights and responsibilities under the FMLA. If the Team Member is not eligible, the City of

Largo must provide a reason for ineligibility. City of Largo must notify its Team Members if leave will

be designated as FMLA leave, and if so, how much leave will be designated as FMLA leave.

A Team Member does not need to use leave in one block. When it is medically necessary or otherwise

permitted, Team Members may take leave intermittently or on a reduced schedule. Team Members

must use their accrued sick leave, then personal option leave and exhaust their vacation leave down

to 40 hours while taking FMLA leave. Team Members are able to keep 40 hours of vacation time to

be used when they return. While Team Members are on FMLA leave, City of Largo must continue

health insurance coverage as if the Team Members were not on leave. Upon return from FMLA leave,

the team member will be restored to the same job or one nearly identical to it with equivalent pay,

benefits, and other employment terms and conditions. If a Team Member is on Workers’

Compensation taking care of their own serious health condition, the FMLA will be concurrently

debited.

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Emergency Management Policies

CITY OF LARGO PERSONNEL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Policy:

Emergency Pay

Policy Number: EM-21-01

Policy Manager: Human Resources Department

Effective Date: March 1, 2021

Preceding Policy Date: 09/01/18

PURPOSE

To fairly compensate team members during emergency conditions.

POLICY

The City Manager or Assistant City Manager has the sole authority to declare emergency operations

exist for the implementation of this policy. Pay during emergency operations will be as follows:

1. Employees not required to report to work will receive their normal pay.

2. The Executive employees (Directors & Assistant Directors) will be paid at their regular

hourly rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of forty (40) hours per week commencing

on the 15th day of the emergency. Hours worked do not include rest time.

3. The Senior Management, Supervisory employees, and PBA Supervisory employees will

be paid at their regular hourly rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of a 40 hour

workweek. Such employees may elect to receive flex time off in lieu of extra pay, subject

to Department Director approval. Hours worked do not include rest time.

a. IAFF supervisory employees will be paid at their regular hourly rate for all hours

worked in excess of their normally scheduled workweek. Such employees may elect

to receive flex time off in lieu of extra pay, subject to Department Director approval.

b. Hours worked do not include rest time.

4. The Professional employees, regardless of exempt or non-exempt status, will be paid

time-and-a-half for all hours worked in excess of a 40-hour workweek. Part-Time

employees will be paid time-and-a-half for all hours worked in excess of a 40-hour

workweek. Full-Time and Part-Time employees will be compensated for rest time the

same as work time when required to remain on City property. Full-time and Part-time

Professional exempt status employees may elect to receive flex time off in lieu of extra

pay, subject to department director approval.

5. Full-time represented employees will be paid time-and-a-half in accordance with their

bargaining unit agreement for all hours worked in excess of their normal total work week

hours (payroll draw period for IAFF). Part-time employees will be paid time-and-a-half for

all hours worked in excess of a 40-hour workweek. Full-time and Part-time employees will

be compensated for rest time the same as work time when required to remain on City

property.

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6. Employees released from work and permitted to leave City property during rest periods

will not be compensated for such time. In addition, if these employees choose to remain

on city premises, they must rest and not engage in work.

7. Employees will receive normal holiday pay, if eligible.

8. Employees may be required to work alternative schedules in place of their normally

scheduled work time.

9. All employees who are on approved paid or unpaid leave during the emergency, e.g.,

vacation, sick leave, family or medical leave, etc., will not be compensated in accordance

with this emergency pay policy. For employees who work during the emergency, hours

worked will include approved paid leave.

10. Employees who cannot return to work after the emergency operations due to

circumstances outside the City’s control must use applicable leave time.

11. Employees who are primary responders are expected to be available to be called in to

work during emergency operations which would include before, during and/or after the

emergency.

12. Employees performing primary responder duties will be required to work as deemed

necessary by the City Manager or Assistant City Manager, Department Director or

designee. Employees who are required to work but do not report to their work assignment

during emergency operations will be terminated.

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Facilities Policies

CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Construction Project Management

Policy Number: F-01-01

Originating Department/Division: Public Works/Facilities Management

Effective Date: May 1, 2004

Preceding Policy Date: 10/01/02

POLICY

It is the intent of the City of Largo to manage the City’s construction projects and ensure that all work

by the architects and all work and materials used by the contractors are in accordance with the plans,

specifications and contract documents approved and issued by the City Commission on all capital

projects.

PROCEDURE

The Construction Management Team will professionally manage construction projects from

conception to the completion for the purpose of controlling time, cost, and quality.

Construction Management Team

The Construction Management Team may consist of any of the following representatives:

Department Project Representative Construction Project Supervisor

Community Development Director Architect/Engineer (Consultant)

City Engineer Facilities Manager

Fire Marshal Project Manager (selected by the City Manager)

Plans Examiner Public Works Director

Risk Manager Building Official

Assistant City Manager Police Department Representative

The responsibility of the Construction Management Team will include the following:

1. Construction Management Team will submit all plans, documents, and cost estimates to the City

Manager prior to City Commission presentation.

2. Prepare conceptual design plans and make presentation(s) of the concept plan to the City

Commission.

3. Prepare design and construction documents for the project including production of plans,

specifications, and addenda suitable for bidding purposes and make presentation(s) to the City

Commission.

4. Review shop drawings, approve equipment and material, and evaluate substitute

material/equipment.

5. Prepare and review cost estimates during the schematic, design, and construction documents

phases.

6. Coordinate the pre-bid meeting, review contractors' questions, and prepare the appropriate

addenda.

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7. Analyze design changes and other design-related functions to ensure compatibility with the

project intent, the Comprehensive Development Code, and the budget.

8. Tabulate and analyze bids and recommend to the City Commission awarding a contract to the

lowest, responsive, responsible bidder or to the firm providing the best proposal if a Request for

Proposal is used for selection.

9. Ensure that the appropriate construction documents are executed prior to commencing work,

including:

a. Notice of Award

b. Notice to Proceed

c. Preliminary Schedule of Work

d. Schedule of Values

e. Agreement/Contract

f. Certificates of Insurance

g. Permits

h. Bid Bond

i. Performance Bond

j. Payment Bond

10. Conduct a preconstruction conference for the project. Record significant information from this

conference and distribute copies to all appropriate parties.

11. Maintain a minimum of one record copy of the executed contract documents in the City Clerk's

office. Maintain a complete set of plans and specifications.

12. Receive/prepare and evaluate the contractor's and owner's requests for modifications to plans

and specifications.

13. Receive, evaluate and process all pay requests from the general contractor.

14. Compile and update the official record of the construction project to include at a minimum field

reports, monthly reports, change orders, contract amendments, contingency balance, photos of

the project at various intervals, payment history, and schedule.

Conceptual Design

The City Commission will give direction to the Construction Management Team to develop the

conceptual design of the project.

15. The Construction Management Team will provide an analysis of space planning, site planning,

and overall project development and present this analysis to the City Commission.

16. The Construction Management Team will present the conceptual design to community, advisory,

and employee groups that may be affected by the proposed construction project.

17. The Construction Management Team will present the conceptual design to the Design Review

Committee (DRC) for preliminary design suggestions.

18. The Construction Management Team will present the conceptual design to the City Manager.

19. The findings of the conceptual design analysis will be presented to the City Commission with cost

estimates for the project and alternatives (if provided).

20. The Construction Management Team will incorporate final comments from the City Commission

into the design of the proposed construction project.

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Design/Construction Document Preparation

The Construction Management Team will develop the design documents for the project to be

reviewed by the City Commission and bid on by qualified contractors. The purpose of this phase is

to ensure constructability of the project, to develop bid documents suitable for competitive bidding,

and to ensure compliance with City Building and Development Codes.

1. The Construction Management Team shall ensure during the conceptual phase of the project that

completed concurrence questionnaires and copies of the concept plan are submitted to the

Design Review Committee. The Construction Management Team should be prepared to sponsor

a neighborhood meeting in the area where the project is planned. Comments resulting from the

concurrence review, design review, and neighborhood meetings should be reflected in the

30/60/90% site plan drawings.

2. Public facilities and services must comply with all the applicable standards of the Comprehensive

Development Code (CDC). Administrative relief and Board of Adjustment relief is available.

3. In-house staff or the consultant for the City may submit the completed building plans and

specifications to the Building Division for review by the Plans Examiner during the Development

Order review process. The Plans Examiner will coordinate the review of the building plans by the

Fire Rescue and Building Division. A Development Permit (building permit) shall be issued when

it has been determined that the building plans comply with the Standard Building Code and

applicable Fire Code. The issuance of a Development Permit should not take in excess of ten

(10) working days provided the Plans Examiner is given the same opportunity to review and

comment during the conceptual and 30/60% stage of the drawings.

4. The issuance of the Development Permit signifies that the plans are in compliance with the various

City Codes and construction may proceed.

5. Sometimes, facility development does not involve site improvements. In these instances, the

proposed building improvements should be submitted to the Building Division for review by the

Plans Examiner. The Plans Examiner will coordinate the review of the building plans by the Fire

Rescue Department and Building Division. A Development Permit (building permit) shall be

issued when it has been determined that the building plans comply with the Standard Building

Code and applicable Fire Code.

6. Bid documents for all City construction projects will be prepared using the City of Largo's General

Conditions for Construction Projects or other appropriate standard City agreement, along with

technical specifications and construction drawings prepared by the Architect/Engineer and staff

and approved by the City Commission. Three sets of bid documents must be submitted and

approved by the Office of Management and Budget, Risk Management Division, and the City

Attorney's Office. The following items will be addressed before bids are mailed to prospective

bidders:

_____1. Bid number

_____2. Project name (must be used consistently)

_____3. Length of contract, In consecutive calendar days

_____4. Liquidate damages

_____5. Insurance requirements approved by Risk Management

_____6. Indemnification

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_____7. Table of Contents

_____8. Schedule of Drawings

_____9. Bid opening time, date, and location

_____10. Bid package purchase price, nonrefundable

_____11. Brief description of project, including location

_____12. Pre-bid conference

_____13. Schedule requirements

_____14. Licenses

_____15. Bid cannot be withdrawn for 90 days

_____16. Acknowledgement of Addenda

_____17. Bid Security

_____18. Bid Bond and Public Construction Bond

_____19. Corporate (or other) Authority

_____20. Retainage

_____21. Guarantee and warranty period

_____22. Consistency as to how Owner is referred

_____23. Cost proposal page with detailed unit prices and deductive/additive alternatives

_____24. Permits-Building permits must be obtained by the contractor and fees will be

waived.

Bidding and Award

The Office of Performance and Budget (OPB), in conjunction with the Construction Management

Team, will coordinate the bidding or proposal process to ensure that there is fair competition between

contractors. OMB and the Construction Management Team will determine the most responsive

responsible bidder or best proposer and recommend to the City Commission award of a contract.

Bid/Request for Proposal:

7. OMB and the Construction Management Team will schedule a pre-bid meeting to discuss the

project and receive questions from contractors. Addenda will be prepared by the Architect and

distributed to all attendees.

8. A public bid opening will be held in City Hall and OMB will maintain the official record of the bid

submittal.

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9. OMB and the Construction Management Team will review all bids or proposals for

responsibleness and responsiveness and will present the bid or proposal to the City Commission

for approval of award.

10. The Risk Manager, City Attorney's Office and the Contractor will review and execute the final

contract prior to approval of the contract being placed on the City Commission meeting agenda.

Award:

11. After the City Commission awards a contract, OMB will issue a notice of award to the contractor.

12. A preconstruction meeting will be scheduled to discuss the project scope of work, discuss the

project schedule, discuss, DER/EPA requirements, discuss permitting requirements, discuss

hours of work, discuss progress payments, review request for information procedures, discuss

change order process, review traffic and safety plan, sign contracts, receive a list of

subcontractors from the contractor (if not required in the bid), receive a schedule of values,

introduce key contacts in the construction administration process, and issue a notice to proceed.

Construction Administration

13. The schedule for o-site progress meetings with the Construction Management Team and

contractor will be established and the Team will meet a minimum of once every two weeks.

Frequency of meetings will be dependent upon the complexity of the project and the status of the

work; however, weekly meetings will most likely be needed only during the first month.

14. The contractor will be responsible for coordinating the inspections to ensure compliance with site

plan and building code requirements.

15. All change orders that impact the cost of the project will be submitted to OMB and the Project

Manager for review and approval. Consistent with City of Largo Code of Ordinances, change

orders or modifications involving aggregate increases or decreases in competitive sealed bids

greater than or equal to Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000) will be approved by the City

Commission.

16. All projects will have a photographic record of preconstruction, construction, and project

completion. Aerial photographs can be arranged and are encouraged.

17. Progress payments will be made to the contractor upon receipt of an application for payment that

has been reviewed and approved by the Project Manager.

18. A final pay request is submitted when the project is complete and will be paid once the following

items have been reviewed:

a) All punch list items have been signed.

b) The final change order has been submitted.

c) The Certificate of Final Inspection has been issued.

d) All required as-built drawings, warranties, maintenance, and operation instructions have been

submitted.

e) Contractor's release of payment to suppliers and subcontractors has been submitted.

f) Consent of surety for final payment has been submitted.

g) Subcontractor’s release of all claims has been submitted.

19. Upon project completion, the Project Manager will submit building information to Facilities

Management for future repairs and/or renovations.

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Compliance with City Development Regulations

All City projects consisting of new construction or renovation of any buildings, electrical, gas,

mechanical, or plumbing systems shall comply with the Development Order and permitting process

to ensure building construction complies with adopted Codes. If a project is managed in-house, the

Project Manager is responsible to follow the Development Order process. If a project is managed by

a consultant, the Architect/Engineer will be responsible to follow the Development Order process.

City projects are subject to the same regulatory process and requirements as private property owners.

Any renovation, addition, or demolition project at the Municipal Complex will be approved by the

Assistant City Manager and Facilities Manager prior to project initiation. Any major renovation,

addition, or demolition project on other City property will be approved by the appropriate Department

Director and the Facilities Manager prior to project initiation. If such project is not budgeted, Assistant

City Manager approval is also required.

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Security and Security Inspection

Policy Number: F-01-02

Policy Manager: Human Resources

Effective Date: January 1, 2022

Preceding Policy Date: 03/01/2004

POLICY

All team members will be issued identification and/or proximity cards. Every team member must keep

his/her identification card on his/her person and display it while present on City premises or engaged

in City business. The loss of an identification or proximity card must be immediately reported to the

Human Resources Department at 727587-6716 option: 0 or hrinfo@largo.com

The City of Largo provides desks, lockers, and other storage devices for the convenience of team

members, but these remain the sole property of the City. The City of Largo also provides access to

numerous facilities; therefore, it is important to establish and maintain security for all personnel and

property. Access to secured buildings, facilities, areas, cabinets, lockers and desks is provided to

team members; however, this access does not guarantee personal privacy to team members.

PROCEDURE

All City property can be inspected, with or without prior notice, when deemed necessary. Searches

will be conducted by two or more personnel selected by the Department Director, City Manager, or

designee.

Efforts will be made to notify and/or have the team member present during any search.

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy: Facility Work, Permitting, and Site Plan Approval

Policy Number: F-10-03

Originating Department/Division: Administration

Effective Date: September 1, 2010

Preceding Policy Date: N/A

POLICY

The purpose of this policy is to clarify roles and responsibilities for the performance of work within

any Division, Department, or building, with regards to involvement of Facilities Management

(Facilities); involvement of Information Technology (IT); obtaining permits; and obtaining site plan

approval. It is the City's explicit policy that site plan approval and/or a building permit shall be obtained

when determined to be required in accordance with the procedures outlined below. Further, the

responsible Division or Department, as determined through the process of this policy, shall ensure

that work is performed in accordance with the site plan approval or permit, and that required

inspections or other deliverables are completed. This requirement shall extend to any work performed

on behalf of the City at any facility or in conjunction with a special event.

PROCEDURE

Facilities Management

If a department desires work for the interior or exterior of a building or ancillary structures, or

construction or utility work on facility grounds, it is incumbent upon that department to contact

Facilities Management prior to the commencement of any work. Facilities Management shall

determine, within five (5) working days, whether the work will be coordinated/performed by Facilities

Management or relinquished to the requesting department. Facilities Management may relinquish

projects to the requesting department at its discretion, terms, and conditions. This may include, as

example: some or all of the work; coordinating and obtaining permits; coordinating and obtaining site

plan approval. Determination of project coordination/performance shall be provided in writing to the

requesting department director. It is incumbent upon individual departments and Facilities to

establish those facilities or structures that are the responsibility of the requesting department prior to

initiating any work by the requesting department (i.e., process tanks and associated equipment at the

Wastewater Reclamation Facility). In the absence of established responsibilities for the requesting

department, the responsibility lies with Facilities Management.

A request for the performance of new construction or contracted remodeling work shall be made to

the Facilities Manager, in writing or e-mail format by the requesting department, with a copy to the

requesting department's director. All requests for maintenance repairs or cosmetic work to facilities

shall be submitted as a service request through the eGov Service Request system on the City of

Largo website.

A request made to any other individual or through any other means than those listed, or not made in

writing or e-mail, is not considered a valid request. There are no other positions within Facilities

Management that are authorized to make determinations on the performance of work other than those

listed above. Performance of work, without the expressed written consent of Facilities Management,

will be considered unauthorized work.

Projects retained by Facilities shall be assigned costs and timetables for completion that are agreed

to by Facilities and the requesting department. Facilities shall consult with the assigned department

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representative for the respective project prior to the commencement of work to: coordinate

materials/methods/colors; establish timing of the work; minimize impacts to operations and damage

to existing facilities. In the event Facilities and the requesting department cannot agree to all terms

and conditions for a project prior to the commencement of work, Administration shall make final

determinations of assigned roles, responsibilities, and time frames. Project conditions shall be

provided, in writing, to the requesting Department Director.

Where Facilities Management is working for a department that has personnel dedicated to the

operation, maintenance and repair of specific facilities or facility elements, work shall be coordinated

with, and approved by, the appropriate Operational Manager or Department Administration

(Director/Assistant Director) prior to the commencement of work. This shall include, but not be limited

to:

Recreation, Parks & Arts

Parks Superintendent – playgrounds; picnic tables, shelters, and benches; kiosks; animal enclosures;

statues; garden ponds; park sidewalks and trails; trees, landscaping and irrigation; park signs,

bollards, light poles, and accent lighting; exterior painting/court surfacing; interior of park structures.

Aquatics Manager – pool construction, modification, resurfacing; pool decking; electrical (ancillary to

pool pumps and associated pool equipment).

Environmental Services

Senior Foreman (Wastewater Reclamation Facility [WRF]) – all work described under the Trades

worker II classification shall remain within the Department and does not require coordination with

Facilities Management. Trades worker II duties that are not performed by Environmental Services

shall be coordinated with Facilities Management through the Senior Foreman for the WRF.

Information Technology

IT shall have primary responsibility for installation and modification of telecommunication, data, and

other related computer equipment. Requests for IT services shall be directed to the IT department.

IT shall contact Facilities Management within five (5) working days after IT project approval to

determine whether the work will be coordinated/performed by Facilities or IT.

Permitting

Facilities Management shall have the responsibility to request Building Division determination as to

which, if any, permits are necessary for the performance of work. The requirement to obtain any

required permits will reside with whichever division/department is assigned that responsibility from

the original allocation of tasks. The determination of whether a permit is necessary shall be made

within five (5) working days of the request for determination. A request to the Building Division shall

be made to the following personnel, in writing or e-mail format:

• Building Official

• Assistant Building Official

A request made to any individual other than those listed, or not made in writing or e-mail, is not

considered a valid request. There are no other positions within the Building Division that are

authorized to make a determination on the requirement of building permits other than those listed

above. Performance of work without a permit, without the expressed written consent of the Building

Division, will be considered unauthorized work.

The Building Division, within 24 hours of request for permit determination, shall issue a determination

in writing or e-mail format to Facilities Management, or request additional information in order to make

a final determination. If a permit is required, a permit shall be obtained by a licensed contractor. The

Building Division may issue an Annual Facility Permit pursuant to Florida Building Codes. If it is

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determined that a permit is not required, and the scope of the work to be performed changes following

the initial determination, such changes shall also be reviewed with the Building Division to determine

if a permit is required.

Site Plan Approval

When a project proposal involves modification of a facility's footprint, impervious surface, use, site

contours, or landscaping elements, Facilities Management shall have the responsibility to obtain

Planning Division determination as to whether site plan approval is necessary for the performance of

work. The requirement to obtain site plan approval will reside with whichever division/department is

assigned that responsibility from the original allocation of tasks. The determination of whether site

plan approval is necessary shall be made within five (5) working days of the request for determination.

A request to the Planning Division shall be made to the following personnel, in writing or e-mail format:

• Assistant Community Development Director

• Community Development Director

A request made to any individual other than those listed, or not made in writing or e-mail, is not

considered a valid request. There are no other positions within the Planning Division that are

authorized to make a determination of site plan approval requirement other than those listed above.

Performance of work without site plan approval, without the expressed written consent of the Planning

Division, will be considered unauthorized work.

The Planning Division, within three (3) days of a request for site plan determination, shall issue a

determination in writing or e-mail format to Facilities Management, or request additional information

in order to make a final determination. If a site plan is required, site plan submissions shall be made

by licensed professionals (i.e., architect, engineer, etc.) in accordance with the requirements of the

City's Comprehensive Development Code. If the determination is that site plan approval is not

required, and the scope of the work to be performed changes following the initial determination, such

changes shall also be reviewed with the Planning Division to determine if a site plan is required.

Utilities

Work that involves a change in utility service (i.e., potable water, sanitary sewer, electric accounts,

etc.), whether it be activation, deactivation, or modification, shall be coordinated between the affected

department and the Finance Department – Sr. Accounting Clerk. The requirement to coordinate with

the Finance Department will reside with whichever division/department is assigned that responsibility

from the original allocation of tasks.

Tenant Agreements and Joint Use Contracts

Several departments have tenant agreements or joint use contracts that may restrict, or allow for, the

modification of tenant or joint use space by the outside party. Each individual department shall be

responsible for managing and enforcing the terms and conditions of any tenant agreement or joint

use contract that affects a facility or City property within that department. In the event an outside

party seeks to modify a City facility or infrastructure through the terms of a tenant agreement or joint

use contract, the request shall first be considered by Administration to determine any policy

implications with the request. The determination of whether the request is approved shall be made

within five (5) working days of the request for determination. A request to Administration shall be

made to the following personnel, in writing or e-mail format: Assistant City Manager/City Manager.

A request made to any individual other than those listed, or not made in writing or e-mail, is not

considered a valid request. There are no other positions within Administration that are authorized to

make a determination of facility modification by an outside party other than those listed above. In the

event the request is approved by Administration, the affected department shall proceed with

submitting a request for the modification or improvement as outlined in this policy.

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Financial Policies

CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Budget Transfers & Amendments

Policy Number: FP-01-01

Originating Department/Division: Administration / City Manager

Effective Date: October 1, 2021

Preceding Policy Date: 04/22/2009

PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to outline why, when, and how budget amendments are executed during

the course of the fiscal year. Budget amendments are required when the budget that was

appropriated (adopted by the City Commission in the budget document) is not sufficient, accurate, or

requires adjustment during the year. This could involve a change to financial resources OR personnel

resources (change in FTEs or change to the Pay Plan, which is adopted in the Budget document).

POLICY

In order to increase or decrease a department's total appropriation or its appropriation within a fund,

the City Charter requires that the City Commission enact an ordinance amending the budget. An

administrative transfer involves the transfer of funds from one expenditure account to another within

the same department and fund. Such a transfer is subject to approval by the Office of Performance

and Budget (OPB).

PROCEDURE

1. Amendment

To request a budget Amendment, a department staff member or their Management Analyst

can initiate the “Create Budget Amendment” task in Workday. This will require accounting for

which budget are being increased as a result of the amendment, including any Project, Grant,

or Program worktags required for expenditure tracking. If approved, a budget amendment

ordinance and the Commission Memo and Ordinance will be prepared by the Management

Analyst or OPB Manager with assistance from the originating department and submitted to

the City Commission. Upon approval, OMB will submit a request to process the approved

Budget Amendment to the Finance Department for processing.

2. Transfer

To request a transfer, a department staff member or their Management Analyst can initiate

the “Create Budget Amendment” task in Workday. This will require accounting for which

budget accounts are being reduced and which are being increased as a result of the transfer.

Budget transfer requests are necessary only under the following circumstances:

a) If funds were appropriated in a Department/Fund that is no longer accurate and an

appropriation is needed where expenditures will be recorded, a change may be needed.

Operating or organizational changes that will result in expenditures significantly different

from the adopted budget should be preceded by a budget transfer. Before requesting a

transfer for such reason, please consult OPB to determine if one is necessary.

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b) The transfer should be requested before the proposed expenditure of funds, not after the

fact in an attempt to balance an account. This policy does not preclude OPB requesting

that additional transfers be made in special situations.

Workday Procedure

The Create Budget Amendment task in Workday, once submitted, will route to a Department’s

Management Analyst, the Performance & Budget Manager, and the Director of Performance and

Budget for Approval. If all parties approve, an Ordinance must be drafted and submitted to the City

Attorney’s office no later than 1 MONTH prior to the Commission Meeting for first reading. The budget

amendment Ordinance must be reviewed by another party in OPB (Manager or Director) prior to

submission to the CAO.

The Management Analyst will also prepare a Commission Memo for that budget amendment.

Departments are not required to stay within the amounts budgeted in each expenditure account.

Strict accountability is enforced only with regard to the total appropriation for each fund within each

department.

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Accounts Payable

Policy Number: FP-01-02

Originating Department/Division: Finance

Effective Date: October 1, 2021

Preceding Policy Date: 07/09/2011

PURPOSE & POLICY

This policy facilitates the accounts payable process. This policy applies to requesting payments for

goods and services and does not apply to the purchasing guidelines or purchasing policy, which are

related to making purchases of goods and services.

PROCEDURE

General Definitions

• Miscellaneous Payment Request used for non-competitive purchases such as legal fees,

subscriptions/memberships, travel/training, petty cash, utility payments, etc.

• PO: Purchase Order used for competitive purchases greater than $2,500, for all capital items, or

when the City purchasing card is not accepted.

• Supplier Contract: Used to secure a discount or guaranteed price for goods or services over an

established period, such as for office supplies, lawn maintenance, pool chemicals, uniforms, etc.

• Supplier Invoice Package: System process used to request payment, including a completed PO if

applicable accompanied by an invoice and any other supporting documentation.

Payment Deadlines and Check Processing

• System approved miscellaneous payment and supplier invoice packages must be submitted to

Accounts Payable by Wednesday noon of each week to ensure payment by Monday of the

following week. Voucher packages received after noon on Wednesday will be processed for

payment the following week.

• To ensure prompt payment, please ensure all payment requests and correct and approved for

processing as soon as possible, but no later than 30 days after the receipt of goods or services.

• All checks are printed on Friday for Monday distribution. ACH Payments will also be processed on

Mondays. The ONLY checks not mailed are for employee reimbursements, petty cash

reimbursements, and entertainer payments due the day of performance. Suppliers should NOT be

promised COD and checks may NOT be picked-up by suppliers in person.

• Processing deadlines are affected by observed City holidays; therefore, Accounts Payable will

inform Directors, Operational Managers, Management Analysts, and Clerical staff of revised

processing schedules through email notification with at least one week’s notice. For example, if

the City will be closed on Friday, the Wednesday noon deadline becomes Tuesday noon.

• At the end of the fiscal year, Accounts Payable will notify the same email recipients as noted above

of the processing schedule to ensure payments are recorded in the proper fiscal year.

• “Stop Payments” on misplaced checks will not be made for at least 10 business days after the

check’s original issue date. This will allow a reasonable time for the check to be found. Please

email Accounts Payable with the supplier’s name, amount, date, and number of misplaced checks.

Supplier Invoice Package Preparation

To request payments for suppliers or other payees Finance Initiators will be required to create a

submission using one of the following system requests:

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1. Create Supplier Invoice

2. Miscellaneous Payment Request

The following items will be required on the submission before payments can be processed:

━ Supplier / Payee name

━ Invoice date

━ Accounting date if the payment is applicable to a different fiscal year than indicated by the invoice

date

━ Payment terms

━ Handling code if applicable (if you need remittance documents sent with check or need check

returned to department it can be specified here)

━ Suppliers invoice number

• Invoice line item details including applicable worktags (fund, cost center, spend category, grant,

project, program). Miscellaneous payment requests are used to request payments for

noncompetitive purchases (e.g., utility payments, training, and for suppliers not required to provide

quotes or proposals). If purchases are of a competitive nature, payments should be processed

after issuance of a PO.

• Approval by required reviewers must be completed.

• Unique invoice numbers and invoices should be included with all payment packages, to reduce the

possibility for making duplicate payments. If copies of any documentation is required to be

submitted to a supplier along with a payment, the handling code must be noted on the payment

package and required documentation must be attached.

Partial Shipments / Partial Payments

• If a "partial shipment" is sent (incomplete order) and the items not shipped are "back-ordered",

whether a partial payment can be made depends upon the type of items.

━ When there is a partial shipment of dependent items (the items can only function with each

other), payment is withheld until the remaining items are shipped. This is done to ensure that

the remaining items are shipped as quickly as possible and because the items that were shipped

are not usable alone.

━ If a supplier cannot deliver the remaining dependent items within a reasonable time, a decision

must be made whether to return the items already shipped or to pay for them.

━ Independent Items - When there is a partial shipment of independent items (the items do not

operate together), a partial payment for the items shipped first can be processed, because the

items received can be used even if the back-ordered items are never delivered.

━ It is sometimes preferable to withhold partial payments for independent items to ensure faster

delivery of the remaining items. Partial payment for independent items can be made at the

discretion of the ordering department.

• If a supplier is requesting payment for a partial shipment, ordering departments should not decide

to withhold payment without contacting Accounts Payable.

• Partial payments for items purchased on a PO can be processed by creating a supplier invoice off

of the PO and adjusting the line item detail.

Exempt Sales, Non-exempt Sales & Sales Tax

Taxable purchases are infrequent, but can occur; therefore, Accounts Payable treats all purchases

as exempt from sales tax unless departments clearly designate otherwise on the supplier invoice

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request. Departments involved in taxable transactions should indicate on the supplier invoice request

that sales tax should be paid.

Accounts Payable maintains copies of tax-exempt certificates that can be provided to suppliers, and

departments may make copies to mail to all suppliers. The tax exempt certificate is also available on

the City computer system under, “Department forms/finance”.

Purchasing Card Payments

• For City employees using a City Purchasing Card, procedures for reconciling daily charge

transactions with supporting documentation differ from the payment procedures mentioned above.

The Purchasing Card Policies and Procedures are provided to all cardholders in a separate

document.

General Reminders

• Departments are not required to retain physical copies of supplier invoices after they have been

uploaded into Workday. Accounts Payable retains electronic copies of all voucher packages for at

least three years (longer for capital purchases). Account Payable files are accessible to

departments at any time to make copies of voucher packages or to conduct research.

• All purchases for travel/training must be approved by the Department Director or Administration

prior to purchasing and requesting payment (see Travel and Training Approval and

Reimbursements Policy FP-01-02 for approval requirements).

• All expenditures for technology hardware, software and technology contracts/support agreements

must be approved by the Information Technology (IT) Assistant Director or designee prior to

purchasing and requesting payment.

• All supplier inquiries (e.g., regarding the status of checks) can be found in Workday or should be

transferred to Accounts Payable staff to ensure the most up-to-date information is communicated.

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy: Acquisition of Professional Services for

Local Agency Program (LAO) Projects

Policy Number: FP-01-13

Originating Department/Division: Community Development/Engineering

Effective Date: March 27, 2013

Preceding Policy Date: N/A

POLICY

This policy defines the method used by the City of Largo to acquire qualified professional

architectural; engineering; landscape architectural; land surveying and mapping; planning; and right

of way acquisition and property management services for Local Agency Program (LAP) projects

involving State and Federal funding only, and is not intended for use in the procurement of

professional services for other city purposes. This policy is intended to comply with 49 CFR, Part 23

and 23 CFR, Part 172, Sections 287.055, 337.105, 337.106, 337.107, 337.1075 and Chapter 339,

Florida Statutes (F.S.), and Rule Chapter 14-75 and 14-78, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.).

The regulations will supersede any discrepancy between the information in this policy and the

regulations. If so directed in writing by the State or Federal funding agency, alternate procedures may

be followed with authorization from the City Manager and documentation will be kept in the project

file outlining those alternate procedures.

Certain professional services contracts are exempted from formal advertising and selection in strict

adherence to the selection procedures outlined below. These include projects where the fee for

professional services is less than the threshold amount in Section 287.017, F.S., for Category Two

($35,000) or when the construction cost is estimated to be less than the threshold amount for

Category Five ($325,000).

PROCEDURE

1. Definitions

Purchasing Category Threshold Amounts (Section 287.017, F.S.):

Category One:

$20,000

Category Two:

$35,000

Category Three:

$65,000

Category Four:

$195,000

Category Five:

$325,000

CEI: Construction Engineering Inspection

Letter of Qualification: On each occasion when the City requires professional services for Local

Agency Program (LAP) projects, the advertisement for such services will require interested

Consultants to submit a Letter of Qualification. The content criteria for this letter will be finalized by

the City's Project Manager and listed in the project's advertisement.

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RFTP: Request for Technical Proposal

Project: A project may include the following:

Project Manager or Project Engineer: The role of the Project Manager or Project Engineer may

include the following:

Selection Committee (City): The roles and duties of the Selection Committee include the following:

• City Engineer or Assistant City Manager (ACM), or their designee, who will serve as

Chairperson

• Project Manager

o Sponsoring Department Director,

o Impacted Operational Manager(s),

o other members appointed by the Sponsoring ACM or Director, and

o member of the state or federal funding agency as required by Local Agency Program

(LAP) and/or funding terms and conditions.

• The Chairperson will appoint a non-voting Recording Secretary to attend all meetings

• Committee members may appoint management level alternates

• Committee members must sign a Conflict of Interest Certification (copy attached), which will

be maintained in a file by the Recording Secretary.

Shortlist: The shortlist includes the following:

• Consists of no less than three Consultants chosen by Selection Committee

• Consultants may be required to submit written proposals, present oral proposals or both for

the required work to be considered for final selection.

2. Advertisement

The City will advertise, in accordance with Florida law and in a uniform and consistent manner, on

each occasion when professional consulting services are required for Local Agency Program (LAP)

projects and the fee is in excess of the threshold amounts of either Category Two (professional

services) or Category 5 (construction), Section 287.017, F.S. The minimum advertisement period will

be three weeks, however a longer period may be utilized as needed, or as required by the funding

agency. The results of all final selection meetings will also be advertised.

The City shall have a complete project management plan, including an outline of the desired scope

of services prior to the advertisement of the project. The Project Manager will prepare the project

management plan for each occasion that the City requires professional services except where not

applicable for task assignment type contracts. (For task assignment type contracts, project

management plans are required at the time of each assignment.)

At a minimum, each advertisement shall contain as applicable:

1. Name and description of the project,

2. Project location,

3. Major work type(s) required,

4. Any minor work type(s)required,

5. Estimated construction cost of the project (if applicable),

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6. How and where Consultants may respond,

7. Due date of Letter of Qualification,

8. Selection criteria,

9. Tentative dates for shortlist and final selection,

10. Statement that services are being sought for Local Agency Program (LAP) projects only,

11. Any known terms and conditions associated with funding,

12. Indicate if final ranking is to be made directly from the letters of qualification, and

13. The maximum length of the letter of qualification.

Where multiple consultants are needed for projects with similar requirements, this may be

accomplished with one advertisement and one selection process where practical and allowable by

the funding agency and conditions of the Local Agency Program (LAP). The advertisement for such

projects should include a statement that multiple contracts may be awarded.

The advertisement should encourage participation by firms that are Certified Disadvantaged Business

Enterprises (DBEs) or Certified Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), when applicable, and if

required by Local Agency Program (LAP) and/or funding terms and conditions.

3. Shortlist Selection

The purpose of the shortlist is to select no less than three Consultants that will be required to submit

written proposals, present oral presentations or both in order to be considered for final selection.

1. Performance of the Consultant on current and previous City projects,

2. The volume of work previously awarded to the Consultant by the City within the past five

years,

3. The location of the Consultant in relation to the requirements necessary for the work to be

performed,

4. Balancing the needs of the project to the abilities of the Consultant,

5. The general and specific information contained in the Letter of Qualification,

6. Past experience with Local Agency Program (LAP) and other state or federally funded

projects.

Where multiple contracts are being selected with one advertisement, at least three more consultants

than contracts being awarded will be shortlisted. When this is the case, only one composite short list

will be used, but a separate final ranking list will be developed for each contract. As required, the

shortlist and supporting data may also be provided to the funding agency for review.

At the shortlist meeting, the Selection Committee will decide on the type of technical proposal to be

required from the shortlisted consultants:

• Either oral presentations or written proposals may be required

• The Project Manager may make a recommendation to the Selection Committee as to

the type of proposal and include it with the shortlist.

Following conclusion of the shortlist meeting, the Project Manager will contact each shortlisted

Consultant to advise of their inclusion on the short list. Contact will be made via email or letter sent

through the US Postal Service and a copy will be maintained in the project file.

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Optional Alternate Selection Process:

An alternate selection process, allowing final ranking directly from letters of qualification, may be

utilized for contracts where a detailed technical proposal is not practical or desired, such as CEI

projects, City-wide contracts, and other task assignment contracts. When the advertisement has

stated that the alternative process will be used the following procedures will be followed:

7. The Project Manager will provide the Selection Committee with the letters deemed responsive.

8. The Selection Committee will review the documents and develop a recommended final

ranking of no fewer than three firms. The factors to be considered in developing the

recommendations should be the same as described above in Section 3.1.

9. The recording secretary will document the reasons for the ranking.

10. The Project Manager should notify the top-ranked consultant within three working days of the

selection Committee meeting.

11. When this alternate selection process is used, Sections 4, 5, 6and 7of this procedure do not

apply.

4. Preparation of Request for Technical Proposals

The Project Manager will prepare the RFTP package to be provided to the shortlisted consultants.

The RFTP package should consist of the following:

1. Boilerplate information on technical proposal due date, scope of services meeting,

identification of project manager, insurance requirements, reference to standard professional

services agreement terms, schedule of events, proposed scope of services, method of

compensation, evaluation criteria, etc.

2. If written proposals are selected, the shortlisted consultants should be encouraged to use

simplified proposal formats and packaging for the proposal and to restrict the content of the

proposal to a demonstration of an awareness of project issues, explanation of the proposed

approach to the project, and plans for the staffing of the project. Performance of actual design

as part of the proposal should be discouraged.

3. If oral presentations are selected, the shortlisted consultants will be instructed to make their

presentations project specific. The presentation should provide a demonstration of an

awareness of project issues, explanation of the proposed approach to the project, and plans

for the staffing of the project.

4. The RFTP will identify all known State and Federal funding sources and requirements

associated with those funding sources.

5. The RFTP will indicate required certification forms and notices, which will vary depending on

the LAP, State or Federal agency requirements.

• The RFTP should encourage use of DBE or MBE sub-consultants and stress that

completion of the DBE or MBE participation forms with meaningful data is required.

• For CEI contracts, a notice will be included advising that a consultant under contract

with the City to perform CEI or material sampling and testing work on a project may

not subcontract with the construction contractor on the same project.

• The RFTP will provide instruction for requests for additional information and shall

indicate an information cutoff date.

5. Scope of Services Meeting and Information Requests

Scope of services meetings are optional, but should be held for complex projects or where procedural

issues exist. The purpose of this meeting is to provide a forum for all concerned parties to discuss

the proposed project, answer questions on the scope of services, method of compensation,

instructions for submitting proposals, and other relevant issues. The need for a meeting will be

determined by the Project Manager in conjunction with the Chairperson.

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No questions should be answered relating to the project objectives after the information cutoff date

established in the RFP. It is the responsibility of the Project Manager to ensure that all shortlisted

consultants receive the same information in a timely fashion. Information will be provided in writing to

all consultants at the same time. The project file will clearly document all communications with any

Consultant regarding the scope of services by the Project Manager.

At the conclusion of the scope meeting, or when it is reasonable to assume that no further scope

changes will be required, the Project Manager will update the project management plan and scope

of services outline, as necessary. A review of the City's original scope of services following the scope

of services meeting is essential to the negotiations process. The updated project management plan

and scope should be made available to each member of the Selection Committee prior to the

evaluation of the technical proposals. Also, should significant changes result from the scope of

services meeting, the shortlisted consultants should be provided the updated scope of services.

5. Review of Technical Proposals and Presentations

All presentations will be tape-recorded by the Recording Secretary and kept in the project file.

Evaluations will be conducted through a point-based system. Each member of the Selection

Committee must base their assessment on the same criteria. The following considerations may be

used as a guide in establishing review criteria:

1. Demonstration of project understanding,

2. Proposed project approach,

3. Proposed staffing, including qualifications, availability, proximity to project, and experience

on similar projects,

• Performance on past projects, experience with Local Agency Program (LAP) and other

state or federally funded projects, and commitment to satisfy the City's needs.

The Project Manager is encouraged to meet with the Selection Committee as a group so that project

requirements and major emphasis points can be discussed. The Selection Committee members

should:

• Provide objective evaluations from a solely technical standpoint,

• Evaluate individually and not as a consensus evaluation,

• Consider the Staff Hour Estimates only in terms of understanding of the scope,

• Staff Hour estimates will not be assigned evaluation criteria points; however, the work

effort is recognized as an indication of scope understanding,

• Provide a narrative explanation for scores,

• Sign and date each evaluation,

• Provide raw scores to the Project Manager.

6. Ranking of Shortlisted Consultants

After the technical review, the Project Manager will complete the scoring of the weighted rankings

and the comments written by the Selection Committee, and schedule a final selection meeting. During

the final selection meeting, the final ranking will be documented by the Recording Secretary with a

narrative explanation for the reasons for the ranking.

The Project Manager should notify each Consultant of the selection results within five working days

of the selection meeting. The recording secretary's office shall ensure recordings of selection

meetings are made and available upon request in accordance with Florida law. The announcement

will state the project name and description, as well as the ranking of the Consultants. Contact will be

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made via email or letter sent through the US Postal Service and a copy will be maintained in the

project file.

7. Negotiating Contract Fees

1. City Commission Approval

Upon the ranking of the shortlisted Consultants, a Commission item will be prepared and presented

to the City Commission for review and approval. Upon approval by the City Commission of the ranking

of consultants, negotiation of fee as it relates to work effort, as provided in Section 8.2, shall

commence.

2. Negotiating Work Effort

Upon approval by the City Commission, negotiations will begin with the number one ranked

Consultant. At this time, the Consultant will usually be requested to submit a detailed Staff Hour

Estimate and Fee Proposal with support information to the City. When the final ranking has occurred

directly from letters of qualifications, required certification forms and notices, which will vary

depending on the LAP, State or Federal agency requirements will also be requested with the fee

proposal. Once the Consultant's detailed Staff Hour Estimate is received, the City will make available

the City's detailed estimate of work to the Consultant. The negotiations for work effort should focus

on the technical proposal for the purpose of clarifying and resolving any differences concerning the

scope of the project and the level of effort necessary to accomplish the project. The objective of work

effort negotiations is to ensure that estimated work effort is fair and reasonable.

3. Review Process for Fee Proposal and Audit Package

The Project Manager must review the proposed costs to assure that they are reasonable, accurate

and allowable. The Project Manager will review these costs with the Sponsoring Department's

Management Analyst and Director prior to moving forward to ensure they meet the constraints of the

Department budget. The fee proposal shall be signed by a principal authorized to legally bind the

Consultant's corporation. The Project Manager will review the fee proposal and supporting

documentation for compliance with the LAP, State or Federal agency requirements. The review of

the fee proposal by the Project Manager should include the following:

• Identification of the basis for proposed wage rates

• Overhead and fringe benefits,

• Operating margin,

• Expenses, and

• Sub consultant costs

4. Establishing the Method of Compensation

Compensation for professional services agreements may include one or more of the following

methods:

LUMP SUM: A firm fixed price not subject to adjustment due to the actual cost experience of the

Consultant in the performance of the contract. This places the maximum risk on the Consultant and

provides motivation for efficient cost management to maximize profits. It also minimizes the City's

time in contract administration. It is the recommended method of compensation when the scope of

services is well defined, and the level of effort can be reasonably predicted.

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COST REIMBURSEMENT: The Consultant is reimbursed the actual costs incurred in the

performance of the contract. A "maximum limiting amount" is normally established to cap the amount

the City will pay for the services. This method is used when the services are so vague or complex

that the level of effort or expenditure cannot be estimated with reasonable accuracy.

SPECIFIC RATES OF COMPENSATION: Billing rates are established for units of time, usually per

hour. These rates normally include wages, overhead, estimated expenses and operating margin. A

maximum limiting amount is normally established. This method is frequently used for surveying, legal

services and expert witness contracts. Except for extraordinary contract requirements, the method of

compensation should be described in the agreement using the standard Method of Compensation

language.

Negotiations:

Final negotiations will reconcile any variances in work effort from that previously negotiated and

establish the compensation to be paid the Consultant for the services to be rendered. The results of

all negotiations with the Consultant must be documented in writing and made a part of the permanent

project file. Compensation will be negotiated within the limits established by state and federal law,

rules and regulations, whichever is more restrictive. The negotiated compensation will be in an

amount the City determines is fair, competitive, and reasonable considering the scope and complexity

of the project. The final binding agreement, including the fee, must be approved by City Commission

if the fee exceeds $25,000.

Should the City be unable to resolve differences in the considered data or negotiate a fair and

reasonable fee for the services as determined in the sole discretion of the City Manager or his/her

designee, the City will terminate negotiations with the Consultant and provide written notice of

termination to the Consultant. The City will then initiate negotiations with the Consultant ranked

second in the ranking approved by the City Commission.

Should the City be unable to negotiate an agreement with the second ranked Consultant, the

aforementioned procedure will be initiated with the third ranked Consultant. Should the City be unable

to negotiate a satisfactory agreement with any of the selected Consultants, the City will select

additional Consultants in order of their competence and qualification and continue negotiations in

accordance with these procedures until an agreement is reached or initiate a new selection process

in accordance with this procedure.

The decision to terminate negotiations is a business decision the City makes and it should not cause

the Consultant to be viewed negatively or in any way impact their opportunity for future selections.

The Agreement:

1. Preparation of the Agreement

Subsequent to negotiations, the City Attorney will prepare an appropriate agreement consistent with

the results of the negotiations. The agreement will generally consist of a Standard Professional

Services Agreement, Exhibit "A" - Scope of Services, and Exhibit "B" - Method of Compensation.

2. Agreement Execution

Any professional services contract in the amount of $25,000 or greater must be approved by the City

Commission in an advertised public hearing. This approval authorizes the City Manager to execute

the contract, which will obligate the City to the terms, conditions, and provisions of the agreement.

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The Project Manager will coordinate execution of the professional service agreement including the

following signatures: Consultant, City Attorney, Risk Manager, City Manager, and City Clerk.

The Project Manager distributes the executed agreements in the manner set forth below.

• One original to the Consultant.

• One original to the City Clerk.

• One copy to the Project Manager.

CITY OF LARGO

CONFLICT OF INTEREST CERTIFICATION

TECHNICAL REVIEW COMMITTEE

I hereby certify that I have no present conflict of interest on the projects identified below, and that I

will recuse myself from any capacity of decision making, approval, disapproval, or recommendation

of any consultant/contractor/vendor for selection on any contract if I have a conflict of interest or a

potential conflict of interest as defined by Chapter 112 Florida Statutes, Section 2-278 of the City

Code and the City's personnel and purchasing policies.

I recognize that employees are expected to honor the ethical obligations inherent in public service.

These obligations go beyond mere legal obligations and demand from the employee a greater

sensitivity to his or her conduct, as well as the public's perception of such conduct.

Employees are expected to safeguard their ability to make objective, fair, and impartial decisions, and

therefore may not accept benefits of any sort under circumstances in which it could be inferred by a

reasonable observer that the benefit or gift was intended to influence a pending or future decision of

theirs, or to reward a past decision. Employees should avoid any conduct (whether in the context of

business, financial, or social relationships) which might undermine the public trust, whether or not

that conduct is unethical or lends itself to the appearance of ethical impropriety.

I realize that violation of the above-mentioned statutes, City Code provisions and City policies would

be punishable in accordance with Section 112.317, Florida Statutes, the City Code and the City's

personnel and purchasing policies.

Project Description(s):

_______________________________________________________________________________

Financial Project Number(s): ________________________________________________________

Technical Review Committee Members

Each undersigned individual hereby attests that he/she has no conflicts of interest related to the

procurement identified above, or the entities evaluated by the project(s).

Printed Names Signatures Date

___________________________ _______________________________________

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy: Title VI Nondiscrimination Policy and

Plan for LAP

Policy Number: FP-01-17

Originating Department/Division: Community Development/Engineering

Effective Date: July 1, 2017

Preceding Policy Date: N/A

POLICY

The City of Largo (the City), as the FDOT designated sub-recipient, has a goal not to discriminate

against any person with respect to a City program, activity or service. To meet this goal, the City

developed a Title VI Program pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended.

The City values diversity and welcomes input from all interested parties, regardless of cultural identity,

background or income level. Moreover, the City believes that the best programs and services result

from careful consideration of the needs of all of its communities and when those communities are

involved in the transportation decision making process. Thus, the City does not tolerate discrimination

in any of its programs, services or activities. Pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and

other federal and state authorities, the City will not exclude from participation in, deny the benefits of,

or subject to discrimination anyone on the grounds of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability,

religion, income or family status.

PROCEDURE

The City has established a discrimination complaint procedure and will take prompt and reasonable

action to investigate and eliminate discrimination when found specific to the LAP project. Any person

who believes that he or she has been subjected to discrimination based upon race, color, national

origin, sex, religion, age, disability, family or income status in any of the City’s LAP projects may file

a complaint with the City’s LAP Title VI/Nondiscrimination Coordinator:

City Engineer

LAP Nondiscrimination Coordinator

Mailing Address: Engineering Services Department,

201 Highland Avenue P.O. Box 296, Largo, Florida 33779

Physical Address: 201 Highland Avenue, Largo, Florida 33770

Phone: (727) 587-6700

Fax: (727) 586-7413

Hearing Impaired: Florida Relay 7-1-1

If possible, the complaint should be submitted in writing and contain the identity of the complainant;

the basis for the allegations (i.e., race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability or family

status); and a description of the alleged discrimination with the date of occurrence. If the complaint

cannot be submitted in writing, the complainant should contact the LAP Title VI/Nondiscrimination

Coordinator for assistance.

The LAP Title VI/Nondiscrimination Coordinator will respond to the complaint within thirty (30)

calendar days and will take reasonable steps to resolve the matter. Should the City be unable to

satisfactorily resolve a complaint, the LAP Title VI/Nondiscrimination Coordinator will forward the

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complaint, along with a record of its disposition to the appropriate District of the Florida Department

of Transportation (FDOT) for further processing.

The City’s LAP Title VI/Nondiscrimination Coordinator has easy access to the City Manager and is

not required to obtain management or other approval to discuss discrimination issues with the City

Manager. However, should the complainant be unable or unwilling to complain to the City, or if the

complainant is dissatisfied with the City’s handling of the complaint, the written complaint may be

submitted directly to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). FDOT will ensure that the

matter is assigned to the correct Federal or State authority for processing.

Florida Department of Transportation

Equal Opportunity Office

ATTN: LAP Title VI Complaint Processing

605 Suwannee Street MS 65

Tallahassee, FL 32399

ADA/504 Statement

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), the Americans with Disabilities Act of

1990 (ADA) and related federal and state laws and regulations forbid discrimination against those

who have disabilities. Furthermore, these laws require federal aid recipients and other government

entities to take affirmative steps to reasonably accommodate the disabled and ensure that their needs

are equitably represented in transportation programs, services and activities.

The City will make every effort to ensure that its facilities, programs, services, and activities are

accessible to those with disabilities. The City will make every effort to ensure that its advisory

committees, public involvement activities and all other programs, services and activities include

representation by the disabled community and disability service groups.

The City encourages the public to report any facility, program, service or activity that appears

inaccessible to those who are disabled. Furthermore, the City will provide reasonable

accommodations to disabled individuals who wish to participate in public events or who require

special assistance to access facilities, programs, services or activities. Because providing reasonable

accommodations may require outside assistance, organization or resources, the City asks that

requests be made at least seven (7) calendar days prior to the need for accommodation.

Questions, concerns, comments or requests for accommodation should be made to the City’s ADA

Officer:

Assistant City Manager

ADA Officer

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 296, Largo, Florida 33779

Physical Address: 201 Highland Avenue, Largo, Florida 33770

Phone: (727) 587-6700

Fax: (727) 586-7413

Hearing Impaired: Florida Relay 7-1-1

Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Guidance

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 13166, and various directives from the US

Department of Justice (DOJ) and US Department of Transportation (DOT) require federal aid

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recipients to take reasonable steps to ensure meaningful access to programs, services and activities

by those who do not speak English proficiently. To determine the extent to which LEP services are

required and in which languages, the law requires the analysis of four factors:

• The number or proportion of LEP persons eligible to be served or likely to be encountered by

the City’s programs, services or activities.

• The frequency with which LEP individuals come in contact with these programs, services or

activities.

• The nature and importance of the program, service, or activity to people’s lives and;

• The resources available to the City and the likely costs of the LEP services.

Using census data, the City has determined that LEP individuals speaking English represent less

than approximately 4% of the community. The City realizes that such statistical data can be outdated

or inaccurate. Given this information, the City reasons that a relatively small portion of its service

population are LEP speakers.

The City understands that its community profile is changing and the four factor analysis may reveal

the need for more LEP services in the future. As, such, it will biannually examine its LEP plan to

ensure that it remains reflective of the community’s needs.

Persons requiring special language services should contact the City’s LAP Title VI/Nondiscrimination

Coordinator.

Public Involvement

In order to plan for efficient, effective, safe, equitable and reliable transportation systems, the City

must have the input of its public. The City spends extensive staff and financial resources in

furtherance of this goal and strongly encourages the participation of the entire community. The City

holds a number of transportation meetings, workshops and other events designed to gather public

input on project planning and construction. Further, the City attends and participates in other

community events to promote its services to the public. Finally, the City is constantly seeking ways

of measuring the effectiveness of its public involvement.

Persons wishing to request special presentations by the City, or offer suggestions for improvement

of City public involvement may contact:

Community Outreach Coordinator

Mailing Address: 201 Highland Avenue P.O. Box 296, Largo, Florida 33779

Physical Address: 201 Highland Avenue, Largo, Florida 33770

Phone: (727) 587-6700

Fax: (727) 586-7413

Hearing Impaired: Florida Relay 7-1-1

Data Collection

Federal Highway Administration regulations require federal-aid recipients to collect racial, ethnic and

other similar demographic data on beneficiaries of or those affected by transportation programs,

services and activities. The City accomplishes this through the use of census data, American

Community Survey reports, Environmental Screening Tools (EST), driver and ridership surveys, its

Community Development Department and other methods. From time to time, the City may find it

necessary to request voluntary identification of certain racial, ethnic or other data from those who

participate in its public involvement events. This information assists the City with improving its

targeted outreach and measures of effectiveness. Self-identification of personal data to the City will

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always be voluntary and anonymous. Moreover, the City will not release or otherwise use this data in

any manner inconsistent with the federal regulations.

Assurances

Every three years, or commensurate with a change in City executive leadership year, the City must

certify to FHWA and FDOT that its programs, services and activities are being conducted in a

nondiscriminatory manner. These certifications are termed ‘assurances’ and serve two important

purposes. First, they document the City’s commitment to nondiscrimination and equitable service to

its community. Second, they serve as a legally enforceable agreement by which the City may be held

liable for breach. The public may view the annual assurance on the City’s website or by visiting the

City’s offices.

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CITY OF LARGO PERSONNEL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Policy: Educational / Tuition Cost

Reimbursement

Policy Number: FP-01-18

Policy Manager: Finance Director

Effective Date: October 1, 2021

Preceding Policy Date: N/A

PURPOSE

The City is committed to maintaining a high-performance organization, which requires an educated workforce.

The City encourages employees to pursue continuing education through this reimbursement program, which

may be used to obtain college degrees and technical training. Policy questions may be directed to the Finance

Department Payroll Technician: 587-6719 x7505.

POLICY

This Educational Cost Reimbursement program pays the cost of eligible education and training that an

employee elects to pursue outside of regular work hours. Reimbursement is non-taxable; therefore, all IRS

regulations must be met in addition to meeting the City’s administrative guidelines.

Education and job-related training are also provided by the City during regular work hours or through seminars

and conferences to ensure employees remain proficient in their jobs and to comply with all regulatory

requirements. The cost of this education and training is paid through departmental expense accounts.

Employees should discuss contemplated education and training with their supervisor prior to registration to

identify whether costs are training expenses or should be paid through this program.

Costs that are likely to qualify for educational / tuition cost reimbursement include:

• Taking college or university courses leading to a degree (does not have to be job related)

• Education or training related to an employee’s current position that is not required by the City

• A Management Analyst taking a college course on Advanced Excel Techniques

Costs that most likely do not qualify for educational / tuition cost reimbursement include:

• Taking courses or training required to maintain basic skills (should be training expenses)

• An Accountant who takes a photography course (not job related and no degree)

• A Light-duty Mechanic who takes a heavy-duty course (not job related and no degree)

DEFINITIONS

Eligible costs: Course tuition or registration. Mandatory fees that are directly related to a course

(cannot be avoided), such as technology fees, library fees, lab fees, etc. Mandatory books, materials,

equipment, course-specific software, etc. that cannot be used personally after a course is completed.

Ineligible costs: Lodging or transportation (fuel, parking, tolls, etc.). Consumable supplies (paper,

pencils, etc.) and any items that can be used after a course is completed regardless of whether items

are used such as computers, calculators, tools and general software (Adobe, MS Office, etc.). Costs

not directly related to a course, such as application fees, enrollment tests (GMAT, GRE, etc.),

transcript fees, graduation fees, etc.

If eligible costs are paid by a third-party on behalf of an employee (directly or reimbursed) such as

through grants, scholarships, pre-paid tuition, GI Bill, Bright Futures, etc., the costs are ineligible.

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PROCEDURES

College or University Courses Leading to a Degree (IRS Section 125)

• Courses must be taken from a college or university accredited by an agency that is recognized

by the Council For Higher Education Assessment (CHEA)

• Courses must be part of a program of study leading directly to a degree (AA, AS, BA, etc.)

• Courses are not required to be job related if they are part of a degree program

• Courses may be mandatory, elective, prerequisite or remedial, but must be required by the

college or university as part of a program of study leading directly to a degree

• An employee must be registered as a degree-seeking student at course completion

Job-related Courses or Training that does not Lead to a Degree (IRS Section 162)

• Courses must have a direct relationship and benefit to an employee's current position

• Courses must be taken from a provider that is approved by the employee’s supervisor

• Courses must not be part of a program of study leading to a degree (AA, AS, BA, etc.)

Required Documentation To Receive Reimbursement

• Evidence of official course title and official description of course content (must be clear)

• Evidence of accreditation (Sec. 125 courses only) except for well-known state schools, such

as: SPC, USF, UT, UF, FSU, UCF, UM, FAM, etc.

• Description of how the course benefits an employee’s current position (Sec. 162 courses only)

• Evidence of official beginning and ending course dates (not the first day or last day attended)

• Evidence of mandatory items, like a Syllabus page (see eligible and ineligible cost definitions)

• Proof of payment for eligible costs (proof must be clear as to what was purchased)

• Proof of third-party payments that are deducted from costs (see ineligible cost definition)

• Proof of grade (“C” or better) or complete/pass (proof must be formal, official and clear)

Reimbursement Process Requirements

• Employees complete a Spend Authorization in Workday to notify their supervisor of intent to

take a course before registering for courses or training to determine if the cost should be paid

as a Travel Expense or as Educational Reimbursement.

• Reimbursement requests must follow all applicable bargaining unit agreements, City policies

and procedures and applicable benefit plan.

• Reimbursements are limited per calendar year according to each bargaining unit agreement,

City policies and procedures and applicable benefit plan

• Courses must officially begin after an employee's hire date and must officially end after an

employee's probationary period or before an employee's last day of employment.

• Reimbursements are limited to Net Costs after deducting any third-party payments (see

ineligible cost definition)

• Reimbursement requests must be submitted within 45 days of official course ending date by

completing an Expense Report that is linked to the initial Spend Authorization in Workday.

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Purchasing

Policy Number: FP-02-03

Originating Department/Division: Administration/Office of Management and Budget

Effective Date: July 1, 2022

Preceding Policy Date: 01/01/2020

POLICY

The purchasing process is governed by Chapter 2, Article V of the Code of Ordinances. The purpose

of this policy and procedure is to implement the requirements of the Code of Ordinances and comply

with state and federal procurement requirements.

The Office of Performance & Budget (OPB) is responsible for ensuring that all purchasing is

conducted in an unbiased and fair manner that results in public funds being spent for high quality

goods and services at a fair and competitive price. The goal is to achieve a proper balance between

quality and cost while maintaining public confidence in the purchasing process.

PROCEDURE

On July 1, 2022, the City of Largo consolidated multiple administrative and departmental polices and

procedures for procurement, accounts payable, contract management, and city purchase cards into

one comprehensive Procurement Policy Manual. This manual can be found on TeamLargo.com

under the Policy Manual link as a separate document.

The scope of this manual applies to all City departments. The Procurement Policy Manual replaces

all previous purchasing policies. Any issues regarding the City’s purchasing process not covered in

this manual will be addressed by the City Manager or designee on an individual basis, taking into

consideration all applicable federal laws, rules and regulations, relevant Florida Statutes, the City

Charter, City Code of Ordinances (the “Code”), and the City’s Administrative Policies and Procedures.

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Grant Application, Administration, Closeout

and Lobbying

Policy Number: FP-04-04

Originating Department/Division: Administration

Effective Date: July 1, 2022

Preceding Policy Date: 10/01/2021

PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to establish administrative pre-approval processes for grants requiring City

Commission approval, administrative approval processes for those grants not requiring City Commission

approval, and grant administration and closeout processes to monitor and ensure grant compliance. Additionally,

guidance on legislative appropriations requests is also provided.

POLICY

The City Commission adopted a Legislative Policy (6-4) regarding the approval of the application for and

acceptance of grants. City Commission approval is required prior to applying for or accepting grants in the

following circumstances:

When grant applications and awards exceed $50,000.

When grant applications and awards require the City to provide matching funds (less than, equal to, or

more than the grant award amount) not already appropriated in the adopted budget.

When grant applications and awards for projects require on-going funding, beyond the term of the grant

(e.g., commitment to appropriate funding for positions, programs or services), in any amount.

The purpose of this policy is to establish administrative pre-approval processes for grants requiring City

Commission approval, administrative approval processes for those grants not requiring City Commission

approval, and grant administration and closeout processes to monitor and ensure grant compliance.

Additionally, guidance on legislative appropriations requests is also provided.

PROCEDURE

Grant Application

A Grant Application must be approved by City Administration prior to applying for it. The Departmental Grant

Manager (DGM) will submit the request to the City Grant Manager and/or Intergovernmental Relations

Coordinator using the online request form found in the section below. Once the DGM request is received by

the Office of Performance and Budget (OPB), the Intergovernmental Relations Coordinator or City Grant

Manager should complete Appendix D – OPB Review Form be completed by the Intergovernmental Relations

Coordinator or the City Grant Manager and develop a recommendation on the grant opportunity. As part of

this recommendation, the Intergovernmental Relations Coordinator or City Grant Manager will determine

eligibility, qualification of the program or project, identify grant requirements, identify the procedures utilized

by the grant provider (Funder), and determine other funding uses, if applicable. The City Grant Manager

and/or Intergovernmental Relations Coordinator will then seek administrative approval by creating an Award

Proposal in Workday.

Prior to submitting an application for a grant, approval is required from the Assistant City Manager (ACM) or

City Manager. Such approval must be in writing on the Form. Only the Mayor (when grant approval is

required by the City Commission), City Manager, Assistant City Manager or their designee is

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authorized to approve submission of a grant application on behalf of the City.

City Commission approval for the grant application is required as outlined above, and may also be required

for grant acceptance, if the grant meets any of the criteria below:

The grant rules specifically require legislative body approval.

Administration recommendation for City Commission approval (Charter requirements, fiscal non-

funding, interlocal agreement, new funding program, political issues, etc.).

Grant Application Preparation

It is the submitting department’s responsibility to prepare and submit the grant application, with the assistance

and guidance of the Intergovernmental Relations Coordinator, City Grant Manager and Department

Management Analyst (MA). Prior to perusing a grant opportunity or legislative appropriation, a Grant Application

Pre-Approval form must be completed. Many grant applications and awards are done electronically, resulting

in compressed deadlines for application submission (30-45 days). When such a situation arises, the appropriate

forms and approvals are still required, and submission of a grant application may be denied if insufficient time

is available to adequately vet the opportunity and its associated requirements.

Please click here to submit a Grant Application / Legislative Appropriation Pre-Approval Form

Grant Acceptance

All grant awards/contracts must be submitted by the DGM to the Intergovernmental Relations Coordinator or

City Grant Manager for review before acceptance. The Intergovernmental Relations Coordinator or City

Grant Manager will review compliance requirements, terms and conditions, deliverables, time-frames

and whether the City has the capacity to meet all grant requirements. Upon review by the Intergovernmental

Relations Coordinator or City Grant Manager, the DGM will coordinate with the City Attorney’s Office and OMB

Manager (or designee) for legal review and fiscal impacts. Upon review by all the parties, the City may enter

into the grant contract, unless City Commission approval is required (see criteria outlined above) or directed by

the ACM. Grant agreements can only be executed by the City Manager or designee. On a monthly basis, the

Intergovernmental Relations Coordinator must report any grant applications and grant awards not requiring City

Commission approval in the weekly City Manager’s report (Largo Today)

Grant Administration

Grant Administration ensures that the City is in compliance with all grant requirements. Grant administration

responsibility rests with the assigned DGM. In order to ensure compliance with financial grant

requirements, the MA, Performance and Budget Manager, City Grant Manager, or Treasury Manager may

provide additional oversight and assistance to the DGM. When directed by the ACM, grant administration shall

follow a Project Management Plan and follow the City’s project management policy.

Grant Closeout

Prior to the submission of any final or closeout report to a grant provider (Funder), the DGM must submit such

report for review to the Intergovernmental Relations Coordinator, City Grant Manager and Department Director.

The Department Director has final approval authority for submission of any final or closeout report. A copy of

the final or closeout report submitted to the Funder will be provided to the City Clerk’s Office for official record

keeping. The DGM will pursue verification of grant closeout from the Funder and submit such verification to the

City Clerk for official record keeping, and copies to the Treasury Manager, Intergovernmental Relations

Coordinator, City Grant Manager and Department Director for notification purposes.

Legislative Appropriations Requests

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The City Commission may desire to submit a funding request (either grant or appropriation) to the state or

federal government through local legislators. The City Manager shall communicate with the City Commission

to confirm details of the request being made, associated timeframe for the request, and legislators to contact.

Authorization to contact legislators by City Commissioners shall be in accordance with the City’s Legislative

Policies and Procedures and/or City Charter.

The Intergovernmental Relations Coordinator shall coordinate with the Office Administrator to the City

Commission, and function as:

• point of assembly for all data associated with a legislative request;

• point of contact with state and federal legislators to establish meetings or information exchange; and

• interim and final record keeper of all documents and information provided to legislators.

Attachments:

Appendix A: Grant Funding Conditions

Appendix B: Grant Funding Certifications Regarding Lobbying, Drug Free Workplace, etc.

Appendix C: Grant Funding Certifications Mandatory Certifications

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FP-04-04 Appendix A:

GRANT FUNDING CONDITIONS

BID NUMBER:

BID TITLE:

This project is either fully or partially Grant funded. Bidders shall comply with clauses as enumerated below. In

addition, attached documents titled Mandatory Certifications and Grant Funding Conditions; and Certifications

Regarding Lobbying, Drug Free Workplace and Requirements Debarment, Suspension Other Responsibility

Matters and Utilization of Disadvantaged Firms (m/wbe) shall be executed and returned with all submittals.

Bidders may be deemed non-responsive for non-compliance and failure to complete and submit these

documents.

1. Drug Free Workplace Requirements: Drug free workplace requirements in accordance with Drug

Free Workplace Act of 1988 (Pub1 100-690, Title V, Subtitle D). All contractors entering into Federal

funded contracts over $50,000 must comply with Federal Drug Free workplace requirements as Drug

Free Workplace Act of 1988.

2. Contractor Compliance: The contractor shall comply with all uniform administrative requirements,

cost principles, and audit requirements for federal awards

3. Conflict of Interest: The contractor must disclose in writing any potential conflict of interest to the City

or pass-through entity in accordance with applicable federal policy.

4. Mandatory Disclosures: The contractor must disclose in writing all violations of federal criminal law

involving fraud, bribery, or gratuity violations potentially affecting the Federal award.

5. Utilization of Minority and Women Firms (M/WBE): The contractor must take all necessary

affirmative steps to assure that minority businesses, women’s business enterprises, and labor surplus

area firms are used when possible. Prior to contract award, the contractor shall document efforts to

utilize M/WBE firms including what firms were solicited as suppliers and/or subcontractors as applicable

and submit this information with their bid submittal. Information regarding certified M/WBE firms can be

obtained from:

Florida Department of Management Services (Office of Supplier Diversity)

Florida Department of Transportation

Minority Business Development Center in most large counties and cities

Local Government M/DBE programs in many large counties and cities

6. Equal Employment Opportunity: (As per Executive Order 11246) The contractor may not

discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of age, race, color, creed,

sex, disability, or national origin. The contractor agrees to take affirmative action to ensure that

applicants are employed and that employees are treated during employment without regard to their

age, race, color, creed, sex, disability, or national origin. Such action shall include but not be limited to

the following: employment, promotion, demotion or transfer, recruitment advertising, layoff or

termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation and selection for training including

apprenticeship.

7. Davis-Bacon Act: If applicable to this contract, the contractor agrees to comply with all provisions of

the Davis-Bacon Act as amended (40 U.S.C. 3141-3148). Contractors are required to pay wages to

laborers and mechanics at a rate not less than the prevailing wages specified in a wage determination

made by the Secretary of Labor. In addition, contractors must be required to pay wages not less than

once a week. If the grant award contains Davis Bacon provisions, the City will include a copy of the

current prevailing wage determination issued by the Department of Labor in the solicitation document.

The decision to award a contract shall be conditioned upon the acceptance of the wage determination.

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8. Copeland Anti Kick Back Act: Contractors shall comply with all the requirements of 29 CFR Part 3

which are incorporated by reference to this contract. Contractors are prohibited from inducing by any

means any person employed in the construction, completion or repair of public work to give up any part

of the compensation to which he or she is otherwise entitled.

9. Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 U.S.C. 3701-3708): Where applicable, all

contracts awarded in excess of $100,000 that involve the employment of mechanics or laborers must

be in compliance with 40 U.S.C. 3702 and 3704, as supplemented by Department of Labor regulations

(29 CFR Part 5). Under 40 U.S.C. 3702 of the Act, each contractor is required to compute the wages

of every mechanic and laborer on the basis of a standard work week of 40 hours. Work in excess of

the standard work week is permissible provided that the worker is compensated at a rate of not less

than one and a half times the basic rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours in the work

week. The requirements of 40 U.S.C. 3704 are applicable to construction work and provide that no

laborer or mechanic must be required to work in surroundings or under working conditions which are

unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous. These requirements do not apply to the purchases of supplies or

materials or articles ordinarily available on the open market, or contracts for transportation or

transmission of intelligence.

10. Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401-7671q.) and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C.

1251-1387): as amended-The contractor agrees to comply with all applicable standards, orders or

regulations issued pursuant to the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401-7671q) and the Federal Water

Pollution Control Act as amended (33 U.S.C. 1251-1387). Violations must be reported to the Federal

awarding agency and the Regional Office of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

11. Debarment and Suspension (Executive Orders 12549 and 12689): A contract award (see 2 CFR

180.220) must not be made to parties listed on the governmental wide exclusions in the System for

Award Management (SAM), in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 CFR 180 that implement

Executive Orders 12549 (3 CFR part 1986 Comp., p 189) and 12689 (CFR part 1989 Comp., p. 235),

“Debarment and Suspension”. SAM Exclusions contains the names of parties debarred, suspended,

or otherwise excluded by agencies as well as parties declared ineligible under statutory or regulator

authority other than Executive Order 12549.

12. Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment (31 U.S.C. 1352): Contractors that apply or bid for an award

exceeding $100,000 must file the required certification. Each tier certifies to the tier above that it will

not and has not used Federal appropriated funds to pay any person or organization for influencing or

attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a member of Congress, officer or

employee of Congress, or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with obtaining any

Federal contract, grant, or any other award covered by 31 U.S.C. 1352. Each tier must also disclose

any lobbying with non-Federal funds that takes place in connection with obtaining any Federal award.

Such disclosures are forwarded from tier-to-tier up to the non-Federal award.

13. Prohibition on utilization of cost plus a percentage of cost contracts: The City will not award

contracts containing Federal funding on a cost-plus percentage of cost basis.

14. Prohibition on utilization of time and material type contracts: The City will not award contracts

based on a time and material basis if the contract contains Federal funding.

15. Procurement of recovered materials: Contractors must comply with section 6002 of the Solid Waste

Disposal Act, as amended by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. The requirements of

Section 6002 include procuring only items designated in guidelines of the Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) at 40 CFR part 247 that contain the highest percentage of recovered materials

practicable, consistent with maintaining a satisfactory level of competition where the purchase price of

an item exceeds $10,000 or the value of the quantity acquired by the preceding fiscal year exceeded

$10,000; procuring solid waste management services in a manner that maximizes energy and resource

recovery; and establishing an affirmative procurement program for procurement of recovered materials

identified in the EPA guidelines.

Page 167

16. Rights to Inventions Made Under a Contract or Agreement: If the Federal award meets the

definition of “funding agreement” under 37 CFR, 401.2 (a) and the recipient or subrecipient wishes to

enter into a contract with a small business firm or nonprofit organization regarding the substitution of

parties, assignment or performance of experimental, developmental, or research work under the

“funding agreement,” the recipient or subrecipient must comply with requirements of 37 CFR Part 401,

“Rights to Inventions Made by Nonprofit Organizations and Small Business Firms Under Government

Grants, Contracts and Cooperative Agreements,” and any implementing regulations issued by the

awarding agency.

Page 168

FP-04-04 Appendix B:

GRANT FUNDING CERTIFICATIONS REGARDING LOBBYING; DRUG FREE WORKPLACE AND

REQUIREMENTS DEBARMENT, SUSPENSION OTHER RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS and UTILIZATION

OF DISADVANTAGED FIRMS (M/WBE)

BID NUMBER:

BID TITLE:

This project requires execution of this form which affirms compliance with certification requirements under 10

CFR Part 601 “New Restrictions on Lobbying, 10 CFR Part 607” Government wide Requirements for Drug-Free

Workplace (Grants) and 10 CFR Part 606 “Government Debarment and Suspension”

I. LOBBYING

The undersigned certifies, to the best of his or her knowledge and belief, that:

(1) No Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid, by or on behalf of the undersigned, to

any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member

of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a member of Congress in

connection with the awarding of any Federal contract, the making of any Federal grant, the making of

any Federal loan, the entering into of any cooperative agreement, and the extension, continuation,

renewal, amendment, or modification of any Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement.

(2) If any funds other than Federal appropriated funds have been paid to any person for influencing or

attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or

employee of Congress, or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this Federal

contract, grant, or cooperative agreement, the undersigned shall complete and submit Standard Form-

LLL, “Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying,” in accordance with its instructions.

(3) The undersigned shall require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents

for all subawards at all tiers (including subcontracts, subgrants, and contracts under grants, loans, and

cooperative agreements) and that all subrecipients shall certify and disclose accordingly.

This certification is a material representation of fact upon which reliance was placed when this transaction was

made or entered into. Submission of this certification is a prerequisite for making or entering into this transaction

imposed by section 1352, title 31, U.S. Code. Any person who fails to file the required certification shall be

subject to a civil penalty of not less than $10, 000 and not more than $100,000 for each such failure.

ADDITIONAL LOBBYING REPRESENTATION

Contractors, who are described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and engage in

lobbying activities after December 31, 1995, are not eligible for the receipt of Federal funds constituting an

award, grant, or loan.

As set forth is section 3 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 as amended, (2 U.S.C. 1602), lobbing activities

are defined broadly to include, among other things, contacts on behalf of an organization with specified

employees of the Executive Branch and Congress with regard to Federal legislative, regulatory, and program

administrative matters.

Circle the appropriate answer:

The company is an organization described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986:

Page 169

ٱYes No If, you circled “Yes”, circle the appropriate answer below:

The applicant represents that after December 31, 1995, it ‘has’ ‘has not' engaged in any lobbying activities as

defined in the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, as amended.

II. DRUG FREE WORKPLACE CERTIFICATION

In accordance with the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 (Pub. L. 100-690, Title V, Subtitle D) and is

implemented through additions to the Debarment and Suspension regulations, published in the Federal

ALTERNATE I (Vendors OTHER THAN INDIVIDUALS)

A business certifies that it will or will continue to provide a drug-free workplace by:

As the person authorized to sign the statement, I certify that this firm confirms fully with these requirements.

(1) Publishing a statement notifying employees that the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing,

possession, or use of a controlled substance is prohibited in the grantee’s workplace and specifying

the actions that will be taken against employees for violation of such prohibition;

(2) Establishing an ongoing drug-free awareness program to inform employees about:

(a) The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace;

(b) The grantee’s policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace;

(d) The penalties that may be imposed upon employees for drug abuse violations occurring in the

workplace.

(3) Making it a requirement that each employee to be engaged in the performance of the grant be given a

copy of the statement required by paragraph (1).

(4) Notifying the employee in the statement required by paragraph (1) that, as a condition of employment

under the grant, the employee will:

(a) Abide by the terms of the statement; and

(b) Notify the employer in writing of his or her conviction for a violation of a criminal drug statute

occurring in the workplace not later than five calendar days after such conviction.

(5) Notifying the agency, in writing, within ten calendar days after receiving notice under subparagraph

(4)(b) from an employee or otherwise receiving actual notice of such conviction. Employers of convicted

employees must provide notice, including position title, to every grant officer or other designee on

whose grant activity the convicted employee was working, unless the Federal agency has designated

a central point for the receipt of such notices. Notice shall include the identification number(s) of each

affected grant.

(6) Taking one of the following actions, within 30 calendar days of receiving notice under subparagraph

(4)(b), with respect to any employee who is so convicted:

(a) Taking appropriate personnel action against such an employee, up to and including termination,

consistent with the requirements of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; or

(b) Requiring such employee to participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation

program approved for such purposes by a Federal, State or local health, law enforcement, or other

appropriate agency.

Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of paragraphs

(1), (2), (3), (4), (5), and (6).

Page 170

ALTERNATE II (Vendors who are individuals)

(1) The vendor certifies that, as a condition of the grant, he or she will not engage in the unlawful

manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession, or use of a controlled substance in conducting any

activity with the grant.

(2) If convicted of a criminal drug offense resulting from a violation occurring during the conduct of any

grant activity, he or she will report the conviction, in writing, within 10 calendar days of the conviction,

to every grant officer or other designee, unless the Federal agency designates a central point for the

receipt of such notices. When notice is made to such a central point, it shall include the identification

number(s) of each affected grant.

III. DEBARMENT, SUSPENSION, AND OTHER RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS

(1) The prospective lower tier participant certifies to the best of its knowledge and belief, that it and its

principles:

(a) Are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily

excluded from covered transactions by any Federal department or agency;

(b) Have not within a three-year period preceding this proposal been convicted of or had a civil

judgment rendered against them for commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection with

obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public (Federal, State, or local) transaction or

contract under a public transaction; violation of Federal or State antitrust statutes or commission of

embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false

statements, or receiving stolen property;

(Federal, State, or local) with commission of any of the offenses enumerated in paragraph (1)(b) of

this certification; and

(d) Have not within a three-year period preceding this application/proposal had one or more public

transactions (Federal, State, or local) terminated for cause or default.

(2) Where the prospective primary participant is unable to certify to any of the statements in this

certification, such prospective participant shall attach an explanation to this proposal.

IV. DBE GOOD FAITH EFFORTS

The bidder must submit documentation of its good faith efforts to assure that minority businesses, woman-

owned business enterprises and labor surplus firms are used when possible.

The City of Largo may require that bidder provide additional substantiation of good faith efforts.

DBE GOOD FAITH EFFORTS

Date: Firm and Contact Person: Area of Expertise:

Response:

Page 171

Date: Firm and Contact Person: Area of Expertise:

Response:

Date: Firm and Contact Person: Area of Expertise:

Response:

Date: Firm and Contact Person: Area of Expertise:

Response:

SIGNATURE:

As the duly authorized representative of the company, I hereby certify that the company will comply with the

above certifications.

Company Name

Printed Name and Title of Authorized Representative

SIGNATURE Date:

The company may insert in the space provided below the site(s) for the performance of work done in

connection with the specific grant:

Place of Performance: (Street address, city, county, state, zip code)

Street Address

City, County, State, Zip

Check if there are workplaces on file that are not identified here.

DUNS Number (Company Data Universal Numbering System regulated by Dun & Bradstreet)

Page 172

FP-04-04 Appendix C:

GRANT FUNDING MANDATORY CERTIFICATIONS

BID NUMBER:

BID TITLE:

As the authorized representative of the Vendor (legal name of Vendor), I confirm that I have fully

informed myself of all terms and conditions of

BID# , the facts regarding the BID submitted by the Vendor in response to the official City

competitive procurement document (the BID) and the truth of each statement contained in Certifications (

) through ( ) and certify, by checking the applicable “true” or “false” box below and affixing my signature

hereto, that each statement in each checked certification is “true” or “false” as indicated to the best of my

knowledge and belief.

Check the applicable box regarding each certification:

a. Certification of Binding BID Submittal and Acceptance of Terms of IFB and Contract Document

___True ____False

By checking the “True” box above and signing below, I hereby certify that the Vendor’s bid submittal is submitted in

good faith in response to theBid and is binding on the Vendor in accordance with the terms of the BID, that I have read,

understood and agree with the terms and conditions of the BID, and, if awarded any contract as a result of the BID, the

Vendor will comply with the requirements, terms, and conditions stated in the BID and the contract document. The

Vendor further agrees that and intent by the Vendor to deviate from the terms and conditions set forth therein may result,

at the City’s exclusive determination, in rejection of the Vendor’s bid submittal.

b. Certification of Authority to Do Business in Florida

____True _____False

By checking the “True” box above and signing below, I hereby certify that the Vendor is an existing legal entity and

satisfies all licensing and registration requirements of state law authorizing it to do business within the State of Florida.

c. Certification of Non-Collusion

____ True _____False

By checking the “True” box above and signing below, I hereby certify that all persons or companies interested in the BID

as principles are named therein, and that the Vendor’s bid submittal is made without collusion with any other person or

company submitting a competing bid submittal.

d. Certification Regarding Lobbying

_____ True _____False

By checking the “True” box above and signing below, I hereby certify”

No federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid, by or on behalf of the undersigned, to any person for

influencing or attempting to influence an officer or an employee of any agency, a member of Congress, an officer or

employee of Congress, or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with the awarding of any federal

contract, the making of any federal grant, the making of any federal loan, the entering into of any cooperative agreement,

and the extension, continuation, renewal, amendment, or modification of any federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative

agreement.

If any funds other than federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any persons for influencing or

attempting to influence an officer or an employee of any agency, a member of Congress, an officer or employee of

Congress, or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative

agreement, the undersigned shall complete and submit Standard OMB Form-LLL, “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities,” in

accordance with its instructions.

The Vendor will include the language of this certification in the award documents for all subawards at all tiers (including

subcontractors, subgrants, and contracts under grants, loans and cooperative agreements) and will require that all

subrecipients shall certify and disclose accordingly.

This certification is a material representation of fact upon which the City will rely in awarding the contract. Submission of

this certification is a prerequisite for making or entering into this transaction imposed by section 31 U.S.C. § 1352.

e. Certification Regarding Scrutinized Companies List

Page 173

_____True ______False

By checking the “True” box above and signing below, I hereby certify that the Vendor is not listed on either the

Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Sudan List or the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in the Iran Petroleum

Energy Sector List. Both lists are created pursuant to section 215.473, Florida Statutes. I understand section 287.135,

Florida Statutes, prohibits the City from contracting with companies on either list, for goods or services over $1,000,000,

and pursuant to section 287.135, Florida Statutes, the submission of a false certification may subject Vendor to civil

penalties, attorney’s fees, and/or costs.

f. Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion

_____True ______False

By checking the “True” box above and signing below, I hereby certify that neither the Vendor nor its principles are

presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in

this contract by any Federal agency. Specifically, neither the Vendor nor its principles are identified in the federal System

for Award Management (SAM) as excluded from Federal procurement and non-procurement programs throughout the

U.S. Government (unless otherwise noted) and from receiving Federal contracts or certain subcontracts and from certain

types of Federal financial and non-financial assistance and benefits. The SAM system combines data from the Central

Contractor Registration, Federal Register, Online Representations and Certification Applications, and the Excluded

Parties List System.

g. Certification of Representations Regarding Sections 287.133 and 287.134, F.S.

_____True ______False

By checking the “True” box above and signing below, I hereby certify that neither the Vendor nor an affiliated company

are listed on the Convicted Vendors List created and maintained pursuant to section 287.133, Florida Statutes, or on the

Discriminatory Vendors List created and maintained pursuant to section 287.134, Florida Statutes.

For each certification marked “True” above, the below signature is deemed to be affixed. Any certification not

marked above will be deemed “False.”

Signature of Authorized Representative: Date:

Page 174

Legal Policies

CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Americans with Disabilities Act

Policy Number: L-01-01

Originating Department/Division: Administration

Effective Date: September 9, 2014

Preceding Policy Date: 10/01/2012

POLICY

The City of Largo has adopted an internal procedure to provide for the prompt investigation and

equitable resolution of alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). As

part of this effort, the following position has been designated the ADA Coordinator with the authority

to investigate complaints:

Assistant City Manager

201 Highland Avenue

P. O. Box 296

Largo, FL 33779-0296

(813) 587-6727

PROCEDURE

When, in the opinion of any individual, a violation of the ADA has occurred by the action or inaction

of the City, its representatives, or employees, the attached form shall be completed and forwarded to

the Assistant City Manager. The procedure will adhere to the following guidelines:

1. The Complainant shall submit the Complaint Form with pertinent information to the Assistant City

Manager within a reasonable length of time of the incident or knowledge of the incident.

2. The Assistant City Manager shall investigate the charge personally or through a Department

Representative. Should a fact-finding hearing be necessary, the Assistant City Manager shall

schedule said hearing within five (5) workdays of receipt of the complaint.

3. The Assistant City Manager shall render a determination within five (5) workdays of the fact-finding

hearing or ten (10) work days of receipt of the complaint, whichever is greater.

The purpose of this procedure is to resolve ADA compliance issues at the local level. However,

aggrieved individuals also have the right to file a complaint with the appropriate federal agency (as

indicated on the next page) if the individual believes a violation has occurred and/or is dissatisfied

with the Assistant City Manager's resolution of the complaint.

Page 175

Title I: Employment

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

501 East Polk Street, Suite 1020

Tampa, FL 33602

(813) 228-2310 (voice)

(813) 228-2003 (TDD)

Title II: Public Services

U. S. Department of Justice

Civil Rights Division

P. O. Box 66738

Washington, D. C. 20035-6738

(800) 514-0301 (voice)

(800) 514-0383 (TDD)

Public Services/Recreation Programs

U. S. Department of Interior

1849 C Street NW

Washington, D. C. 20240

(202) 208-3171 (voice)

(202) 208-4817 (TDD)

Public Transportation

U. S. Department of Transportation

400 Seventh Street SW, Room 10424

Washington, D. C. 20590

(202) 366-9305 (voice)

(202) 755-7687 (TDD)

Title III: Public Administration

U. S. Department of Justice

Civil Rights Division

P. O. Box 66738

Washington, D. C. 20035-6738

(800) 514-0301 (voice)

(800) 514-0383 (TDD)

Page 176

Transportation Provisions

U. S. Department of Transportation

400 Seventh Street SW, Room 10424

Washington, D. C. 20590

(202) 366-9305 (voice)

(202) 755-7687 (TDD)

Title VI: Communications

Federal Communications Commission

Wireless Bureau

Enforcement Division

2025 M Street NW, Suite 8308

(202) 418-0569 (voice)

(202) 418-7306 (TDD)

Policy of

Non-Discrimination

on the Basis of

Disability

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) prohibits discrimination in employment and

in the provision of public services.

The City of Largo has appointed a task force to review compliance guidelines for the ADA. It

is the City’s intent to conform with each applicable requirement of the Act. Any individual

desiring to have input into the City’s compliance review efforts should contact:

Assistant City Manager

City of Largo

P. O. Box 296

Largo, FL 33779-0296

(727) 587-6727

Individuals who feel that an action or inaction on the part of the City, its representatives, or

employees, is in violation of the Act may file a complaint. The complaint procedure and

appropriate form may be obtained from the applicable City facility or department, or through

the Administration Department, Largo City Hall, 201 Highland Avenue, Largo, (727) 587-

6727.Americans with Disabilities Act

Complaint Form

Page 177

Assistance with completing this form is available upon request.

Any complaint shall be submitted as soon as possible after the incident or knowledge of incident to:

Assistant City Manager

201 Highland Avenue

P. O. Box 296

Largo, FL 33779-0296

(727) 587-6727

COMPLAINANT INFORMATION

Name:_____________________________________ Telephone or TDD:__________

Address:______________________________________________________________

Date of Alleged Violation:_________________________________________________

City Facility/Site of Alleged Violation:________________________________________

Complainant’s statement. Include suggestion(s) for resolution. List employee name(s) as

applicable. Pages may be attached if additional space is required.

_______________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

___________________________________ ___________________________

Complainant Signature Filing Date

Received by:_________________________ Date:____________________

DETERMINATION

__________________________________ ___________________________

Assistant City Manager Determination Date

Page 178

Americans With

Disabilities Act

Complaint Procedure

The City of Largo has adopted an internal procedure to provide for the prompt investigation and

equitable resolution of alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). As

part of this effort, the following individual has been designated the ADA Coordinator with the authority

to investigate complaints:

Assistant City Manager

201 Highland Avenue

P. O. Box 296

Largo, FL 33779-0296

(727) 587-6727

When, in the opinion of any individual, a violation of the ADA has occurred by the action or inaction

of the City, its representatives, or employees, the attached form shall be completed and forwarded to

the Assistant City Manager. The Procedure will adhere to the following guidelines:

4. The Complainant shall submit the Complaint Form with pertinent information to the Assistant City

Manager within a reasonable length of time of the incident or knowledge of the incident.

5. The Assistant City Manager shall investigate the charge personally or through a Department

Representative. Should a fact-finding hearing be necessary, the Assistant City Manager shall

schedule said hearing within five (5) workdays of receipt of the complaint.

6. The Assistant City Manager shall render a determination within five (5) workdays of the fact-finding

hearing or ten (10) workdays of receipt of the complaint, whichever is greater.

The purpose of this procedure is to resolve ADA compliance issues at the local level. However,

aggrieved individuals also have the right to file a complaint with the appropriate federal agency (as

indicated on the reverse side) if the individual believes a violation has occurred and/or is dissatisfied

with the Assistant City Manager’s resolution of the complaint.

Page 179

CITY OF LARGO PERSONNEL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Policy:

City Attorney’s Office

Policy Number: L-01-02

Policy Manager: City Attorney & City Manager

Effective Date: October 1, 2021

Preceding Policy Date: 04/01/2021

PURPOSE

The City has contracted with Bryant Miller Olive, PA to provide the City’s legal services. This policy

is intended to set out the procedures that will assist Bryant Miller Olive to meet the City’s legal needs

on a timely and efficient basis.

POLICY

Alan Zimmet is the City Attorney and has office hours on Tuesday afternoon. Nikki Day is the

Assistant City Attorney and has office hours on Mondays. Isabella Sobel is also an Assistant City

Attorney and has office hours on Thursdays. This policy will set forth the procedures staff should

follow in requesting legal review or involvement in legal issues.

PROCEDURE

Any documents for review and/or signature shall be sent to the City Attorney’s Office Administrator

with a legal review request form. Do not send requests directly to the City Attorney or any other

members of the BMO Team. All tasks will be assigned through Office Administrator. The legal review

request form should state who is submitting the document, what action is requested, the date of the

request, the Commission agenda date the item is scheduled for, if any, and what date the item needs

to be completed. A copy of the legal review request form template can be requested from the Office

Administrator.

The goal of the City Attorney’s office is to review and provide comments on all documents within two

weeks of the request, with the exception of large documents or ones that require extensive legal

review. The expected turnaround time on documents that require signature only will be three to five

days.

Generally, items from the departments will be assigned to the three attorneys as follows:

• City Attorney Zimmet: Community Development, Engineering, Administration, City

Commission, Library, RPA

• Asst. City Attorney Day: Police, Fire, ES, HR, PW, Communications and Marketing, IT,

Finance

• Staff Attorney Sobel: Planning Board, CEB, Special Magistrate, County Court local

ordinances, Community Standards

Documents for review will only be accepted in Microsoft Word format. When a Word document is

received back with legal’ s comments and changes in track changes, any changes that are deemed

acceptable by staff and/or the vendor/contractor, should be accepted in track changes. Any new

Page 180

changes should be made in track changes. As a document goes back and forth, any comments that

are resolved should be deleted.

If the document that is being asked to be reviewed is an amendment or renewal of an existing

agreement, the existing agreement, with any previously approved amendments or renewals, should

be provided also with the legal review request.

Upon final signature by BMO, the approved document will be sent to the requesting department team

member, and CC the City Clerk for records retention purposes.

Page 181

CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Purchase of Property by City

Policy Number: L-03-06

Originating Department/Division: Administration/City Attorney's Office

Effective Date: September 1, 2003

Preceding Policy Date: 10/01/2012

POLICY

To ensure that all property purchases by the City of Largo are carefully reviewed and legally acquired,

the following procedures will be followed by all City departments interested in purchasing property.

PROCEDURE

3. The department interested in purchasing property will initiate a memorandum to the Assistant

City Manager, City Engineer and City Attorney indicating interest, providing a general

description of the property, and providing the intended use of the property. Additionally, the

memorandum should indicate if there are any time deadlines within which it is necessary to

purchase the property. The department shall indicate in the memorandum which department

employee will be assigned as the department's representative for issues related to the

purchase of the property. The department's representative, Assistant City Manager, City

Engineer, and City Attorney will comprise the committee that will coordinate the efforts to

purchase the property.

4. The staff members assigned to the real estate property acquisition and the City Manager will

determine if an appraisal is appropriate and whether the matter should be taken to the City

Commission for conceptual approval or for approval to obtain an appraisal.

5. If an appraisal is sought, with the City Manager's approval, the appraised value will be brought

to the City Commission for approval to negotiate for the purchase of the property.

6. The appropriate staff members will be requested to negotiate the business terms of the

purchase agreement.

7. Once the business terms are agreed to, the City Attorney will draft the purchase agreement.

8. The finalized purchase agreement, fully executed by the property owners, will be presented

to the City Commission for approval. The interested department's representative shall

prepare the necessary Commission agenda memo, with the review and approval of the City

Manager.

9. If the City Commission approves the purchase agreement, the City Attorney's Office will order

the survey and title, assuming that the City is responsible for ordering the survey and/or title.

The City Engineer will order the environmental survey. The City Attorney's Office will prepare

a contract schedule that will be distributed to the Assistant City Manager, City Engineer and

department's representative. Upon completion, the survey will be distributed to the City

Engineer and City Attorney for their review. The environmental survey will be reviewed by the

City Engineer and then provided to the City Attorney for review.

10. It is intended that all correspondence or memoranda will be circulated among the City

Manager, Assistant City Manager, City Attorney, City Engineer, and the department's

representative. The City Attorney will be responsible for completing the closing with the

assistance of other staff members.

Page 182

CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Sale of City-Owned Property

Policy Number: L-03-07

Originating Department/Division: Administration/City Attorney

Effective Date: September 1, 2003

Preceding Policy Date: 10/01/2012

POLICY

To ensure accurate and legal transactions regarding sale of City-owned properties, the following

procedure will be followed.

PROCEDURE

Since the sale of City-owned property will generally be related to economic development and

development in certain areas of the City, any sale of City-owned property will involve the Community

Development Director, Assistant City Manager, City Engineer, City Attorney, and City Manager.

When the City is interested in selling a piece of property or receives a proposed offer for the purchase

of a piece of property, all above staff members shall receive notice of the offer.

1. The staff members, upon receipt of an offer, will determine if an appraisal should be received

or if some other method should be utilized to determine the appropriate value of the property.

2. Appropriate members of the committee, as decided by the committee, will negotiate the

business terms of the purchase agreement and then the other necessary agreements

governing the sale of the property. Initially, the staff members may choose to pursue a letter

of intent indicating the City's intent to sell the property to the potential purchaser and including

the general business terms of the proposed sale.

3. The approved terms may be presented to the City Commission for approval in concept at the

discretion of the City Manager.

4. The City Attorney will then draft any necessary agreements which will be executed by the

purchaser prior to City Commission approval.

5. At the City Manager's direction, the City Commission will then be requested to approve the

fully executed agreements. The Community Development will prepare any necessary

Commission agenda memos, with the review and approval of the City Manager.

6. Upon approval of the agreements by the City Commission, the City Attorney will order the title

and survey, if the City is obligated to obtain the title and/or survey. A contract schedule will

be prepared by the City Attorney's Office and share with the other staff members.

7. The City Attorney will prepare any necessary documents or review any necessary documents

for the closing of the matter. All correspondence, memoranda, and other documents will be

share with the other staff members.

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CITY OF LARGO PERSONNEL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Policy:

Public Meetings/Events

Policy Number: L-10-09

Policy Manager: City Clerk/Administration

Effective Date: April 1, 2021

Preceding Policy Date: 04/30/10

PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to define and provide procedures for scheduling, noticing and conducting

all public meetings and events held by the City of Largo to avoid conflicts, ensure necessary staff and

technology resources, and provide information to the public in a clear, concise and consistent manner.

POLICY

All City public meetings that require legal notice (including but not limited to meetings of the City

Commission, Advisory Boards, Advocacy Boards, Advisory Committees, Labor Negotiations, and

RFP/RFQ/Bid Evaluation Committees) shall comply with Florida’s Government in the Sunshine Law,

Section 286.11, Florida Statutes, which requires that the meeting be publicly noticed, accessible to

the public and minutes must be taken. The same level of consideration, effort to inform the public

and to provide accessibility is applicable to all City meetings and events.

DEFINITIONS

1. Public Meeting (Legally Noticed) - Under the Florida Sunshine Law, a "meeting" is any gathering

of two or more members of a public body to discuss or take action regarding official business or policy

(ex. Regular City Commission Meeting, Library Advocacy Board Meeting, Labor Negotiating

Session). The term also applies to information-gathering and fact-finding sessions called by the public

body (ex. City Commission Work Session, Code Enforcement Board Retreat). Please refer any

questions about which boards constitute a “public body” to the City Clerk’s office by emailing

cityclerk@largo.com.

2. Community Meeting or Gathering – These meetings don’t require a legal notice. Examples include

meetings designed for neighborhood outreach, neighborhood compatibility, business outreach or

meetings designed to specifically educate about a specific City project such as road construction or

an engineering project.

3. Reasonable Notice – The purpose of the notice is to provide the public with all of the information

they will need to attend and/or participate in a public meeting. The notice includes the name of the

public body, the time, date and place of the meeting, subject of the meeting and that the meeting is

public. The agenda should be included in the notice or how the public can access the agenda and

supporting documents. The notice template is attached to this policy. For regularly scheduled

meetings, reasonable notice is 7 days prior to the meeting, for special or emergency meetings, at

least 24 hours’ notice is required.

4. Minutes – A summary of action taken at a meeting, to include the names of those present and the

date and time of the meeting.

5. Special Event – Specific, one-time event designed for the enjoyment of the community and for

which public meeting requirements do not apply. (ex. 4

of July event at Largo Central Park, Fire

Rescue Open House).

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PROCEDURE

In addition to the statutory requirements described above, it is necessary for each department to

coordinate the logistics of their public meeting or event by doing the following:

1. Determine the date, time and place

2. Check for conflicts with other meetings or events on the largo.com calendar. If City

Commissioners may want to attend (ex. Neighborhood Meeting regarding a road project or

new development), staff should check with the Executive Assistant to the City Commission to

ensure their availability.

3. Schedule the meeting room or event space using the City’s resource/room scheduling

application. Meetings are to be held in a meeting room accessible by the public; at City Hall

in the Community Room or Commission Chamber unless the meeting is held during normal

work hours, in which case the meetings can be held in conference rooms within the

department's offices. Departments shall notify the front desk receptionist of the time and place

of the meeting

4. Add the meeting to the largo.com calendar

5. Prepare the meeting notice using the attached template

a. Post the printed notice on the City Hall lobby notice board

b. Email the notice to the City Clerk’s Office for posting on the website

6. Create a meeting in iCompass, if applicable*

7. Request, via email or call to the City Clerk’s Office, to have City Hall door(s) unlocked for the

meeting and provide the approximate length of the meeting. Facilities with front gates must

ensure that the gates are open during public meetings.

8. Prepare agenda items in iCompass and distribute, if applicable

*Regularly occurring meetings (City Commission, Planning Board) should be created for the year.

Planning Considerations

It is the responsibility of team members to plan meetings and events with the attendee in mind and

consider the following:

• Who may want to attend this meeting or event including residents, business representatives,

City leadership and the City Commission, and are the meeting’s details conducive to their

attendance and participation?

• If your meeting or event must be scheduled during the same block of time as another

scheduled meeting or event, can the start time be adjusted so that your meeting doesn’t

entirely overlap the other?

• Does the meeting or event require the assistance or support of other departments or

divisions?

◦ If you will need assistance with planning content, adapting to meeting standards or using

presentation tools, reference TeamLargo.com for resources or contact Community

Engagement at Con[email protected]

◦ If you will need assistance with multimedia or the meeting will need to be broadcast on

LTV, contact LTV@largo.com

◦ If you need assistance sharing the meeting details, advertising the meeting or event, or

help with additional communication including signage and social media, contact

Communications@largo.com

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◦ If you will need assistance with providing accommodations such as language translation

or sign language interpretation, go to cityclerk@largo.com.

◦ If you will need IT technical support, contact it_support@largo.com.

CITY OF LARGO

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the (name of board) will meet at (time) on (date) in the (name of

room) at (name of facility), (address including Largo, FL), to consider the following:

[INSERT MEETING AGENDA]

This meeting is open to the public. Any person who decides to appeal any decision of the (name of

board) with respect to any matter considered at this meeting will need a record of the proceedings,

and for such purpose may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which

record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based. The City of Largo

is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for access for the disabled. Anyone needing

assistance with regard to this meeting should contact the City Clerk's Office at (727) 587-6710 or the

Library T.D.D. Line at (727) 587-6778 at least two days prior to the meeting. For further information

regarding this meeting, please contact (name of staff contact and telephone/email contact

information).

MEETING/EVENT CHECKLIST TOOL

Team Member Checklist:

• Have you reviewed all considerations and requested any needed assistance?

• Have you verified there are no conflicts on the City Website Calendar and resource/room

scheduling application?

• Have you verified that the meeting now appears on the City Website Calendar and

resource/room scheduling application?

• Have you emailed the meeting details to the City Clerk’s Office at cityclerk@largo.com?

• If your meeting is at a City facility with a front gate or door (e.g. Environmental Services, Public

Works), have you arranged for the gate or door to be open?

City Clerk’s Office Checklist:

• Does meeting appear on the City Website Calendar and resource/room scheduling

application?

• Are you aware of any other meeting conflicts?

• If a legally noticed public meeting, have you received the notice via email?

• Have you scheduled City Hall door(s) to be unlocked for the duration of the meeting and provide

approximate length of the meeting?

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Management Policies

CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Flags

Policy Number: M-01-03

Policy Manager: Administration / City Manager

Effective Date: July 15, 2001

Preceding Policy Date: N/A

POLICY

The City of Largo Administration subscribes to the National Flag Advisory Service. This service

notifies the City Manager's Office by fax on specific dates, times, and circumstances under which the

President has advised that the flag is to be flown at half-staff. Under the national notification, flags at

all City facilities will be flown at half-staff. This service advisory will be followed on specific holidays

and when the person is of great national significance or of particular significance to the State of

Florida.

There are certain other local situations for which the Administration may authorize the American flag

to be flown at half-staff at the Municipal Complex and at the Court of Honor. These include the

following:

• Police Officer or Firefighter who loses his or her life in the line of duty in the Bay Area (Pinellas

County, Hillsborough County, Pasco County, and Manatee County). For Police Officers, flags at

the Municipal Complex will be lowered. For Firefighters, flags at the Municipal Complex and the

various fire stations will be lowered.

• City of Largo employee in the performance of his/her duties.

• Current and past elected officials of the City of Largo.

PROCEDURE

National Flag Advisory Service

1. When the City Manager's Office receives notification from the National Flag Advisory Service, the

Assistant City Manager will determine if the flags are to be lowered.

2. One of the Executive Secretaries in the Manager's Office will notify by e-mail or telephone call

directors at various facilities, as well as Facilities Management Division of the Public Works

Department, when the flags are to be lowered and when they may be raised to full staff.

3. It is the responsibility of each facility to raise/lower the American flag located at the site. Facilities

Management will be responsible for raising and lowering flags at the Municipal Complex.

Currently, the flag at the library must be raised and lowered by the Parks Division.

Local Notification

4. It is the responsibility of each department to contact the Assistant City Manager when receiving

notice of the death of a Police Officer or Firefighter in the line of duty in the Bay Area.

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5. The City Manager's Office will contact the Facilities Management Division to lower the flags at the

Municipal Complex and will also contact Fire Administration authorizing flags at the stations to be

flown at half-staff in the case of a Firefighter.

6. In the case of a current or past elected official, any employee who receives this notification is asked

to contact the Administration Department as soon as possible.

7. In these local instances, flags will be lowered upon notification of the person's death and will be

raised the day after the memorial/funeral service.

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CITY OF LARGO PERSONNEL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Policy: Records Management

Policy Number: M-21-01

Policy Manager: City Clerk/Administration

Effective Date: October 1, 2021

Preceding Policy Date: N/A

PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to provide staff with parameters for the creation, storage and disposition

of records, in order to ensure uniformity, ease of retrieval and compliance with all State, Federal and

local requirements for the management of public records. The requirements of this policy apply to all

records in all City departments, regardless of record type or storage medium.

POLICY

To address the complexities associated with public records management in the State of Florida, the

City has established a comprehensive records management program for the creation, storage and

disposition of all types of records. Public Records means all documents, papers, letters, maps, books,

tapes, photographs, films, sound recordings or other material, regardless of physical form or

characteristics or means of transmission, made or received pursuant to law or ordinance or in

connection with the transaction of official business by any agency. Section 119.011(12), F.S.

DEFINITIONS

Records Categories – The basic components into which record collections are to be grouped for

disposition purposes will be determined by the following:

1. Record Series Title. A record series title is determined by the Florida Department of State.

Copies of current General Records Schedules will be distributed to Department Records

Coordinators, and any unique records are to be discussed with the City Records Management

Liaison Officer (RMLO), designated in writing to the Florida Department of State. The City’s

RMLO is the Deputy City Clerk.

2. Inclusive dates. The oldest date within the collection through to the most recent date eligible

for disposition.

3. Volume in cubic feet using the following conversions:

10”x12”x15” box 1.0

Letter-size drawer 1.5

Legal-size drawer 2.0

Letter-size 36" shelf 2.0

Legal-size 36" shelf 2.5

PROCEDURE

Agreements and Contracts – Original contracts and agreements will be stored in the vault in the

City Clerk’s Office and all contracts and agreements will be scanned into the City’s network. Individual

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departments are not to keep hard copies or scans of their own, as the copy scanned by the City

Clerk’s Office will be available to all staff.

Copy of Record vs. Duplicate Records – The office of origin for internally generated documents

holds the copy of record while receiving offices have duplicates. For externally generated records

received by the City, the office which performs the last administrative act is recognized as holding the

copy of record. Duplicates should only be created for administrative or convenience purposes and

then discarded when that purpose is terminated, or maintained for preservation as Vital Records

(defined as those records critical to delivery of services on a day-to-day basis). Every effort should

be exercised to create only those records required by statute, administrative code or as mandated by

the courts. Duplicate personnel files shall not be maintained throughout City Departments.

Records will be separated into four categories in accordance with Florida Department of State

retention requirements:

Category One (Records within retention): Active records will remain in the user department until the

termination of administrative value, generally one fiscal year. Inactive or less active records should

be uniformly containerized, and computer indexed for storage at the City’s offsite storage facility until

retention has been satisfied. Active records which can be or are stored and maintained digitally will

be maintained by their records custodian. These records must be designated as the record (master)

copy, and then the paper original designated as a duplicate and disposed of in accordance with the

retention requirement for duplicates unless another law, rule, or ordinance specifically requires its

retention in paper form. Records must be scanned in accordance with Rule 1B-26.003, Florida

Administrative Code and must remain accessible and readable for as long as they are required to be

retained. Once retention is met, the record would be handled in Category Two.

Category Two (Records past retention, eligible for destruction): Records shall be destroyed without

delay once the retention period is met and after inclusion on the City’s Records Disposition List.

Category Three (Records with no approved retention): Any record that a department determines

does not fall under the General Records Schedule will be brought to the City Clerk’s Office for a

determination by the RMLO, or the Florida Department of State. Based upon the Department of State

approved retention, Category Three records will be reclassified to Category One, Two or Four.

Category Four (Records with sufficient retention or historical significance to justify scanning or

conversion to microfilm): Records will be scheduled for scanning, conversion to microfilm, Computer

Output Microfilm (COM) or other storage device in priority order based upon media condition (worst

case records stabilized first), series retention value (permanent records first) or administrative value

(high reference records first).

Off Site Storage – Criteria for storage requests:

1. Only records with remaining retention, yet virtually no administrative value, shall be considered

for off-site storage.

2. Records shall be packed into uniform, one cubic foot boxes with a removable lid (available from

the City Clerk’s Office)

3. Every record within each box must have the same destruction date.

4. Records shall be indexed, and a box number should appear on the box as a label. Bar code labels

for the City’s off-site vendor are available from the City Clerk’s Office.

5. Department Records Coordinators are responsible for selecting, boxing, and transmitting records

to on-site or off-site storage location as authorized by the RMLO.

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6. As records are eligible for destruction, they should be destroyed. Boxed records existing at the

time of policy adoption must be reviewed by Records Coordinators in each department for

destruction eligibility.

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Risk Policies

CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Transitional Duty

Policy Number: RS-01-01

Policy Manager: Human Resources

Effective Date: January 1, 2022

Preceding Policy Date: 03/01/2004

POLICY

The transitional duty program is available to all City departments. This program is designated solely

for Team Members incurring a work-related injury who are medically unable to return to full duty

status for a temporary period of time. The primary goals are to protect the employability of the

Team Member, to prevent and reduce the number of lost days, increase productivity, and to assist

the Team Member with assimilating back into the workforce. Transitional Duty work assignments

will be made in full compliance with all medical restrictions. In all instances, Team Members will be

paid in accordance with City of Largo and state statutory workers' compensation policies and

procedures.

PROCEDURE

Departments requesting transitional duty personnel will contact the Risk Manager, or their

designated representative, in the Human Resources Department and provide the following

information:

a. Nature of the work

b. Anticipated time the Team Member will be needed

c. Number of Team Members needed

d. Location of work assignment

e. Name and phone number of the Supervisor to whom the Team Member should report

2. The Risk Manager, or their designated representative, will review the list of transitional duty

personnel and perform the following:

a. Identify the Transitional Duty Team Member on the list that can perform the duties of the

assignment.

b. Contact the appropriate medical reference to get the opinion of the physician as to the Team

Member's ability to perform the assignment.

c. Contact the Team Member by phone; or, if not by phone, by mail, designating the assignment.

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d. Inform the requesting department of the reporting day, nature of limitation and name of the

individual assigned.

3. If the Team Member refuses to accept the assignment, the Human Resources Department will

take appropriate action to have the injury leave pay terminated. This will not affect the Team

Member's workers' compensation benefits.

4. The requesting department should inform the Risk Manager, or his designated representative,

when the assignment has been completed.

5. Once a Team Member reaches Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI), and is not able to return

to their position, with or without reasonable accommodation, the City will identify any existing

vacancy(s) for which the Team Member is qualified. If a position is identified, the City will make

every effort to place the Team Member.

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CITY OF LARGO PERSONNEL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Policy:

Risk Management

Policy Number: RS-01-02

Policy Manager: Human Resources Department

Effective Date: July 1, 2022

Preceding Policy Date: 05/01/2004

PURPOSE

The City of Largo recognizes the need to protect its assets and to preserve operational

continuity from risks and hazards that may arise from business activities or events. Efficient

risk management is considered essential to the successful overall management of the City.

The goal of risk management is the efficient minimization of the following categories of

potential risk:

• Property and Auto Physical Damage

• General Liability

• Fleet Liability

• Workers' Compensation

• Mechanical Breakdown

• Business Interruption

POLICY

Catastrophic Loss

The City will identify the risk of potential catastrophic losses and prioritize staff work based

on the severity and impact of the potential risk of catastrophic loss is to be given the City's

fullest attention. All reasonably practical techniques to avoid, control, transfer, or finance

such catastrophic risks shall be given due consideration.

An operational catastrophic loss contingency plan shall be formulated. The plan shall

consider potential property loss to the City that could significantly reduce the City's income

and/or require significant additional expense to continue operations as nearly normal as

possible. Preplanning of possible backup systems to minimize loss will be considered

essential to the plan.

Risk Management Authority and Responsibility

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The City Commission retains ultimate authority and responsibility for risk management.

Team Member responsibility for providing recommendations to the Commission to facilitate

major risk management decisions is granted to the City Manager who receives input from

the City's Risk Management Committee.

The Risk Manager is charged with day-to-day responsibility for ongoing administration of

the risk management program. This includes the management of workers' compensation,

general and automobile liability claims, property losses, insurance policy maintenance,

review of agreements, contracts, and leases for hold harmless/indemnification clauses and

insurance requirements, and the City's loss prevention programs.

The City Attorney is charged with legal review of all agreements, contracts, and leases and

management of litigated claims against the City.

All Team Members are expected to act responsibly in the conduct of their duties and shall

be required to participate in the City's Risk Management and Loss Prevention Programs to

the extent required by the City and its designees.

Federal, state, and local laws shall be considered in formulating the Risk Management

Program and in all subsequent changes.

Risk Management Technique

The City shall employ the following risk management techniques to meet its objective of

preventing or limiting its exposure to accidental/preventable losses:

• Risk Identification and Analysis

• The City shall continuously seek to identify and analyze possibilities of loss with

potentially significant financial or personal impact.

Risk Avoidance

The City will endeavor to avoid any unnecessary potential risks or hazards.

Risk Control

Where possible, and within reasonable cost, the City shall seek to prevent risks or loss and

act to limit or reduce the potential extent of any losses that cannot be totally prevented.

Efforts at risk control shall be continuous, as long as an exposure exists.

Prior to purchasing insurance for major risks, carriers will be asked to provide costs and

details of their risk control products or related offerings. Risk Management services shall

only be acquired when they are judged to be in the best interests of the City.

Risk Finance

Upon evaluation of its risks of financial loss, the City shall provide for appropriate financing

Page 195

measures. Depending on the nature of the individual risks, the City shall decide whether to

retain risks of loss on an uninsured basis, transfer risk of loss to an insurer, or transfer risks

of loss to another party.

Risk Retention

The City shall consider self-insurance, or deductibles, or exclusions, when:

• Potential amounts of loss are small and would have little impact on the budget.

• Insurance premium for coverage is unreasonably expensive.

• Risk of loss is so remote that insurance would not ordinarily be purchased.

Insurance Purchase

The City shall consider purchase of insurance when:

• Potential amounts of loss are too large to be retained without budgetary problems.

• Required.

Transfer of Risk to Others

The City shall consider transferring risk to others (via hold harmless agreements,

contractual requirements, etc.) when:

• The cost to the City will be increased.

• The other party proves they have purchased acceptable limits of insurance coverage for

the exposure.

Insurance Marketing

The City will obtain insurance from well-rated insurers and agents. If coverages and

premium costs of current insurers and the service provided by current agents and insurers

remain satisfactory, it is acceptable to renew these insurance policies. Periodic

consideration should be given to obtaining competition for replacement.

At least every five years the City's insurance program should be evaluated to determine if it

is either necessary or desirable to solicit competitive proposals. If it is likely that

competition would produce much better cost, coverage, or service to the City's benefit, then

formal proposals should be requested.

Should competition be solicited in the future for the City's insurance programs, the City will

provide sufficient information to agents and insurers to assure that solicited proposals are

comparable. This should be accomplished by preparation of formal specifications stating

desirable coverages, limits of coverage, deductibles, and endorsements.

When Requests for Proposals are requested, the broadest coverage available shall be

preferred if the premium cost is acceptable.

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Premium cost should not be the sole consideration for accepting a competitive insurance

proposal. Premium costs should receive major emphasis, so long as other considerations

are consistent. Cancellation notices required of insurers should be no less than 90 days

and should include insurer notice of adverse change, rate increase, or non-renewal.

Renewal premium quotes will be obtained well in advance of policy renewal dates.

Risk Management Communications

Open and frequent communications about organizational and operational changes within

the City are critical to ongoing maintenance of an effective, up-to-date risk management

and insurance program. It is important that Risk Management be promptly made aware of

any actions which may require a revision of risk management techniques or change in

insurance policies, self-insurance programs, loss control measures or agreements,

contracts, or leases.

Management and Team Members should be constantly aware of the risk

management/insurance implications of their ongoing decisions and actions and should not

delay notification to Risk Management of changes of risk which may require corresponding

changes in programs of insurance or loss control.

PROCEDURE

Internal Risk Fund Claims

The Risk Fund provides funding for the City's self-insurance program. The Fund pays for

general liability claims, motor vehicle liability claims, Worker's Compensation claims and

accidental damage to City property. The Risk Fund is not intended to absorb costs related

to depreciation, regular maintenance, or scheduled replacement. Claim adjustment will

reflect these policies. Decisions regarding payment of departmental claims will be made

by the Risk Management Division. Claim payments from the Risk Fund are capped per

statutory limits. Claims in excess of statutory limits will be addressed by the Office of

Performance and Budget.

Claims Procedures

Claims must be submitted on the appropriate claim form which can be accessed through

Teams. The form must be fully completed and submitted to Risk Management within two

business days of the accident. If the Department Director is not available to sign the form

prior to submission, the form should be submitted timely and followed with a signed copy.

The Department Director must sign the claim form before reimbursement will be issued.

The claim forms must be completed including a full description of the accident/incident

and damage. In accordance with the City's Code of Conduct, the Team Member's

department will address disciplinary action resulting from the loss of City property.

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Payment for Damage to City Property and Vehicles

The information about the property involved must include the date of purchase and

expected life of the item(s). Cost for replacement or repair must be documented with

receipts or replacement estimates. Copies of this documentation must accompany claim

payment requests in accordance with the City's purchasing policy. Payment requests must

be approved by Human Resources / Risk Management before the request is submitted to

the Finance Department. A deductible of $750 will apply to vehicle and property damage

involving preventable City operator error, omission, or negligence. The Team Member's

department is responsible for paying this deductible. No deductible will be charged to the

department for non-preventable accidents, vandalism, theft or situations involving acts of

Nature, i.e., windstorm, hail, or flood. Claims adjustment will be handled by Risk

Management. Costs associated with unexplained damage and vandalism to City property

requiring repairs under $750 will not be paid from the Risk Fund. These costs will be paid

by the department responsible for the asset and should be charged to the department

repair and maintenance account. Minor damage not recoverable from the Risk Fund would

include scratches to vehicles, graffiti, or minor repairs that can be performed by City

personnel in the course of their regular work. If a City motorized vehicle or equipment

cannot be repaired by City Personnel, two estimates must be obtained from approved

vendors in accordance with the City's purchasing policy. Repairs will be done by the

collision shop offering the most effective repair solution. If repair cost for a City vehicle

exceeds 80% of the current actual cash value of the vehicle, the Risk Management fund

will pay the department according to the total loss value of the vehicle as assessed by a

licensed appraiser. A $750 deductible will be paid by the Department for at fault accidents,

glass replacement will be covered at 100% regardless of fault.

Risk Funds

The monetary amount received by each department from the Risk Fund will be tracked

and considered in assessing each department's future contributions to the Risk Fund.

When the City is not responsible for the accident, Risk Management will seek restitution

from the third party for the City's damages. Successful recovery of damages from the third

party will be credited as appropriate to diminish the total Risk Funds used by each

department.

Safety and Loss Control

Department directors shall actively support safety, loss prevention, and loss control

programs and require such support from all Team Members within their department. For

an explanation of the formal safety and loss control program refer to the Safety Manual

found on TeamLargo.com.

Operational, Personnel, and Property Changes

All changes to risk should be promptly identified and analyzed. Consideration will be

given to various alternatives available to cover the risk. Each department director shall

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ensure that any operational, personnel, or property changes are promptly reported to

Risk Management.

Operational changes include restructuring of authority or responsibility, engaging in new

business activities, or discontinuing previous business activities which may increase or

decrease potential public liability, professional liability, fiduciary responsibility.

Personnel changes include increase or decrease in staff and the expansion or

contraction of staff duties and responsibilities, which may generate greater exposure for

Team Member welfare or which may necessitate greater protection of Team Members.

Property changes include purchase or sale of real or personal property, including land,

buildings, contents and equipment, vehicles, aircraft, watercraft, borrowing or lending of

such property, and changes in care, custody, or control of real or personal property.

Maintenance Agreements and Insurance Policies

Each department director shall ensure that any maintenance agreements are promptly

reported to Risk Management and the City Attorney.

Insurance and Indemnification Requirements for Agreements, Contracts, and Leases

Standard insurance and indemnification requirements have been developed that

represent the City's risk management viewpoint of desirable policy and language for the

risk and insurance provisions in agreements, contracts, and leases.

Each department shall include the Standard Insurance and Indemnification

Requirements for Agreements, Contracts, and Leases (see Risk Management for a copy

of standards) within all proposed RFP's, agreements, contracts, and leases. Prior to

either advertising or sending out a RFP or entering into any agreement, contract, or

lease, each department shall forward a copy of the proposed RFP, agreement, contract,

or lease along with any special requirements or comments to Risk Management for

review and approval.

Certificates of Insurance

Each department shall ensure that Certificates of Insurance are received and reviewed

for all executed agreements, contracts, and leases. Each department should check

certificates for the required insurance coverages, amount of policy limits and deductibles,

and policy expiration dates. If there is any question regarding the adequacy of a

certificate, the department shall promptly notify Risk Management. Certificates of

Insurance are to be kept on file in Risk Management. A copy of each Certificate of

Insurance shall be forwarded to Risk Management specifying by name and date to which

RFP, agreement, contract, or lease the certificate applies.

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CITY OF LARGO PERSONNEL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Policy:

Safety Prescription Glasses

Policy Number: RS-01-03

Policy Manager: Human Resources Department

Effective Date: July 1, 2022

Preceding Policy Date: 10/01/2021

PURPOSE

This policy is designed to assist team members in the purchase of safety prescription lens

eyeglasses for the safe execution of duties considered high risk for eye injury.

POLICY

Safety glasses will be provided to team members upon request by the team member. Each

department is responsible for determining which functions require the use of safety

eyeglasses. The City will pay for one pair of prescription safety eyeglasses every two years

unless prior approval is received by Human Resources due to extenuating circumstances

(broken glasses, change in Rx, etc.). The reimbursement will be for frames, lenses, and

side shields (wings) up to the maximum reimbursement amount.

The use of safety glasses is not an option. Safety glasses will be always worn while the

team member is performing their job. Team Members who choose not to participate in the

reimbursement program and are required to wear safety glasses in the performance of their

duties will be required to wear eye goggles or a full-face shield over their prescription

eyeglasses.

PROCEDURE

For reimbursement:

• Team Member is responsible for obtaining an up-to-date prescription from an

optometrist or ophthalmologist.

• Team Member takes their prescription and Reimbursement Request Form (Found in

Teams>Team Largo>HR Announcements>Files>HR General Forms) to an Optician

and either purchases or obtains an invoice for safety glasses which meet ANSI

design, testing, and use standards.

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• Optician completes the reimbursement form justifying that the safety glasses meet

the required ANSI standards. The optician must clearly state that any feature

prescribed is medically necessary.

• Team Member creates an expense report in Workday and submits the original

receipt for the safety glasses and reimbursement form completed by the Optician as

an attachment.

• After approval in Workday, reimbursement will be routed to Finance for up to $550

for authorized safety eyeglasses.

Breakdown for reimbursement is as follows:

• Safety frames up to $225

• Prescription safety lenses* up to $325

* All optional features must be considered medically necessary by the prescribing

eyecare professional before the City will reimburse (e.g., thin-n-lite lenses, progressive

lenses, reflective free lenses, transitional lenses).

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Safety Shoes

Policy Number: RS-01-04

Policy Manager: Human Resources

Effective Date: October 1, 2021

Preceding Policy Date: 02/01/2013

PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to provide clarity for team members on the process for purchasing

appropriate safety shoes to perform their job duties.

POLICY

Reimbursement for safety shoes will be provided upon request by the team member with the approval

of their manager.

• Safety shoes must be worn at all times by team members performing designated jobs. The

type of shoe required for each job will be determined by the department management.

• Team members will be required to wear safety shoes in accordance with the applicable union

contracts and departmental Standard Operating Procedures.

• Safety shoes must be in good condition. Torn, taped, excessively worn shoes will not be

permitted.

SAFETY SHOE STANDARDS

The City of Largo will comply with OSHA regulation 29 CFR 1910.136 which states that safety

footwear must comply with the guidelines established by the American Society of Testing Materials

(ASTM) and American National Standard for Personal Protection-Protective Footwear (ANSI) Z41

performance standards. These standards include determination of the shoe materials and durability

requirements.

Safety shoes are rated according to the type of hazard protection provided. The protection offered

must be substantiated through independent laboratory test results.

Exposure to the following hazards in the workplace should be considered when department

management determines the type of safety shoe required for each position. The abbreviations in

parentheses coincide with those used on the shoe tags to denote the approval rating.

• All safety shoes must first meet the ANSI Z-41 impact (I) and compression (C) requirements

for toe protection. Additional protection is available for the metatarsal (Mt) area of the foot.

• Puncture resistance (PR) of the shoe.

• Chain saw cut resistant (CS) footwear.

• Conductive (Cd) protection to reduce danger from static electricity buildup, as well as possible

ignition of volatile chemicals and explosives.

• Electric hazard (EH) protection from injury caused by stepping on a live electrical wire.

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• Static dissipative properties (SD) to reduce hazards involving low electrical resistance.

• Dielectric insulation (Di) provides additional insulation if accidental contact is made with

energized electrical conductors.

• Team members working in areas involving slip hazards are also required to wear shoes with

non-slip soles.

PROCEDURES FOR SAFETY SHOE REIMBURSEMENT

1. After a team member purchases safety shoes, they will input an expense reimbursement

request into Workday and submit his/her receipt to his/her supervisor for approval.

2. Supervisor will approve/disapprove the shoe purchase in Workday and it will route to the

Finance Department for approval and payment. The team member will be reimbursed by the

City for the purchase price of the safety shoes through the regular expense reimbursement

process and paid via ach or check.

3. Alternatively, with Director approval, the team member can choose the style and size of

appropriate safety shoes and have them ordered directly through the department.

4. If a team member has a medical condition or type of restriction, the team member will provide

a medical note from an orthopedic doctor or a podiatrist. Any expense for a medical exam to

obtain this medical opinion will be at the team member's expense and will not be reimbursed

by the City.

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Sewer Blockages

Policy Number: RS-01-05

Policy Manager: Environmental Services

Effective Date: January 1, 2022

Preceding Policy Date: 05/01/2004

PROCEDURE

The following is the procedure for City response to sewer blockages that are reported by affected

property owners.

• When an inhabitant of a property on the City of Largo’s Sanitary Sewer System determines that the

sewer system has become inoperative, the inhabitant shall call a licensed plumbing company to

identify the location and the extent of the sanitary sewer problem. No sewer division employee will

recommend a specific plumber.

• The plumber determines where the stoppage or failure is located. If the stoppage is found to be in

the City’s sewer main or the sewer lateral from sewer main to the point where it enters private

property, the plumber shall call the City of Largo Environmental Services Department Wastewater

Collections Division, (507-4460) to report the situation. The plumber shall give his name, license

certificate number, address of the property involved, and the nature and location of the blockage

when calling. The plumber shall coordinate an on-site meeting with the Environmental Services

Director, or designee, and remain at the site until a City crew arrives.

• Upon arrival at the scene, City crew will verify the stoppage as a City responsibility and make all

necessary repairs. The inhabitant will be given a post card which outlines responsibilities of the

City/inhabitant.

• If there is damage to the inside of the building (wet carpet, furniture, etc.) the City Foreman will

notify Risk Management and then call an authorized damage restoration company to perform the

cleanup. (No Environmental Services employee shall be authorized to enter the dwelling at

any time.) If the damage occurs outside of normal business hours or if no one is available in Risk

Management, the City Foreman, with authorization from the Environmental Services Director or

designee, will contact an authorized damage restoration company to perform the cleanup and notify

Risk Management the next working day.

• If the inhabitant of the dwelling indicates that the damage is so severe as to make the dwelling

temporarily uninhabitable, the City Foreman or designee will direct the inhabitants to contact the

Risk Manager (587-6774). Outside of normal business hours, decisions concerning any

reimbursement for lodging should be directed to the Environmental Services Director, or designee.

Risk Management should be advised during normal working hours. Environmental Services team

members should follow FEMA guidelines regarding the determination of inhabitable properties.

• The Environmental Services team member will complete a Sewer Stoppage Report and get the

inhabitant to sign the completed report, including a list of all property damage. Environmental

Services will ensure that the report is delivered or faxed to Risk Management if the authorized

damage restoration company is called and/or if there is any reported damage to the property within

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two business hours of the services being repaired. The stoppage report for other less serious back-

ups (minor clean-up and/or minor or no damage reported) should be delivered to Risk Management

at the end of each business day.

• Following the action by the City to repair the sewer, the homeowner/occupant will submit the

plumbing bill to Risk Management for reimbursement determination. At no time will Environmental

Services team members commit the City to any payment to the homeowner/inhabitant, but will

defer all questions regarding payment to Risk Management.

• Upon receipt of the plumber’s bill from the property owner, the City may reimburse that property

owner for reasonable costs. For reimbursement to be made, the stoppage must have been verified

as the City’s responsibility by the Environmental Services Department and the payment approved

by the City’s Risk Manager or designee.

• The City shall respond to conditions such as sewage flowing out of sewer manholes or on to private

property that clearly indicate problems in the City’s portion of the sewer system, no matter how

reported.

• Claims arising from damage occurring to private property because of localized blockages or failure

within the City’s portion of the sewer system shall be investigated and satisfied through the City’s

Risk Manager or designee on a case-by-case basis.

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CITY OF LARGO ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Policy:

Vehicle Crashes

Policy Number: RS-01-06

Policy Manager: Human Resources

Effective Date: January 1, 2022

Preceding Policy Date: 02/01/2004

PURPOSES

The City of Largo is committed to promoting the safe operation of City vehicles as well as personal

vehicles while on City business. It is the belief of the City that safety conscious Operators will be

able to prevent crashes. The purpose of this policy is to promote safe driving and reduce the costs

and injuries associated with vehicle crashes. Team members are expected to use the utmost

caution when operating a vehicle while on City business. Any behavior which is considered

dangerous in the operation of a vehicle while on City business will not be tolerated.

POLICY

A vehicle crash, for purposes of this policy, is defined as any activity involving at least two vehicles,

at least one of which is either a City vehicle or a personal vehicle while on City business, which

causes damage to real or personal property, or personal injury or death, regardless of the amount

of damage or the extent of injuries.

A vehicular incident, for purposes of this policy, is defined as an occurrence which results from

vehicle operation causing damage:

• to fixed objects (i.e. a mailbox, or an item that does not represent a material loss), or

• to overhead structures or objects (i.e. tree branches, electrical lines, etc.) or

• to a single City vehicle sustaining damage that is not a material loss and does not involve another

vehicle (i.e.

vandalism, cracked windshield, etc.), when

• There is no personal injury involved.

A material loss is defined as property damage more than $1,000.00. Property damage may have

occurred to:

• a City vehicle

• a personal vehicle while being operated on City business by a City team member

• damage to another vehicle, structure, or fixed object.

DEFINITIONS

Vehicle: Any motorized piece of equipment capable of being placed into motion by an operator

(i.e., automobile, motorcycle, tractor, lawn mower, boat, drone, etc.)

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Operator: Individual in control of a vehicle.

Preventable Crash: Any crash involving a City vehicle, or personal vehicle operated while on City

business, in which the Operator caused or contributed to the cause of the crash by their action or

inaction or failed to exercise every reasonable precaution to prevent the crash.

PROCEDURE

The following procedure has been implemented to assist team members and supervisors in

determining when a crash is preventable and in determining the appropriate action to take following

a vehicle crash.

Professional Operators may become involved in vehicle crashes over which they have no control.

In most situations, when two Operators are involved in a crash, one is at fault. Either Operator,

though, may have taken action to prevent the crash. City Administration has a right and

responsibility to expect team members to drive defensively and prevent crashes. Preventability is

the most important issue to be decided as a result of a vehicle crash investigation.

The City of Largo has defined a preventable crash in the following manner:

A preventable crash is any crash involving a City vehicle, or personal vehicle operated while on City

business, in which the Operator caused or contributed to the cause of the crash by their action or

inaction or failed to exercise every reasonable precaution to prevent the crash.

Operator For Vehicle Incidents:

A Vehicle Incident Report must always be completed. The operator's supervisor must be notified

immediately following any vehicular incident. Vehicle incidents are not to be reported to a police

department unless a third party requests a police report to be completed.

For Vehicle Crashes which are not Vehicle Incidents:

The Team Member will (unless injured and requires immediate medical attention) complete a

vehicle crash report on the shift in which the crash occurred, giving detailed information regarding

the crash to include how, when, and where the crash occurred. Failure to report a vehicle crash on

the shift during which it occurred may result in disciplinary action.

The Department Director or designee will, within two working days of the crash, notify/schedule a

meeting to be held with Risk Management to review the vehicle crash report, photographs, and

statement of all parties involved. The Team Member will be available to answer questions

regarding the crash. The Department Director or designee and Risk Management will jointly

determine whether the crash was preventable. The Department Director or designee will give a

written determination within 3 working days of the meeting indicating whether the crash was

determined to be preventable. If the Department Director or designee and Risk Management

disagree, each will provide a written summary to the Human Resources Director within 3 working

days of the meeting. The Human Resources Director will review the facts of the crash and make a

determination regarding whether the crash was preventable. The Human Resources Director will

make a written recommendation within 2 working days of receiving the written summaries. The

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Department Director will take appropriate action as required and follow the guidelines for

disciplinary action in the Personnel Rules and Regulations, Code of Conduct. Any disciplinary

action will be reviewed with the Human Resources Director to ensure uniformity of action.

Ongoing Procedure (to include hiring Operators, incidents which occurred prior to policy

implementation):

Applicants for positions which require driving a City vehicle will complete a questionnaire regarding

their driving record. The driving record will be checked prior to hire. Applicants with two or more

moving violations within the previous two-year period or three or more moving violations for the

period as reported on the DMV report will not be considered for a driving position with the City of

Largo. Any questionable records should be referred to the Assistant Director of Human Resources

for review prior to offering a position.

Risk Management will review vehicle crash reports and identify any Team Member with two or more

prior crashes, regardless of fault, within a two-year period. Risk Management will identify all City

team members who have one or more moving violation(s) within a two-year period.

Risk Management will review the City vehicle crash records and identify any Team Member with

two or more incidents reported.

Risk Management will review the vehicle crash reports and records for any pattern of reckless

behavior during a fiveyear period which might cause a safety concern. Risk Management will bring

the concerns to the Department Director’s attention for corrective (not punitive) action.

The Department Director and Supervisor will be required to meet with the Team Member within one

week following notification by Human Resources and follow “Guidance and Counseling”

procedures. The Team Member will be counseled and advised that any preventable crash in a City

vehicle and/or additional traffic citations may result in disciplinary action up to and including

termination. The Supervisor will send an e-mail or memo to Risk Management and the Human

Resources Director to document the outcome of the Guidance and Counseling session.

Follow-up and Corrective Action:

Risk Management will review internal crashes involving City vehicles to determine if team members

fall into the categories listed above. Risk Management and the Assistant Director of Human

Resources will make recommendations to the Department Director and Supervisor regarding

corrective action to be taken. Corrective action may be in the form of on-the-road Operator training,

classroom Operator improvement training, and/or disciplinary action up to and including termination,

depending on the severity and frequency of crashes and/or citations.

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CITY OF LARGO PERSONNEL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Policy:

Use of Personal Vehicles for City

Business

Policy Number: RS-01-07

Policy Manager: Human Resources Department

Effective Date: July 1, 2022

Preceding Policy Date: 03/01/2004

PURPOSE

To create a uniform practice to handle use of personnel vehicles for City business.

POLICY

In the event of an accident involving a Team Member operating a personal vehicle within

the scope of their employment, the City will, within limits, reimburse them for damages to

the vehicle and will assume primary responsibility for other property damage caused as a

result of the accident.

This policy is in effect only if the Team Member is on duty and is functioning within the

scope of their employment. It does not cover normal commuting to and from work. Also, the

Team Member is required to be on a route that takes them directly to, or from, the place

where City business is to be conducted. Any deviation from a direct route will be considered

personal usage and not within the normal scope of employment.

PROCEDURE

If a claim is made against a Team Member for property damage or bodily injury arising from

their operation of a personal vehicle within the scope of their employment, the City will

assume liability and defense costs, subject to the provisions and limitations of Florida Statute

768.28 (Waiver of Sovereign Immunity) and City Code Section 2-10 (Indemnification of City

Employees).

If an accident does occur, the Team Member must present proof of insurance pertaining to

their personal vehicle being used for City business pursuant to Florida Statute.

If a personal vehicle is damaged in an accident while being operated by a Team Member

within the scope of their employment, it will be repaired at City expense, at a facility

customarily used by the City for such repairs, subject to a maximum amount to be determined

by the City’s Risk Committee.

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Any injuries sustained by a Team Member while operating a personal vehicle within the scope

of their employment will be treated through the City's workers' compensation system.

The same circumstances that would make a Team Member subject to disciplinary action

and/or drug and alcohol testing as a result of an accident while in a City vehicle will apply to

an accident in a personal vehicle while they are operating a vehicle within the scope of their

employment.

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CITY OF LARGO PERSONNEL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Policy:

Risk Fund/Claims Procedures – Damage

to City Property

Policy Number: RS-11-08

Policy Manager: Human Resources Department

Effective Date: July 1, 2022

Preceding Policy Date: 01/01/2018

PURPOSE

To create a uniform practice to handle claims regarding City property.

POLICY

Internal Risk Fund Claims

The Risk Fund provides funding for the City's self-insurance program. The Fund pays for

general liability claims, motor vehicle liability claims, Worker's Compensation claims and

accidental damage to City property. The Risk Fund is not intended to absorb costs related

to depreciation, regular maintenance, or scheduled replacement. Claim adjustment will

reflect these policies. Decisions regarding payment of departmental claims will be made by

the Risk Management Division. Claim payments from the Risk Fund are capped per

statutory limits. Claims in excess of statutory limits will be addressed by the Office of

Performance and Budget.

PROCEDURE

Claims Procedures

Claims must be submitted on the appropriate claim form which can be accessed through

Teams>Team Largo>HR Announcements>Risk. The form must be fully completed and

submitted to Risk Management within two business days of the accident. If the Department

Director is not available to sign the form prior to submission, the form should be submitted

timely and followed with a signed copy. The Department Director must sign the claim form

before reimbursement will be issued. The claim forms must be completed including a full

description of the accident/incident and damage. In accordance with the City's Code of

Conduct found in the Team Member Employment Guidelines, the Team Member's

department will address disciplinary action resulting from the loss of City property.

Payment for Damage to City Property and Vehicles

The information about the property involved must include the date of purchase and

expected life of the item(s). Cost for replacement or repair must be documented with

receipts or replacement estimates. Copies of this documentation must accompany claim

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