sr-112459-5ccIT~ of SANTA MoNICA
~I~ATE: November 19, 1959, ~'~ee
~ 'I'O: The Honorable City Cou:acil, ~~ yqyy max '~,` ~ ~ -" `
FROM: .George Bundy, City Manager. NOV24 1959
SUBJECT: Folic Cie Funds in Care of Cit Ern to ees, ~~ a~ ~R ~• `~d°
~7l'1°~ Cie ' ~~ S31t'1PAiT
dt'9i a~.
The City Council directed the City Manager "to make a study and
recommendation regarding the present policy of the employees of
the Transportation 1?epartment and other departments handling City
funds in their off hours. "
Attached are memoranda from the Transportation Superintendent and
the City Controller relating to this matter, For the reasons given by
both the Transportation Superintendent and the City Controller, it is
my recommendation that no change be made in present practice of
permitting motor coach operators to carry their change boxes hame
with them in lieu of leaving them in the garage lockers.
I knave of no other comparable situation where City funds are handled
by our City employees in a similar manner,
GEORGE BUNI?Y,
Gity Manager,
GB / Mlvf K/ emc
Encls. 2
cc - K. O. Grubb, City Clerlc
W, F, Ferrell , Tra~;sportation Superintendent
W. A, Hard, City Controller
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
INTER-DEPARTMENT MEMO
DATE: November I9, 1959.
T0: G. Bundy, City Manager.
FROM: W. F. Fare11, Transportation Superintendent.
SUBJECT: Storage of Drivers` Change Funds.
The Santa Monica Municipal Bus Lines was organized in
1928 and ever since that time the drivers have had the privilege
of either leaving their change funds in their lockers at the garage
or taking it home with them, and as far as I can find out there has
been very little, if any, loss of this ehange fund as a result of
a theft from an employee°s home, however there have peen innumer-
able thefts, or alleged thefts, from the garage lockers. Even
though the garage lockers are made of steel and also can be pad-
locked, they can be pried open, ar the lock can be picked, because
actually they are not really constructed to be burglary-proof.
Some of the drivers prefer to parry their change boxes
home with them in lieu of leaving them in the garage lockers, and.
if we were to require all drivers to leave these change boxes in
the garage lockers at any time, we would be assuming the responsi-
bility of their safe keeping. This is a responsibility which I do
not feel we could, or should assume, because of the risk involved,
neither do I know of any other Transpoxtation Company that requires
the drivers to leave their change funds in a locker on the property.
The cost of maintaining a proper vault large enough to
accommodate all of the change funds with safety would not only be
prohibitive in cost but it would he impossible to discipline. First
of all it would take a very expensive vault, which would be enormous
in size, and it would take an employee on duty from 5:00 O'clock
A.M. until almost 2:00 O'clock A.M., the next morning, in order to
accept the change boxes when they were handed in by the drivers and
then pass them out again when the drivers go back to work. Also,
in order to remove any doubt of alleged shortages when the boxes
were stored in the vault, each change box would have to be counted
when it was received and again when it was issued. This would add
at least 15 to 20 minutes for each driver at the beginning of his
shift and the same amount at the end of his shift. The tithe alone
would amount to an added cost of untold thousands of dollars annu-
ally. I would estimate that the extra cost in wages alone would
CITY OF SAY;TA MONIGA
INTER-DEPARTMENT MEMO
DATE: November 19, 1959,
T0:
FROM:
SI3BJECT: Storage of Drivers° Change Funds.
Page 2-
amount to approximately $60,000.00 per year.
The change fund, which is issued to drivers, is issued
to him as a toal to work with day after day and it is never turned
in until he leaves the employment of the Department. It is issued
to him the same as his cap badge, his punch, his changer, or in
some eases as tools to a mechanic. If for any reason any driver
should prefex to furnish his own change fund, he has the preroga-
tive of so doing.
I would like to point out that the drivers' lockers at
the garage are used for many purposes other than storage for his
change fund. He is at liberty to leave his jacket in the locker or
any other items of a personal nature, if he sa desires.
In my estimation it would be one of the greatest mis-
takes we could make if we should require the drivers to leave their
change funds in their lockers at any time. The procedure which we
are using now has worked very well for many years, and I can see no
reason why it should be changed.
WILLIAM F. FARELL,
Superintendent.
6~?E~~F/db
CITY OF S~,P7T~ NIOlITCfa
IS~TER-D Pi~+c1t/~11TT E~,~~IO
Dti^1D: PIovember 18, 1958
T0: George G. ~,rs_dy, Gity I~4anager
r~2x 0A4: ;<i. y. Hard; City Controller
SUBJ.IC^: Custody of I~ctor Coach 01:erators' change
~s you i;now, motor Coach Operators have always been en-
trusted T,=ith, and Held °responsible for, a badge; a punch, a
changer, various school and cornnutation ticiiets, and tokens. Sf
they ~re're lost, o-r if the d_rive-r left the employ of the City
w].thOUt turxling them iYl tI'?e:ir ?=clue Tv=aS deQ.:.'.CtE'd. fT'Offi n1S ?~TageS
before he received his final chseL.
idith tl,,e advent of locked fare boxes, the drivers have
also been given. and '.Held responsible for, x60.00 in change.
Since the <'sivers, ss a condition of their employment, a:re
held wholly responsible for the City funds and. property given into
their custcdy as>?~*or'_~in~ tools, they are not now and have never been
recuired to return andfor account for this property daily.
T'r,~ s arrangement is not only common to the .transit in-
flustry but advantageous to the City in that zre are avcidin; both
clerical expense and d-rive-rs' turn-in time ~ri thout incurring any
risk of loss whatsoever.
Frorn an economic standroint alone 1 would strongly oppose
any change in our present uolicy with respect to the handling of
drivers' change and eauiprnent, since it seems obvious that any
change in present procedusse will res?zlt in added expense to the
Transportation Department.
=w'. A. r`LA,RD
City Controller
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