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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1989-12-19; City Council; 10423; Proposed revision to Travel PolicyCIT^OF CARLSBAD - AGEND^SILL MTG. 12-19-89 DEPT. RES TITLE: PROPOSED REVISION TO CITY COUNCIL TRAVEL POLICY Q 1 O t> Oz3 OO RECOMMENDED ACTION: Adopt by motion the revised City Council Travel Policy #2. ITEM EXPLANATION; The City Council Travel Policy has been revised to modify certain aspects of the overall policy in recognition of changing travel situations and needs of the City of Carlsbad. The changes have been reviewed and approved by City Department Heads. A brief summary of the proposed changes is listed below: Page 2: --The requirement that each employee, or Council Member, attending a meeting must file a written report following the conference has been deleted. Page 3: --The authorization for use of private automobiles to points in and around Carlsbad has been expanded from 100 miles to 200 miles. --The City's policy on the use of rental vehicles has been further defined to allow the use of rental vehicles when it can be shown to be the most economical mode of transportation. --Reimbursement for meals has been increased to $45 per day, if receipts for all meals are included with the travel claim. --The prior Council Policy indicated that no reimbursement shall be made for telephone calls of a personal nature. The revised policy allows for one charge up to $5.00 per day for personal telephone calls. --The proposed travel policy includes new wording indicating that appropriate expenses, while on City business, may be approved by the City Manager. --The previous travel policy went into detail defining when meals would be included in reimbursement for travel expenses. The revised policy attempts to simplify and clarify this issue. FISCAL IMPACT: None other than staff time. EXHIBITS: 1. Revised City Council Travel Policy. EXHIBIT 1 CITY OF CARLSBAD COUNCIL POLICY STATEMENT TRAVEL POLICY PURPOSE: To establish a policy to be followed by Council Members, other elected officials, commission/board members, and all City employees when travelling on City business, to attend conferences, seminars, or training sessions. BACKGROUND: Occasionally, it is necessary for City personnel to attend meetings and to travel outside the City to conduct City business, attend conferences and seminars. Various modes of transportation are available and other costs involved vary considerably. To control the costs involved and to compensate individuals for actual necessary expenses, the City Council has adopted a policy on travel and meetings. DEFINITIONS: Local Travel shall be defined as travel within the Counties of San Diego, Orange and Los Angeles to conduct city business, attend meetings, conferences, seminars or training sessions that are primarily for the educational or professional enrichment of the participant. Out of Town Travel shall be defined as travel outside the limits of the Counties of San Diego, Orange and Los Angeles to conduct City business, attend meetings, conferences, seminars or training sessions that are primarily for the educational, or professional enrichment of the participant. Citv Business Travel shall be defined as travel which requires the attendance of the participant to conduct specific items of City business. Citv Employee means any person regularly employed by the City, excluding elected officials and members of commissions, committees, authorities, or boards. Commissioner shall mean any person appointed by the City Council to an established board, committee, authority, or commission. POLICY IN GENERAL: 1. Requests for travel shall in all cases be limited to City business, conferences, seminars, training sessions, and meetings from which the City will derive a benefit through the attendance of a representative. Mere membership in an organization is not of itself a justification for travel authorization. 2. For City Council Members, all travel involving more than five days should be approved in advance by the Council. Travel of five days, or less, need not have prior approval if funds are available in approved budget. The Mayor is authorized to approve extended travel involving an overnight stay in emergency cases. 3. Except for elected officials, commissioners and board members, and Council appointed employees, attendance at conferences should be limited. Any number of elected officials, commissioners, or Council appointed employees may attend conferences provided that funds for such purposes are specifically provided and included in the annual budget. The City Manager may authorize the attendance of additional employees if deemed appropriate by the Manager and travel funds are available. 4. Conference travel for employees shall be limited to department heads, assistant department heads, division heads or positions of highly technical or professional nature as designated by the City Manager. The simultaneous absence of both the department head and assistant department head will be minimized. 5. Business or conference travel requests for all City employees estimated to exceed $100 shall be submitted with the annual budget request. Travel requests approved during Council budget review do not require further Council authorization at the time the travel is taken; however, the City Manager must still authorize prior to the trip. All other travel requests are considered to be unscheduled and must be authorized by the City Council if out of State, or the City Manager if within the State. 6. Each officer, employee, advisory commissioner, and board member of the City is expected to be as thrifty and prudent as possible when travelling at City expense. The City has only a limited amount of funds available for travel expenses. To ensure that City officers, employees, commissioners and board members are able to travel when necessary to accomplish essential City business, travel funds must be expended in the most economical and efficient way possible. Unnecessarily lavish or expensive meals or accommodations are not justified and all persons travelling at City expense should carefully control expenses to minimize the cost to the City. Be conservative in your expenditures. TRANSPORTATION: Use of air, train, private car, or bus shall be selected on the basis of the least total cost to the City after all expense items are tabulated, including travel time salary costs. When the use of private automobile to points within 200 miles of the City limits is approved, reimbursement shall be at the rate of 25 cents per mile, except those individuals with an auto allowance. If use of private automobile to points beyond 200 miles is approved, including those individuals with an auto allowance, reimbursement shall not exceed the cost of a round trip coach or equivalent class air fare. Those individuals with an auto allowance cannot use City vehicles for the trips identified in this paragraph. When the use of public air carrier transportation is approved, travel for all personnel shall be in coach class, lowest available (alternative) class, or equivalent service. Authorized travel time shall be based on that required by the most appropriate mode of public transportation. Should an employee desire travel time in excess of the above, such time shall be considered and accounted for as vacation leave, or leave without pay. While travelling, the use of rental vehicles is discouraged. Courtesy shuttle service, buses, taxis, or limousine service should be utilized between airports and meeting locations. Rental vehicles should only be permitted when other transportation is unavailable, or a rental vehicle is the most economical mode of transportation. LODGING; Lodging shall be obtained at the most economical rate available for good quality lodging. Lavish or oversized accommodations are not justified. At certain approved conferences, such as the annual meeting of the League of California Cities, there is an officially designated conference hotel or lodging, which may be arranged through convention or housing bureaus. Lodging expenses for spouses are not reimbursable, and any additional expenses must be paid by the City officer or employee. Business related telephone charges which are added to the lodging bill may be reimbursed. Reimbursement of one personal call per day will be allowed in an amount not to exceed $5.00 per day. MEALS AND INCIDENTAL EXPENSES: Each appointed officer or employee authorized to travel may submit the actual cost of meals, tips and incidental expenses for reimbursement up to a limit of $45 per day if receipts are presented supporting the expenses. If it is anticipated that this limit will be exceeded, then prior approval by the City Manager is required. The City Council will be reimbursed the actual costs of meals, plus tips and incidental expenses while on official City business. The City will not reimburse the cost of any alcoholic beverages. Appropriate expenses, while on City business may be approved by the City Manager. Reasonable amounts for tipping may be reimbursed. However, reimbursement for tips should not exceed 15%. For out-of-town travel, no reimbursement shall be made for breakfast unless such travel commences from office, or residence, prior to 6 a.m. No reimbursement for lunch shall be made unless such travel commences prior to 11:30 a.m. No reimbursement for dinner shall be made unless such travel commences prior to 5 p.m. Actual amounts spent, up to the per diem limitation, shall be required to be shown on the travel report form (attached). LOCAL TRAVEL: Reimbursement for the actual cost of meals will be made for breakfast, luncheon or dinner meetings attended to conduct City business, or for local conferences. Local travel is to be accomplished by the most economical available means. If private vehicles are utilized, reimbursement shall be at the rate of 25 cents per mile. For employees, use of private vehicles must be authorized in advance by the department head. Local travel expenses shall be reported on the Monthly Mileage and Miscellaneous Expense Form, or reimbursed through petty cash. TRAVEL REQUEST ANf XPENSE REPORT CITY OF CARLSBAD NAME REQUEST NO.ACCOUNT NO. TITLE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL MEETING NAME SPECIFY BENEFITS TO BE DER'VED BY THE CITY THROUGH ATTENDANCE TRAVEL REQUESTENSE REPORTa.XUJ _j UJz oc Destination Date of Meeting Date of Departure Date of Return Mode of Travel: [Check] [ 1 Private Auto 1 ] Airline ( ICity Vehicle I J Other ESTIMATED EXPENSES REQUEST FOR CASH ADVANCE AND/OR PREPAID EXPENSES PREPAID EXPENSES CONFERENCE PAY TQ; FQR AMT REGISTRATION $ TRANSPORTATION $ LODGING MEALS OTHER $ $ $ $ $ $ $ TOTAL EST. $CASH ADVANCE TO TRAVELER $ TOTAL CASH ADVANCE/PREPAID EXPENSE.|. | FINANCE USE ONLY DEPARTMENT HEAD DATE CITY MANAGER DATE DATE [S TRANSPORTATION TAXIS/GARAGE/AUTO RENTAL LODGING TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH MEALSBREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER REGISTRATION FEES OTHER TOTALS 1 certify that $ SUN MON TUES the foregoing claim i< correct. WED THURS FRr SAT TOTAL EXPENSE LE! Signature of Traveler Date Approved By SS CASH ADVANCED AND/OR EPAID EXPENSES DUE CITY DEPOSIT RECEIPT NO. DUE TRAVELER Department Head Date City Manager Date TOTALS $ • 1 DATE:.DEPARTMENT: VENDOR NO..ACCOUNT NO. CITY OF CARLSBAD MONTHLY MILEAGE & MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSE LOG DATE MEETING OR PURPOSE OF TRIPS Name Title Date LOCATION Total Mil Mileage 254: /mile Other MILEAGE OTHER EXPENSES e<$ © Total Due REQUESTED BY:AUTHORIZED BY: