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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPO 5833: AMEND TRAVEL POLICYCITY OF PORT ARTHUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT DATE: 01/09/08 TO: STEVE FITZGIBBONS, CITY MANAGER FROM: REBECCA UNDERHILL, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE RE: P.O. 5833 - AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE TRAVEL POLICY P.O. 5833 is submitted for City Council consideration and approval. This amendment clears up conflicting language in the existing code, and adds a provision requiring employees to pool transportation as much as possible. Z: \F finance\Ordinances\Travel Ordinance.doc P. O. N0.5833 jja: 1/7/08 ORDINANCE NO. AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 78-269 OF THE . CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR AS IT PERTAINS TO TRAVEL EXPENSES WHEREAS, the Code of Ordinances establishes limits and regulations for the use of City funds for travel by officials elected and appointed;.and WHEREAS, in order to effectively administer the policy the City Council desires to update this policy. ` NOW TEREFORE. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PORT ARTHUR: Section 1. That the facts and opinions in the preamble are true and correct. Section 2. Section 78-269 of the Code of Ordinances be amended as denoted in the attached "Exhibit A." Section 3. That a copy of the caption of this Ordinance be spread upon the minutes of the City Council. READ, ADOPTED, AND APPROVED, this ~ day of January, 2008, AD, at a Regular Meeting of the City Council of the City of Port Arthur, Texas by the following vote: AYES: Mayor: Councilmembers: NOES: Mayor ATTEST-: Tem Hanks, Acting City Secretary APPROVED AS TO FORM: ~-t s9-c~ Mazk Sokolow, City Attorney APPROVED FOR ADMINISTRATION: ve Fitzgibbons, City Manager c~ G~ ~.~~~ ~~ ~ Rebecca Underhill, Finance Director Exhibit A Sec 78-269. Travel Expenses (a) With the. exception of the mayor and council members, the city attorney, city secretary and the municipal court judge,- all persons. will present expense accounts to the city manager for approval. (1) Overnight travel must be authorized in advance by the city manager or his designee. Expense accounts for all travel, overnight or single day trips, will be approved by the city manager. (2) All expense accounts shall be approved by the department head prior to submission to 'the accounting division. for audit within seven days after the trip is complete. After audit, the expense account shall be submitted to the city manager or his designee for approval.. (3) Should the expense account not be returned in a timely manner, the department head will be notified, and travel advances to the employee suspended. If the expense report remains outstanding, travel advances to the department will be suspended. (4) A receipt for any charge incurred that may be paid in advance by the ' city, such as airline tickets, registration, etc., is to accompany the expense account in order that the entire cost of the trip may be reflected in the expense.package. (5) Travel advances must be approved by the department head and the city manager and will not exceed $100 per day. (6) Allowable reimbursements:. a. Auto expense. Reimbursement for the use of a private automobile shall be at the .IRS standard mileage rate to the employee furnishing the automobile. Employees receiving automobile allowances shall be reimbursed'at a rate equivalent to $0.10 per mile less than the IRS standard mileage rate for authorized travel outside the city limits. When more than one employee travels by car to the same conference/meeting, etc., pooling is to be utilized to the fullest extent possible. b. Per diem allowance. A per diem'allowance of $38.00 per day will be provided for. overnight travel. This allowance is intended to cover all meals, tips, and incidental personal expenses, including personal phone calls home. Should registration cover any meal, the following amount should be deducted from the .per diem: $7.00 for breakfast, $10.00 for lunch and $1.8.00 for dinner. The city manager may authorize actual expenses with receipts for travel to Internal Revenue Code designated "high cost" cities. This option must be requested by the employee and department head on the request for authorization for overnight travel The employee must document the days eligible for the allowance on the expense report. Meals for employees attending one-day conferences/seminars outside of the city will be reimbursed up to $10 for lunch. Other meals will be reimbursable on partial basis depending upon the hours leaving and/or returning to the City. Employees leaving. the city before 7:00 a.m. are eligible for a breakfast reimbursement of $7. Employees returning to the City after 8:00 p.m. are eligible for a dinner reimbursement of $18. c. Out ojtown transportation. When auto expenses are not claimed on the expense account, the use of out of town transportation will be an eligible expense. The business necessity for any charge for taxi, bus, car rental or other transportation, while out of town, must be explained in writing and attached to the expense account forin, and a receipt for each charge must be submitted with the expense report. When more than one employee travels to the same conference/meeting etc pooling of transportation is to be utilized to the fullest extent possible. d. Air Fare. Reimbursement for air fare shall be a coach class. rate. Any expense exceeding coach class shall not 6e eligible expense except in the case of documented emergency travel where coach class is not available. e. Spouse attendance. Spouses travel at their own expense. The difference between the single and double rate is reimbursable to the city. No travel costs for spouses, whether for transportation, lodging, meals or cost of attendance to events are reimbursable by, or chargeable to, the city. f. Entertainment. Entertainment expenses are not eligible expenses. g. Miscellaneous. All other miscellaneous business expenses are reimbursable when they are reasonable, ordinary and necessary for the completion of city business and supported by receipt. (b) Expenses of mayor and city council members. Prior notice and travel expenses advance; expense report. (1) Before any overnight out-of--town business trip is made by the mayor or council members, three days prior written notification should be given to the council. However, for an emergency trip, prior notice shall be sufficient. (2) Travel advances must have a reasonable relation to estimated travel costs, and are limited to a maximum of $150 per day. Travel advances will not be given if there are any monies due and owing for previous travel. (3) Expense packets, consisting of detailed expense statements, receipts, airline bills, hotel bills, registration receipts of attended meetings and the city receipts for refund of advances, shall be submitted to the city secretary within 15 days after the return from an out-of--town business trip. A receipt (or-copy thereof) for any charge incurred that. may be paid in advance by the city, such as registration, airline tickets, etc., is to accompany the expense account in order that the entire charge for the trip. may be reflected in one expense package. The city secretary shall then check the packet for duplication and mathematical corrections. (a) If errors are found, the submitter is notified. (b) The city secretary shall then submit those completed expense packets to the council for their consideration. (4) Exclusions and limitations on .certain charges and requirements of receipts. (a) Air fares on all trips shall be by coach class. (b) Tips given shall have a reasonable relationship to the charges involved and the services provided. (c) Receipts are required on all charges for meals when the total cost exceeds seventy five ($75) per day for mayor and city council members. -r" " a F ' : " " ~oa e~c nn ., r a.,., (d) When trips are less than 24 hours, meals and tips cannot exceed $35.00. (e) Entertainment expenses are not eligible expenses. Examples: golf, sporting events, theatres or shows. . (f) Business relations:- limited to $25 maximum per day. Receipts are required. (5) Automobile expenses: a. Said officers will be paid at the rate authorized by the Internal Revenue Service per mile for the use of their personal automobile for business trips beyond 50 miles outside of the City. b. Said officers will be paid at the rate authorized by the Internal Revenue Service per mile.for the use of their personal automobile for business trips within the city,. except: for those officers who receive a monthly automobile allowance.. The mileage used will be based on estimated mileage. (6) Exclusion of'ezpenses for spouses. Expenses for or on behalf of spouses are not eligible expenses and shall not be paid, or reimbursed by the city. (7) If there are any travel expenses that have not been reimbursed or reconciled within 30 days of the trip, the city secretary shall notify .the city manager, mayor, the Director of finance, and City Council. te-;~eEn~l-~e~e;~e-~erytee~ed"nigh sect" eities. T-r-i=ti-~c"r"~v,^= (8) If a councilmember desires to drive to a location wherein air travel.was available, the City councilmember will be limited in obtaining reimbursement to the cost of the roundtrip airfare ticket, as well as additional costs of renting a car at the actual location and the per diem that would have been normally associated with air travel. This subsection will not apply to cases wherein due to security concerns, vehicle travel is more prudent. (c) Allowable reimbursements for City Manager, City Attorney, City Secretary and Municipal Court Judge: (1) Before any overnight out-of town business trip is made by city manager, city attorney, city secretary, municipal court judge or any department head not under the control of the city manager; three days prior written notification should be given to the council. However, for an emergency trip, prior notice shall be sufficient. (2) The City Manager, City Attorney, City Secretary,. Municipal Court Judge, and all department heads not under the control of the City Manager will submit completed expense reports to the City Council for consideration and approval. (3) Said officers will be reimbursed in accordance with subsection (a) of this section with the limitations of other city employees.