HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC RES 07-72RESOLUTION NO. 07-72
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM DESERT,
CALIFORNIA, AMENDING RESOLUTION NO. 02-8 ADOPTING TRAVEL EXPENSE
GUIDELINES FOR CITY REPRESENTATIVES
WHEREAS, the City of Palm Desert City Council wishes to amend Travel Expense Guidelines
submitted by the Finance Director on February 14, 2002; and
WHEREAS, the Travel Expense Guidelines have been prepared for the City of Palm Desert
(attached hereto and made a part hereof as Exhibit "A"), and
WHEREAS, the purpose of the Travel Expense Guidelines is to establish reimbursement of
allowable expenses for conference and function attendance by City representatives; and
WHEREAS, the City Attorney has reviewed and approved the travel Expense Guidelines as
submitted.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Palm Desert, California,
that Travel Expense Guidelines (Exhibit "A") are hereby amended as follows:
Cfty Payment for Expenses
Consistent with its Charter, the City of Palm Desert recognizes the constructive value of
professional conferences, seminars, meetings, and training and provides travel funds for City
officials and, at their election, a traveling companion. City Council Members and their traveling
companion shall be entitled to payment for their reasonable expenses associated with travel,
meals, lodging, and other actual and necessary expenses associated with attending such events
in a manner and in the amounts as set forth in this policy. Ibis policy shall apply where City
Council Members act as Members of the City Council, Redevelopment Agency, and Housing
Authority. and any other legal entity.
Functions for which this section applies are Civic and Governmental Events.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Palm Desert, California,
at its regular meeting held on the 25h day of October, 2007, by the following vote, to wit:
AYES: BENSON, FERGUSON, and FINERTY
NOES: SPIEGEL and KELLY
ABSENT: NONE
ABSTAIN: NONE
ATTEST:
1104011Site
RAC EL E D. v SEN. ITY CLERK
CITY OF PALM DESERT. CALIFORNIA
RESOLUTION NO. 07-72
1
EXHIBIT A
TRAVEL EXPENSE GUIDELINES
AU,OWABLB $xPENSES
Following any seminar/conference all original, detailed receipts will need to be
submitted to Finance for reimbursement. Expenses must be related to the
seminar/conference and must be reasonable. Guidelines are as follows:
•
Meals: Reimbursement of expenses for one -day seminars will be
compensated as is appropriate for the duration of same. Seminars
lasting two days or more, breakfast, lunch and dinner will be
allowed. Detailed receipts are required for reimbursement
(Alcohol is not a reimbursable expense). Employees are only
reimbursed for the portion of the receipt which applies to them.
Expenses for any conference related guests must be pre -approved
by your Department Head.
Tips: Tips in excess of 20% will be the responsibility of the employee.
Hatelz Hotel receipts must be submitted for reimbursement of arty
expenses, especially if the hotel room was prepaid by the City.
Movie rentals are not reimbursable. The City allows employees to
stay the night before the seminar starts and the night after the
seminar ends, if necessary, due to the earliness/lateness of the
seminar/conference.
Airfare: Similar to registration Fees, airfare should be paid directly by the
City of Palm Desert. Airfare will be reimbursed for the equivalent
of coach airfare. You may use any travel agent or internet service
to purchase your ticket. If you use the League of California Cities
airline pass, you may use Antelope Travel Service which knows
how to process these Southwest airline tickets at a $10 service fee.
Parking
Fees: Parking fees are reimbursable when a personal or city vehicle is
used while attending a conference/seminar.
Mileage: Mileage is reimbursable for personal vehicle usage at a rate of
$.345/mile. Mileage is calculated by the lesser of the Civic Center
to conference destination or employee's home to conference
destination_ Mileage will only be reimbursed at a rate equal to that
1
AIA I nnn Jnnn , I nn 1 I
cnn 114.nnn 1
\I1M111\I\I 1n5n 1n9A 111n1 I IIId1.n•7n onn9 n1 en
RESOLUTION NO. 07-72
destination. Mileage will only be reimbursed at a rate equal to that
of alternative means of transportation. (i.e. If you choose to drive
to Sacramento instead of flying, the maximum mileage
reimbursement you can receive is equal to that of the airfare plus
rental car/taxi). If a city or rental vehicle is used, gas receipts wilt
be necessary for reimbursement. All mileage is verified by the
Finance Department using Mapquest.com.
Phone: All business related phone calls are reimbursable (including one
reasonably brief (10 minutes or less), non -emergency, personal call
home per day, if desired).
Registration: Registration should be paid directly by the City prior to the
conference/setninar deadline. (This does not include college/continued
education course work which is paid directly by the employee and then
upon completion and passing the course, the City reimburses the
employee.)
Testing. Any class/licensing course which involves testing must be paid by
the employee and will be reimbursed to the employee after he/she
provides proof of having passed the test for the class/licensing
course. Proof of payment and test score must be attached to the
reimbursement request_
Miscellaneous: Mi:scellanebus expenses which are reimbursable include:
i. reference materials,
xerographic or typewriting services
rental of office machines in connection with
preparation of official reports or correspondence
iv, purchase of materials and supplies, when normal
purchasing procedures cannot be followed; and
v_ rental of a room or other facility for the transaction of
official business
On occasion there are special circumstances in which a person will
be reimbursed for items not included above. In such cases, each
expense will need to be approved by the Department 1-Iead prior to
consideration.
2
RESOLUTION NO. 07-72
.l?'QRM USED
Travelers shall report travel expenses and account for travel advances by submitting a
Travel Expense Voucher. You can download the Excel 7_0 version of the Travel Expense
Voucher from the Wt Everyone drive on the Network.
OUT of STATE TRAVEL
All out of state travel is allowed if authorized by City Council prior to the trip or
disbursement of advances. Please attached backup showing the authorization for the
out of state trip.
Cm PAS' Fon SrousEs
In the interest of obtaining maximum value from certain functions, there is merit in
attendance by the spouses of delegates. In such instances, the City will pay for the
spouses' expenses as if he or she were a delegate.
Functions fcLuthkit this section applies_are:
a) Dinner Meetings of the Riverside County Division of the League of
California. Cities.
b) League of California Cities Annual Conference (summer artd winter).
c) Dinner Meetings of the California Contract Cities Association_
d) Dinner Meetings of the Coachella Valley Association of Governments.
e) Such other functions as may be specifically recommended by the City
Manager and approved in advance by the Mayor or City Council
T1Mt LIMA FOR SUPMisstoN
A Travel Expense Voucher must be submitted to the Finance Department within 10
days after completion of the trip unless there is recurring local travel, in which case
vouchers may be submitted monthly.
Itg.outitED INM214,6110t1
The traveler shall provide all information requested on the Travel "Expense Voucher,
along with an explanation of unusual items, copies of any written authorizations, and
any other information required by the travel policy_ All expenses for a trip should be
reported on ONE Travel Expense Voucher. Supplemental vouchers may be submitted if
necessary, but they must be dearly marked "supplemental" and must be accompanied
by a photocopy of the original voucher. The Travel Expense Voucher must show the
inclusive dates and the times of departure and return of each trip for which allowances
are claimed.
3
RESOLUTION NO. 07-72
IjocumEN AUow
Receipts: The original of the following items must be submitted with the Travel
Expense Voucher:
(1) Stubs or carrier's copy of transportation tickets.
(2) Receipts for local transportation.
(3) Receipts for each miscellaneous expense.
(4) Receipts for all lodging.
`(S) Please tape all receipts to a full sheet of paper and attach them to
the travel voucher itt the same sequence as the entry of their totals
on the voucher. Identify or dearly reference attachments. Please
indicate the exchange rate used for each receipt when applicable.
QRL!*~L RECEIPT'S NOT AVAILABLE.
hi cases where original receipts have been lost or are otherwise unavailable, a traveler
can submit a "Declaration of Missing Receipt" located on Attachment A (at the end of
this policy) with his/her Travel Expense Voucher in place of a missing original receipt_
The completed form will be accepted by the Finance Department as adequate
documentation. It is intended that the form will be used only in unusual situations
when either an original receipt is unavailable or lost. Acceptance of the funit is subject
to the frequency of its use and the explanation for the unavailable receipt.
APPROVAL AND CERTIFICATION OP TRAVEL EXPENSES
The traveler and the person approving payment should sign the typed travel voucher
after the traveler claiming reimbursement reviews it. The voucher must be approved for
payment by the department head or a person to whom such authority has been
delegated, as evidenced by a Signature Authorization Form on file with the Finance
Department.
ADvANCE CASH ORc IECK
Requests for advances should be submitted on the Request for Payment -Travel or Cash
Advance_ The Finance Department requires seven (7) business days to process these
requests PRIOR to the date it is needed.
Advance requests must be approved by the Department Head or his/her authorized
representative. Such approval will constitute not only approval as to reasonableness of
amount, but also verification that such travel will be for official City business.
Hotel: Anytime a hotel is required for seminar/conference attendance, the
full hotel fees and bed tax should be advanced to the hotel prior to
the date of the event Upon return from the sernirtar/conference art
original receipt is required in order to dear the advance. Any
expenses incurred by the employee attending the
seminar/conference shall not be paid until a receipt is provided.
4
RESOLUTION NO. 07-72
•
Cash: Cash advances may be taken by an employee prior to the
seminar/conference in order to cover any expenses they should
incur. Generally, cash is advanced at a rate of $l00.O0 f day, unless
otherwise authorized by the Department Head. Upon return from
the seminar/ conference, all original receipts must be attached to a
Travel Expense Form and submitted to Finance in order to clear the
advance. All receipts are audited and filed with the original
advance request. Any money remaining shall be given to the
Finance Department for receipting_
Failure To Clear Advances in a Timely Manner:
If outstanding advances have not been recovered within 30 days
from the date the accounting for the trip was due, the Finance
Technicians shall, in the absence of extenuating circumstances,
forward a list of those who are late to the City Manager. The City
Manager will determine what actions is required_ Internal
Revenue Service (t.R_S) requires that advances be cleared quickly
or risk having all advances treated as wages to the employee(s).
5
RESOLUTION NO. 07-72
ATTACHMENT A
DECLARA1ION OF MISSING ORIGINAL RECEIPTS AND/OR PAYMENTS MAbE ON
BEHALF OF "CITY OF PALM bESERT. individual Receipts of $51) or less.
Instructions:
Copy this form as needed_ Attach this completed form to the Travel Expense Voucher in
place of a missing original receipt. Complete this form for missing original receipt(s)_
Also, only complete the appropriate section that applies to the type of payment made.
1, , declare that:
(Name)
1. l disbursed personal monies on behalf of the City of Palm Desert as follows:
(A) Date:
Vendor Name:
Vendor Address:
Description of Payment:
(B) Date: _
Vendor Name:
Vendor Address:
Description of Payment:
( C) Date:,
Vendor Name:
Vendor Address:
Description of Payment:
Amount Paid: $
Amount Paid: $
Amount Paid: $
total $
2. The original receipt is not available_ The resison (i.e. Could not be obtained. lost, efc_ j
is as follows:
I hereby certify that the above information is true to the best of my knowledge_
Date:
Department Head Approval:
bate:
Signature:
Signature:
6
/1,A I f11f//1RR. 1 AA, 1 6n1114..nnnl
v91.41\M in n in1n wni I
111410..nn &AA= Al AA