§ 2-609. Travel.

(a)

Introduction and scope.

(1)

This section contains policies and procedures for employee travel and elected and appointed official travel and reimbursement for expenses while traveling on business for the city and the city utilities.

(2)

All persons seeking reimbursement should incur the lowest reasonable travel expense and should exercise care to avoid impropriety or the appearance of impropriety. Public funds should never be used for personal gain.

(3)

Occasionally an employee may take a trip that includes both personal time and business travel. A combination trip benefits the employee to some extent. Employees should exercise special care not to seek reimbursement for expenses that could be construed to be personal. Under no circumstances is an employee to be paid for compensatory time while on travel status, including time beyond the normal workday.

(4)

Each person requesting reimbursement for travel expenses must submit a claim covering only his own expenses. No reimbursement will be made for the expenses of another person, including family members or other travel companions.

(5)

If a circumstance arises which is not specifically covered, employees should either adopt the most conservative course within the spirit of this policy or consult with his immediate supervisor.

(b)

Types of travel.

(1)

Local. Local travel includes all travel within a 50-mile radius of the city. Although certain expenses, like lodging, will not normally be reimbursed for local travel, other expenses, like compensation for privately owned automobiles used in city business, parking, and the like will be reimbursable. Reimbursement for meals, if not included in registration fees, will be reimbursable while attending preapproved seminars, meetings, conferences or schools in the local area.

(2)

Outside. Any travel outside a 50-mile radius of the city must be authorized in advance by the employee's department head. Any travel outside a 150-mile radius of the city must be authorized in advance by the employee's department head and the mayor, or department head and general manager for city utilities employees, including approval of the mode of transportation to the destination. Outside travel by the city clerk and staff or the city council and council attorney shall be presumed to be with authorization of the city clerk or council president, and shall not require authorization by the mayor.

(c)

Types of reimbursable expenses.

(1)

Allowable. Following are examples of reimbursable expenses:

a.

Conference/seminar registration fees.

b.

Auto rental, with prior approval only.

c.

Taxicab/shuttle fares.

d.

Parking and tolls, whether using a personal or a city vehicle.

e.

Telephone calls/facsimile for official city business.

f.

Airport parking. Although if most economical, employees should use longterm parking lots.

g.

Fuel costs for city-owned vehicles.

h.

Lodging, for employee only. If traveling with a companion, the city will reimburse an amount not to exceed the single-room occupancy charge, including taxes.

i.

Meals, for employee only, if traveling with a companion.

j.

Mileage, when using privately-owned automobile. For travel 500 miles and under, employees will be reimbursed at the established per mile rate (mileage reimbursement will be the rate as of April 1. This rate will remain fixed through March 31 of the following year, or until replaced by a new rate published by the city controller). For travel between 500 and 2,500 miles, employees will be reimbursed at 50 percent of the established per mile rates (mileage reimbursement will be the rate as of April 1. This rate will remain fixed through March 31 of the following year, or until replaced by a new rate published by the city controller), and 25 percent of the established per mile rate thereafter. Mileage should be calculated beginning at the employee's place of employment. Miles from home to the workplace are not eligible for reimbursement.

k.

Commercial air; train; bus fares.

l.

Reasonable gratuities to restaurants and taxicabs/shuttle fares.

(2)

Not allowable. Following are examples of nonreimbursable expenses:

a.

Personal entertainment.

b.

Business entertainment or expenses for noncity employees.

c.

Fines for parking, traffic violations, and the like.

d.

Alcoholic beverages.

e.

Valet, laundry, dry cleaning and other personal services.

f.

Air travel insurance.

g.

Expenses for travel companions of city employees.

h.

Purchase of personal items, including personal phone calls.

i.

Gratuities to hotel or airport porters, parking attendants, and the like.

(d)

Mode of transportation.

(1)

If the employee's travel will be by vehicle, city vehicles shall be used when available and practical. Employees traveling to the same destination shall travel together whenever possible.

(2)

Employees traveling to locations within four hours' drive time are generally expected to travel by automobile; however, individual circumstances, including airport meetings and time commitments before and/or after travel may necessitate airline use. Airline use in these circumstances must be with prior approval.

(3)

If an employee, for convenience, prefers to use a privately-owned vehicle in lieu of rail, bus or air travel, or in lieu of a city-owned vehicle, the employee will be reimbursed in the amount equivalent to the coach air fare for the same trip, or the mileage expense as computed in subsection (c)(1)j of this section, whichever amount is less.

(4)

Coach or tourist class costs of travel by commercial air carrier will be reimbursed. The cost of travel by rail or bus may be reimbursed but must not exceed an amount equal to what airfare to the destination would have been.

(e)

Meal allowance.

(1)

The reimbursable meal allowance, including gratuities, will be set April 1 each year and will remain at that rate until March 31 of the following year, or until replaced by a new rate published by the city controller. These rates will be reviewed and updated by the controller each year, based on current IRS standards. Current city meal allowances, along with locations eligible for higher rates are available through the office of the city controller. To be eligible for a breakfast allowance, travel must begin before 7:00 a.m. in the city. To be eligible for the dinner allowance, travel must extend past 6:00 p.m. in the city. When travel takes an employee 50 miles outside of the city, he will not be reimbursed for meals purchased within 50 miles of the city limits.

(2)

In any event, individual meal reimbursements will be allowed only upon presentation of a valid itemized receipt, showing the name of the restaurant, the date of the meal, a list of each item purchased, and the total cost of the meal, including gratuities (the maximum reimbursement for gratuities will be 15 percent rounded up to the nearest dollar). Each person seeking reimbursement shall produce a receipt. Group receipts, tear off tabs and unitemized charge slips will not be accepted as meal receipts.

(f)

Lodging.

(1)

An employee may claim lodging expense (and meal allowance) for Saturdays, Sundays or holidays, even though the employee is not conducting city business on those days, in order to reduce the total cost of travel, including airline fare. The savings must be documented and approved in advance by the mayor or general manager. Neither lodging expenses nor meal allowances may be claimed for that portion of time during travel when the employee is using vacation or personal leave time.

(2)

If two or more employees in travel status share a room, and each seek reimbursement, they must request separate receipts.

(3)

An employee may not claim reimbursement for lodging when the lodging was provided by another person who is not in the business of providing lodging.

(4)

Employees are urged to stay in hotels offering government rates. These reduced rates usually must be requested of the hotel in advance. Employees who secure luxury hotel accommodations out of preference rather than necessity will not receive full lodging reimbursement. In those cases, the reimbursement amount will be equal to the rate from reasonably available hotels offering government discounts.

(5)

When checking out of lodging facilities, employees must obtain a check-out bill from the front desk. This bill is to be turned in whether or not reimbursement is requested.

(g)

Recordkeeping; claims procedure.

(1)

Travel forms, reservations, receipts, etc.

a.

Request for travel form filled out and approved by appropriate personnel as applicable.

b.

If applicable, airline, seminar/conference, hotel reservations made by designated city staff person; paperwork processed for direct prepayment.

c.

While in travel status, employee retains receipts for reimbursable expenses.

d.

Employee completes approved travel and expense voucher, itemizing each allowable expense; receipts are attached to the voucher.

e.

Department head signs voucher, approving of the expenses claimed.

f.

Employee completes approved claim form and presents with voucher and receipts for payment.

(2)

Credit card charges. Since state law prohibits the payment of interest for employee expenses, only the face value of a purchase on an employee's personal credit card will be reimbursed. Late fees or interest charges will not be reimbursed regardless of the reason. Whenever an employee uses a credit card during business travel he must also provide an itemized receipt.

(3)

Record of approved travel. Each department must keep a record of all approved travel. The record must include a summary that shows the travel date, employee's name, a brief description of the reason for the travel, the total expended from city funds, the year-to-date travel expenditure by the department and a comparison of budget and actual expenses.

(4)

Budget. The department head has the responsibility to assure that travel expenses do not exceed amounts budgeted for his department. It is the responsibility of the department head to ensure that employees who travel are familiar with this travel policy and that reimbursed travel expenses on behalf of his department are in compliance with this policy document.

(h)

Exceptions.

(1)

Any exception to this policy granted as described below shall be subject to applicable laws and regulations.

(2)

The mayor or city controller may authorize exceptions to this travel policy for city employees. The mayor, general manager or city controller may authorize exceptions to this travel policy for employees of the city utilities. An employee requesting an exception must state the request in writing.

(3)

The city clerk may approve exceptions to this travel policy for the city clerk and city clerk's staff. The president of the common council may approve exceptions to this travel policy for all members of the common council and the council attorney. The signing of a claim by the city clerk or council president shall constitute approval of any exception.

(Code 1985, § 34.16; Ord. No. 4628, 9-17-2001)