SR-11-E (12)
Co~ncil'Meetlng: De~ber 14, 1982 4It
CM:LCB:Jal Santa Monica, California
TO:
Mayor and Clty Councll
/I-E
/O{-c'[v-os- DEe 1 4 1982
DEe 2 1 1982
FROM:
Clty Staff
RE:
Travel Policy
Introductlon
The purpose of this report is to present a revised travel
policy for City employees and officials.
This POllCY will be
implemented
administratively
for
employees;
and
Council
determination is requested as to whether the provlslons are to be
extended to City Council and Board and Commlssion members.
"
Attached
please
find the proposed policy and appropriate
exhlbltS.
Background
As lndlcated 10 an loformation item submitted separately, we
have undertaken the preparatlon of an administratlve POllCY and
procedures manual for City staff.
Normally, these procedures will be prepared and lssued
internally after reVlew and dlScusslon by the Clty Manager,
Department Heads and staff members.
Howeve r ,
some of the
Adminlstratlve Instructions may be of partlcular interest to the
City Councilor have sections ln them referrlng to elected or
appolnted offlclals. It 1S our intent to brlng those partlcular
instructions to the Council for informatlon and/or concurrence.
The attached travel POllCY is one such instructlon.
J{-E
DEe 1 4 1982
DeG 2 1 1982"
The proposed ~vel Policy AdministrativJltnstructlon lS an
attempt to clarify eXlsting guidelines and procedures for
relmbursement of expenses lncurred whl1e on Officlal Clty
buslness.
Several other citles, the State of Cal~fornla and the League
of California cities were consulted ln the course of developing
thlS Administrative Instruction
(AI) .
Comments by City staff
have also been lncorporated.
followlng areas:
In summary, this AI encompasses the
1. Statement of Purpose
2. Scope - Pollcies and procedures concernlng expenditures
lncurred by City Employees, elected and appolnted officials,
during the course of official travel are within the scope of the
proposed travel policy.
3. POllCY - ThlS section details the classifications of
expendltures that are re1mbursable. Allowable expenses 1nclude
transportatlon, lodging, allowance,
reglstratlon, and mlscellaneous ltems.
meals, conference
The City's POllCY
regarding Travel Advances and Reimbursement is also discussed.
4. Procedures and R~onsibilities - This section outllnes
speciflc procedures and identifies staff responsibll~t1es for
processlng travel requests, advances and/or reimbursements.
5. Forms and Addltlonal Sources of Informatlon - These
sections identify the forms used in the process and other
references aval1able on the subJect.
e
e
Fiscal Impact
By providlng staff with spec~flc gUldelines the number of
financial adJustments made will be minlffilzedi the City will have
a better record keeplng system for audit purposes. As the POllCY
will stlll be for actual cost reimbursements, flscal lmpact will
not change.
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Clty Councll approve the Travel
Policy Administrative Instruction as applicable to City Councll
and Board and Cornmlssion members.
Prepared by:
Lynne C. Barrette, Deputy Clty Manager
Hermelinda Rendon, Sr. Administrative Analyst
AD~NISTRATIVE · INSTRUCTION
Subject: TRAVEL POLICY
Number:
Effective Date:
Page: 1
of 7
/ rc - {}C{J.- C <:;
I. PURPOSE
To establish C~ty Policy regarding official bUSlness travel,
anc the procedures for ini~iating, processing, and audlting
travel advance requests and/or reimbursements from the City.
II. SCOPE
Policy and procedures concerning expend1tures incurred by
Clty employees, elected and appolnted off1cals, during the course
of afficlal travel, are with1n the scope of thlS AdITlnistrative
Instruction. Exceptions to the procedures and limitatlons
contained wlthln this Admlnlstrative Instruction shall be allowed
only upon the wrltten authorizatlon of the Clty Manager or City
Caunell.
III.
POLICY
Attendance at professlonal meetlngs, seminars and
conferences concerned with the promotion of municlpal lnterests
and the advancement of professional capabillties will be pald by
the City when:
Specif~c approval has been granted by the appropriate
authorlty.
Adequate funds are aval1able 1n the current year's
operating budget.
Receipts are prov1ded as specifled wlth1n this
Adninistrative Instructlon.
Travel reimbursement lS
classificatlons of expendltures:
limited
to
the
following
A. Transportation
1. Allowance for air travel will be round trlp coach fare
to the city specified, All travel on Clty buslness outslde of
the Southern Cal1fornia area ~ill normally be by air unless
~~eVlOUS approval has been granted, wlth Just cause, for anothe~
~ode O~ transportation. It 1S expected that the shortest ana
nost clrect routes will be ta~en.
2. Ground transportatlon (taxl or bus) between ~he al=Fort
~~c ~he buslness neetlng Slte w~ll De re~7bursed. Grou~c
~rcnsportatlon between hone and t~e local alrpo~t, as ~e:: as
~:::c::~'":c ~"; the a:.rDort. if reol..Jlrecr \';111 also be reunbursec.
l
Subject:
e
TRAVEL POLICY
....
-
Number:
Effective Date:
Page: 2
of 7
3. Private automob~le re~mbursement will be allowed when:
a) It ~s evident that transportation by commerical carr~er
is ~mposs~ble or irnpract~cal or~
b) There is a need for a veh~cle en route or at destination
and prior approval for the use of a private car 1S granted.
c) Those employees using the~r pr~vate automobiles ~~ll be
reimbursed for those miles traveled at the rate of 22.5 cents per
m~le as spec~fied in the City's Resolut~on Number 6161 or the
amount of an ind~vidual coach a~r fare, whichever ~s the lesser
amount. When more than one employee ~s traveling ln the same
vehlcle, the mileage reimburseMent wl1l be pald to (1) person.
d) The employee will not be reimbursed for addltional
lodglng and subs~stence expense caused by d~fferential of travel
time by automobile.
4. City automobl1e usage wll1 be allowed for authorized
employees. Out-of-pocket expenses such as gas and oil, are
reimbursable provided receipts are submitted wlth the Statement
of Travel Expense (Exhib~t B).
S. Rail travel will be allowed, not to exceed the round
trip coach a~r fare.
6. Prior approval may be granted for use of a rental
vehicle at the destinatlon of offlclal business, if it 1S deemed
necessary.
B. Lodging - Reimbursement for lodging wlll be the amount
of reasonable accommodations for single occupancy at the hotel or
motel specified for the meetlng, conference or seWlnar, or an
equivalent alternatlve if such accow~odations are not aVa~lable.
C. Allowance - It is recognlzed that certaln elected and/or
apPolnted representatives may incur extraordinary expenses due to
personal circumstances while on official business (i.e. child
care; expenses due to a disability). Accordingly, an allowance
of $20.00 per day may be allowed if approved in advance by the
r~spec~ive advisory or elected body.
Subject: TRAVEL POLICY
Number:
Effective Date:
Page: 3
of 7
D. Meals - Meals shall be relrnbursed for days actually
spent on City bUSlness and for time spent in travel.
ReiMbursement will be computed at actual cost. However, it is
recognized that acquisltlon of receipts is not always feasible,
pa~ticularly in group situations. Therefore, receipts wll1 not
be requlred for meals. The speclflc amount spent and the date of
those expend1tures should be noted and attached to the Statement
of Travel Expense form. As a general gu~del~ne, the following
~anges are consldered acceptable for each meal.
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
$ 6.00
10.00
20.00
Total
$36.00
The $36.00 amount ~s cons~dered a ceiling, not an
entitlement. Expenses should be reasonable and within tne
purpose and scope of this Adm1nistrative Instruction.
In no event wl11 relmbursement be approved for a single meal
in excess of $20.00. Alcoholic beverages w1ll not be considered
a re1mbursable Meal expense.
It 15 recognized that certaln elected =epresentatlves and
sane execut1ve Istaff members may lncur entertainment expenses
(meals) in the course of offlcial City bus1ness. These expenses
should be reasonable and withln the purpose and scope of thlS
ACffilnistrat1ve Instruct1on.
E. Conference, Meetina Expenses - ReGistration and/or
-'.. '"
co~ference fees shall be rel~bursed at actual cost. Materlals
WhlCh may be required for partlc1pation nay also be considered a
reiDbursable expense.
F. Other Miscellaneous Expenses - Expenses included in thlS
classification must be ite~ized ana clearly show~ as related
business expenses, such as the cost of necessary phone calls to
City Hall.
G. Commission Expenses - It 1S the general policy of the
Clty that travel expenses will not be budgeted for COIT~lSSloners.
I
\
Subject: TRAVEL P LICY
Number:
Effe ctive Date:
Pa ge: 4
of 7
If unusual circumstances occur and ~t is felt by a cornm~ss~or.
that a travel request should be authorized then specific approval
must be obtained from the City Council. This approval may be
granted dur1ng the annual budget adoption process. This pol~cy
is consistent wlth the City Charter Article X, Appo~ntlve Boards
and COMmissions, Seetlon 1006, which states that reimbursement
for travel on offlcial buslness will occur when the travel 1S out
of the City on order of the City Councl1.
H. Travel Advance - A travel advance covering
transportat1on, lodging, meals and/or registration fees may be
requested on the Travel Advance Form (Exhibit A). The amounts
requested should be reasonably equivalent to the expected actual
costs. All advances wl1l be charged to the traveler rather than
a departmental budget account. It 1S necessary for the traveler
to subP1i-:. a complete Travel Expense Statement to "clear" any
advances.
I. Offlcial Travel Relmbursement - Submisslon of the
Statement of Travel Expense (Exh~bit B) will he required with1n
seven days upon returning from a bUSlness trlp so that the
acccount for that particular employee or representat~ve cf the
City may be reconciled. Receipts to be attached ~nclude, but are
not limited to those for:
1) ~ransportatlon
2) Lodging
3) Registration Fees
4) Meals
The individual will be reimbursed for actual allowable costs
incurred during an offlcial business trip.
IV. PROCEDURES ~~D RESPONSIBILITIES
The City Manager 1S responsible for ~nsuring compliance with
the policies and procedures set forth withln this document, ~~th
the assistance of the City Council, CO~~lsssions, Department
Heads and the Finance Director. Responsibility also extencs to
each City employee or representative of the City who requests and
partlclpates in official travel. Specific responsibillties anc
procedures at tbe various approval levels follow:
Subject:
TRAVEL POLICY
Effective Date:
Procedure
1. Travel budget
requests are submltted by the
Department Head in the budget
process and/or to the Clty
Manager, as approprlate.
2, Travel
requests are adopted
of the annual budget.
budget
as part
.,
""'.
Upon adoptlon of Clty
Department heads are
whether the1r
travel budget
were approved as
budget,
notlfied
respec:tlve
requests
s u brlJ.. t t e d .
4.
Upon adoption of City
employees are notlfled
their travel budget
were approved as
budget,
whether
:requests
submitted.
S. Prior to finaliz1ng
arra~gements for any approved
"bUS1ness travel, the
respective authority should be
consulted to insure that an
absence 1S still appropriate
lD llght of work load and
other prloritles.
6. Travel Advance
~equests are to be subwitted
fourteen (14) days prior to
date of use, or at the
earllest poss1ble date prlo=
to travel. Attach conference
flyer, registration form, and
appllcable requests for
warra~t(s) designating to who~
Number:
Page: 5
of 7
Responsible Person(s)
Emp loyee
Head
and/or
Department
City Council
Clty Manager
Department Heads
'I'raveler
Travel advance requests made
by C~ty employees are to be
rev~ewed and approved by
DepartMent heads. Tr~vel
Advance Requests trade by
Department Reads and appointed
and elected offic1als are
reviewed and approved by the
Cl. ty r-:anager
Subject: TRAVEL POLICY
Effective Date:
the travel advance will be
~ssued (conference, air
carrier, hotel, traveler,
et c. ) .
7. After rev~ew and
approval by the DepartMent
Head or City Manager, a
travel advance request it is
forwarded to the D~rector of
F~nance for final approval and
processing.
8. The
warrants
reglstration,
are issued.
is created).
necessary
for travel,
accommodations
(A pending fJ.le
9. A Statement of Travel
Expense is completed upon
returning from an officlal
bUSlness trip. ThlS should be
done wlthin seven days of
return. If a repayment is
due, the excess advance should
be submltted at thlS time.
(see Exhib~ t B).
10. The Statement of
Travel Expense is reviewed and
approved by ~~e appropriate
individual and forwarded to
the Director of Finance for
flnal approval and process~ng.
11. The Statement of
Travel Expense is audlted and
adJusted with the prevlously
submitted Travel Advance
Request to: (1) Determine ~f
expendltures are supported by
recelpts and are wlthin the
Department
Manager
Number:
Pa ~e: 6
......
Head
or
Flnance Director
Traveler
DepartMent
Hanager
Head
Finance Dlrector
of
7
Clty
or
City
Subject: TRAVEL POLICY
Number:
Effective Date:
Page: 7
guidelines set forth In the
POllCY; (ii) Collect advance
lssued In excess of actual
expenses or issue warrant to
e~loyee for expenses, or any
expense exceeding advance
request.
This lS the flnal review
and approval. The penclng
flle is closed.
v. FORMS
1. Travel Advance Request (Exhiblt A)
2. Statement of Travel Expense (Exhlblt B)
VI. SOURCES OF ADDITIONAL INFOR~~TION
1. City Resoluton No. 6161
2. Management Services and/or Finance Department staff
3. City Charter, Article X, Section 1005
'.
Authorize<i by:
John g Alschuler
Clty Hanager
.....
of 7
e
e
EXHIBIT A
CITY OF SJL~TA MONICA
OFFICIAL TRAVEL ADVANCE REQUEST
--
DATE
~n accordance with the pollcles of the Clty as set forth
In the Administratlve Instruction, Offlcial Travel,
authorization to attend conference, meeting, or conventlon
is hereby requested.
Name
Department
NaMe of conference, meetlng Locatlon
or convention
Dates: From To , lnclusive
Make Check Payable to:
Payee and Address
Details of TRAVEL ADVAKCE
1. Registration Fee
s
2. 7ransportation
3. Lodging
4. Meals
5. Total Advanced
s
6.
Employee Signature
Date
7.
Approval af Department HeadjClty Manager
Date
8.
F1nal ?unding - Director of F1nance
Acir.llnistra tlon
Date
,
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