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HomeMy WebLinkAbout14-024 Amending the Travel Policy of Personnel Policies Manual Resolution 14-024 RESOLUTION NO. 14-024 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND, WASHINGTON, AMENDING THE TRAVEL POLICY OF THE PERSONNEL POLICIES MANUAL WHEREAS, the City's Personnel Policy Manual was updated in 2011; and WHEREAS,the City desires to update the travel policy of the Personnel Policies Manual to remove Attachment B to the existing travel policy (which contains inconsistent requirements from the Washington State Office of Financial Management travel policy), thereby leaving in place the Washington State Office of Financial Management policy as the City employee's travel policy. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Port Townsend as follows: Section 1. The City of Port Townsend Personnel Policies Manual is hereby amended as outlined in the attached Exhibit"A." Section 2. This Resolution takes effect on its adoption. ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Port Townsend at a regular meeting thereof, held this 19th day of May 2014. LDing, Mayor ` Attest. Approved as to form: Pam Kolacy, MMC John Watts City Clerk City Attorney Resolution 14-024 Exhibit A Page 1 of 3 5.7 TRAVEL EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT City employees and officials will be reimbursed for reasonable and customary expenses incurred in the conduct of their business for the City ("business travel"), including food, lodging and travel expenses while away, but excluding any expenses for personal entertainment and alcoholic beverages. Reimbursement for such expenses will be made subject to conformance with the following: • These policies, • Chapter 42.24 RCW, Payment of Claims for Expenses, Material, Purchases Advancements, and • Chapter 10 - Travel of The State of Washington Administrative & Accounting Manual Issued by the Office of Financial Management ("OFM Travel Manual") (including amendments, as applicable). The City Manager determines applicability and interpretation of the OFM Travel Manual. Terminology references in the OFM Manual are changed as follows: Where OFM Change to - Manual uses - State City Agency Department Travel Expense City form Voucher providing equivalent information State Charge City purchasing Card System card Travel City form Authorization providing equivalent information statute Ordinance or Resolution Director of OFM City Manager The OFM Travel manual is available online at http://access.wa.gov/, then type OFM Travel into the search feature. A specific provision in these policies governs over any conflicting provision in the OFM Resolution 14-024 Exhibit A Page 2 of 3 Manual. Supervisors must approve any employee business travel in.advance. Employees should provide their supervisor with a copy of their itinerary before leaving on business travel. Under normal circumstances, employees should use the most appropriate form of transportation available, book the least expensive fares, and stay in and eat at moderately priced establishments. Employees may use either actual expenses or per diem allowance to seek reimbursement; provided, the department director may designate that reimbursement is limited to actual expenses. Whichever method is used to account for expenses,the maximum the City can reimburse is limited to the per diem amounts in the OFM Travel Manual. Only the City Manager may approve higher travel costs on a case-by-case basis. Employees who know or anticipate that they will have a special request for travel expense reimbursement should ask for approval from their supervisor before incurring the expense. Request for a travel advance must be submitted 10 days prior to departure by submitting the appropriate form to the Finance Department. Any travel expenses considered unreasonable under the circumstances will not be paid or reimbursed and are the employee's personal responsibility. An employee will not be reimbursed for the travel (including lodging and meal) and transportation expenses of his or her spouse, domestic partner, or other non-employee(s) who may accompany the employee. A City-issued credit may be used to cover expenses incident to authorized travel. If an employee with a City-issued credit card uses the credit card for any meal expense,the reimbursement for that meal is limited to the actual expense of the meal up to the maximum amount allowed. The employee must provide receipts documenting any travel expense for which reimbursement is sought. It is prohibited to use a City-issued credit for personal use or purchases. For example, if a City employee is traveling with a spouse, and uses a credit card to pay for a ferry ticket, the card must only be used for the employee's ticket and not the spouse's ticket. Travel during the employee's regularly scheduled hours of work is considered work time (with some exceptions—contact Finance Dept. for information). Work time applies whether the employee is driving or not. Employees are encouraged to car pool to conferences. Requests for reimbursement must be submitted within 30 days of the date expenses are incurred. Meal Reimbursement- No Overnight Stay: Consistent with the OFM Travel Manual (section 10.40.50), the City may authorize the reimbursement of meal expenses incurred during authorized trips that do not involve an overnight stay subject to the following two criteria: Resolution 14-024 Exhibit A Page 3 of 3 1) Three Hour Rule: A traveler may be reimbursed for meal expenses only after the traveler is in travel status for three hours beyond the traveler's regularly scheduled working hours for any one day. The three hours may consist of hours occurring before, after, or a combination of both before and after the traveler's regular scheduled working hours for the day. Example: if the traveler is an 8 hour day employee, they would need to be in travel status for 12 hours (8 hours + 1 hour for lunch+ 3 hour rule.) 2) In Travel Status During the Entire Meal Period: Travelers must be in travel status during the entire agency-determined meal period(s) in order to qualify to collect meal payment for meal(s) (except as provided in OPM Manual Subsection 70.15.10). The traveler may not stop for a meal just to meet the three hour rule. If meals qualify under the above criteria, the City may authorize reimbursement. Where this occurs, the reimbursement will be added to the employee's regular paycheck as the IRS has determined that such reimbursement is subject to federal taxation.