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HomeMy WebLinkAbout7938RESOLUTION NO 7938 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF REDLANDS ADOPTING AN EXPENSE AND USE OF PUBLIC RESOURCES POLICY Whereas, the City Council (the "Council") of the City of Redlands (the "City") takes its stewardship oN•ei the use of its limited public resources seriously, and Whereas, public i esources should only be used when there is a substantial benefit to the City Council and the City of Redlands. and Whereas, such benefits include (1) the opportunity to discuss the City's concerns with state and federal officials, (2) participating in i egionaI state and national organizations whose activities affect the City, (3) attending educational seminars designed to improve officials' skill and information levels, and (4) promoting public service and moi ale by recognizing such service, and Whereas, (1) legislative and other regional, state and fedei al City business is frequently conducted over meals (2) sharing a meal with regional, state and federal officials is frequently the best opportunity for a more extensive, focused and uninterrupted communication about the City's policy concerns, and (3) each meal expenditure must comply with the limits and reporting requirements of local, state and federal law, and Whereas, this policy has been established to provide guidance to the Council on the use and expenditure of City resources, as well as the standards against which those expenditures will be measured and Whereas, this policy satisfies the requirements of Government Code sections 53232 2 and 53232 3, and Whereas, this policy supplements the definition of actual and necessary expenses for purposes of state laws relating to permissible uses of public i esources, and Whereas, this policy also supplements the definition of necessary and reasonable expenses for purposes of federal and state income tax laws and Whereas this policy also applies to any charges made to a City credit card used by Council members and advances provided to Council members of the City, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Redlands as follows 1 i 1Resolutions\Res 7900 7999/7938 Expense and Use of Public Resources Polio) updated (003).docx Section 1 Authoirzed Expenses City funds, equipment, supplies (including letteihead), titles and staff time must only be used foi authorized City business The following types of expenses generally constitute authorized expenses, piovided the othei requn ements of this policy ai e met A Communicating with representatives of regional state and national government on City adopted policy positions, B Attending educational seminars designed to impiove officials` skill and information Levels, C Participating in iegional, state and national organizations whose acts' sties affect the City's interests, D Recognizing service to the City (foi example, thanking a longtime official oi employee with a retirement gift or celebration of nominal value and cost), E Attending City events, F Implementing a City-appi oved sti ategy foi atti acting oi i etaming businesses to the City of Redlands, which will typically involve at least one staff member, All othei expenditui es, including international and out-of-state travel, i equn e pi ioi appi oval by the City Council. Examples of personal expenses that the City will not reimburse include, but are not limited to A The personal portion of any hip B Political oi charitable contributions or events, C Family expenses, including partner` s expenses when accompanying the Council membei on City -related business, as well as children or pet related expenses, D Entertainment expenses, including theater, movies (either in -room oi at the theatei), sporting events (including gym, massage and/oi golf i elated expenses), of othei cultui al events, E Non -mileage personal automobile expenses, including repairs, traffic citations insurance oi gasoline, and F Alcohol and personal bar expenses and G Personal losses incurred while on City business Ariy questions 1 egarding the propriety of a particular type of expense should be resolved by the City Council before the expense is incuned 2 11Resoluuons\Res 7900-7999\7938 Expense and Use of Public Resources Policy updated (003).docx Section 2 General Standards/Cost Control The intent of this policy is to emphasize economy and piacticality with seasonable subsistence and accommodations while on City business The policy is not intended to address every issue; exception 01 contingency that may arise in the cour se of City ti avel oi attendance at meetings Accordingly, the basic standard that should prevail is to use good judgment m the use and stewardship of City funds Any deviations from the policy should be approved by the City Council To conserve City resources and keep expenses within community standards foi public officials, Council members should adhere to the guidelines provided within this policy Section 3. Piocedures foi Requesting TiainingtTiavel on City Business A Mandatory Use of the TiainingiTiavel Request Form Completion of the Tialning/Travel Form prior to traveling on City business is required whether or not one expects to receive an advance 01 reimbuisement for business related traming%travel expenses Not only does this document serve as authonzation to travel on City business, but it also serves as a summarization of the total cost of attending conferences meetings and seminals, and provides documentation of cash advances vendor payments and credit caid purchases The completed form shouldpiovide a The purpose of the expendituie(s), b The benefits of such expenditure to the City, c The anticipated amount ofthe expenditure(s) (foi example hotel rates, meal costs, and transportation expenses), and d The dates of the expenditure(s) 2 Approval of the training/travel for ni.may be made by the Redlands City Manager or his/hei designee and must be obtained prior to submittal to the Finance Division B Methods of Payment for Tiaining/Travel Expenses 1 The City will pay all legitimate expenses of training!tiavel foi City- ielated business, including transportation, lodging, registration fees, meals, and any other expenses incurred for official City business and in accordance with these guidelines There are four methods of payment that maybeused foi trami.ng/travel- ielated expenses individually oi in combination a Direct payments to \•endois by check may be used to pay for specific costs related to the trip, usually for registration fees, lodging, and airfare b The City does not issue individual credit caids to Council members, however payments by a City credit card may be used to prepay travel expenses, including registration fees, lodging and airfai e, or may be used to cover business expenses as they arise on the trip City credit cards shall not be used for personal expenses, 3 l 1Resolutions\Res 7900 7999\7938 Expense and Use of Pubitc Resources Policy updated (003) docx even if the Council member subsequently reimburses the City e Reimbursement foi out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Council membei is allowed and is preferred to a cash advance foi expenses whei e a specific d.ollai amount is not known m advance d Cash advances may be paid to a Council member prior to his/hertrip to covei expenses expected to ai Ise on the trip Cash advances should only be made for the maximum allowable meal allowance pei day, as defined herein, and any other expenses where the clonal amount is known in advance 1 athei than based on estimation Section 4 Allowable Types of Expenses A Transportation The most economical mode and class of transportation reasonably consistent with scheduling needs and cargo space requirements must be used, using the most direct and trine -efficient route In the event that a moie expensive transportation form 01 route is used the cost borne by the City will be limited to the cost of the most economical, direct, efficient and reasonable transportation form unless otherwise approved by the City Council 1 kny chaige for an unused reservation shall be considered the personal responsibility of the Council member, unless failure to cancel the reservation was due to cn cuinstances beyond the Council member's control Final determination on whethei such an expense becomes the personal responsibility of the Council membei will be made by the City Council ? Automobile mileage is reimbursable at Internal Revenue Service rates presently in effect (see WWW irs gov) These rates are designed to compensate the driver for gasoline, insurance, maintenance, and other expenses associated with opeiating the vehicle This amount does not include bridge and road tolls which are also rerrxlbuisable with receipts 1 Airport parking may be used during travel on official City business and is reimbursable with receipts In accoidance with the intent and standaids set forth in this policy the most economical mode should be used (i e long -teen parking whenevei reasonably practicable) Any other paticing required during the course of official City business is reimbursable with receipts 4 If car rental is required, a Council member may use a City credit caid or receive i eiinbursennent upon return from his/hei trip When determining the type of rental car to be used consideration should be given to the economic standards set forth in this policy and the appropriate use and stewardship of City funds 5 If local ground transportation is needed during a trip, the use of public transit such as airport shuttles buses, streetcars and subways is appropriate Use of hotel courtesy 4 I 1Resolut,ons\Res 7900 7999\7938 Expense and Use of Public Resources Policy updated (003).docx buses and local shuttles is also allowed and encouraged Use of taxis are allowed when other public transit 01 common carriers are not reasonably available Reimbursement iequests may include tips incuned as part of the ground transportation costs Receipts are required If a ieceipt is unavailable, the Council membei shall submit a reimbursement request that includes a rneinoi andum to the Redlands City Manager and Finance Director indicating- the type of ground transportation used. the distance tiaveled, the amount, and the reason a receipt is not being submitted (Note Cash advances for ground transportation will only be given ‘vhen the cost is known and documented prior to travel If amounts are unknown, reimbursement foi out-of-pocket expenses rs appiopnate ) B Lodging Lodging costs v ill be reimbursed or paid foi \A hen travel on official City business reasonably requires an overnight stay If such lodging is in connection with a conference, lodging costs should not exceed the gioup rate published by the conference sponsor foi the meeting in question For overnight stays in other contexts, reasonable rates foi a given ai ea will be reimbursed Consideration will be given to the distance fi om the hotel to the training 01 meeting site Any chai ge for an unused reservation shall be considered the personal responsibility of the Council membei, unless failure to cancel the reservation was due to cncumstances beyond the Council member's contiol Final determination on whethei such an expense becomes the personal responsibility of the Council membei will be made by the City Council C Meals and Incidentals (Pei Diem) Pei Diem ieimbursement will be issued foi meals and incidentals for travel that is fifty (50) miles of more from City Hall The City's per diem rates are based on the U S General Services Administration Guidelines_ which vary by location, and are listed online at www gsa gov In addition to meals, these rates shall govein reimbursement foi incidental expenses such as service tips (e g housekeeping or porter tips) Incidental expenses, unless specifically cited below, will not be reimbursed • The maximum reimbursable giaturties foi meals is twenty percent (20%) of allowable meal expenses and taxes O For the first and last days of. travel, seventy five percent (75%) of the applicable GSA daily per diem rates will apply ® Ef a complimentary meal is served on the plane, included in a conference registration fee, included within a standard, single hotel room rate, 01 ieplaced by a business meal. the pei diem allowance for that meal may not be claimed • Receipts are not required foi pei diem allowances D Telephone/Fax/Cellular City Council members will be reimbursed foi actual telephone and fax expenses rncun ed on City business Telephone bills should identify which calls were made on City business E Other expenses not already discussed in this policy, but reasonably incurred in the course of official City business may be reimbursed with the appi oval of the Redlands City Manager or his/her designee and/or the City Council Appropriate documentation 5 I \Resolutions\Res 7900 7999\7938 Expense and Use of Public Resources Policy updated (003).docx should be provided with the reimbursement request Expenses for which Council members receive reimbuiseinent fiomanothei City are not reimbursable Section 5 Expense Report Content and Submission Deadline A Expense reports must document that the expense rn question met the requn ements of this policy For example. if the meeting is with a legislator, the Council membei should explain whose meals were purchased, what issues were discussed and how those relate to the City's adopted legislative positions and priorities B Council members must submit then expense reports on an Expense Reimbursement Claim Form, whether of not they are receiving reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses or whether they are clearing a cash advance within sixty (60) calendai days from the date the travel/naming- was completed. accompanied by receipts documenting each expense C The Expense Reimbursement Clain? Form should be signed by the Council member(s) whopal trcipated in the traimng/travel, approved by the Redlands City Manager of his her designee and submitted to the Finance Department for review D Following reviewbythe Finance Department, the ExpenseReimbursem ent Claim Form will be returned to the Council membei who will then submit the form to the Ti easurei for cash reimbursement 01 to clear a cash advance E Inability to plcA,ide such documentation in time required by this policy may result m the expense being borne by the Council membei Section 6 Audits of Expense Reports All expenses are subject to verification of compliance with this policy Section 7. Reports to City Council. At the following Council meeting, each Council membei shall bi lefly ieport, eithei veibally 01 by written ieport on meetings attended at City expense If multiple Council members attended the meeting, anoint verbal 01 written report may be made Notice of the report shall be add to the agenda foi purposes of reminding the official to report and foi compliance with the Ralph M Brown Act Section 8 Compliance with Laws Council members should keep in mind that some expenditures may be subject to reporting under the Political Reform Act and other laws All City expenditures ate public records subject to disclosure under the Public Records Act Section 9 Violation of this Policy Use of public resources or falsifying expense reports in violation of this policy may result in any or all of the following (I) loss of reimbursement privileges, (2) a demand foi restitution to the City (3) the City's reporting the expenses as income to the Council membei to state and fedei al tax authorities, (4) civil penalties of up to $1,000 per day and three times the value of the resources used, and (5) prosecution for misuse of public resources 6 I \Resolutions\Res 7900 7999\7938 Expense and Ilse of Public Resources Policy updated (003),doca Section 10. Rescission of Prior Policy Resolution No 6467 of the City Council of the City of Redlands is hereby rescinded ADOPTED, SIGNED AND APPROVED this 19th day of Novernbei, 2019 ATTEST Donaldson, City Clerk 7 i.\Resolutions\Res 7900 7999/7938 Expense and Use of Public Resources Policy updated (003).docx aul W Foster, Mayor I, Jeanne Donaldson, City Clerk of the City of Redlands, hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was duly adopted by the City Council at a regular meeting thereof held on the 19th day of November, 2019, by the following vote AYES Councilmembers Barich, Tejeda, Momberger, Davis, Mayor Foster NOES None ABSENT None ABSTAIN None Donaldson, City Clerk 8 I 1Resolutions\Res 7900 7999\7938 Expense and Use of Public Resources Policy updated (003).docx