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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/14/2006, C5 - TRAVEL AND MEETING GUIDELINES UPDATE council M°ng°� 11_14.06 j, acEnc)a RepoRt 'w.N..h� ds CITY O F SAN LUIS O B I S P O FROM: Bill Statler, Director of Finance& Information Technology^PA9-'- SUBJECT- TRAVEL AND MEETING GUIDELINES UPDATE CAO RECOMMENDATION Adopt a resolution updating the City's travel and meeting guidelines. DISCUSSION Set forth in Section 301 of the City's Financial Management Manual, the City's travel and meeting guidelines were last reviewed by the Council in November 2000. Given the passage of time since then, combined with the recent adoption of AB 1234 (which sets expense requirements for elected .. officials and advisory body members), it is timely to While AB 1234 only applies to review them again. . Council and advisory body members, its provisions make As outlined below, very few revisions are included in the sense for travel, meeting and attached update; and in many cases, they simply mmol costs for all City employees. As such, instead of formalize our existing practices. Moreover, except in a adopting separate guidelines just handful of cases, the revisions do not eliminate any for Council members,the existing policies: they primarily supplement them. revised guidelines apply to all City employees. Allowable Expenses As discussed in this report, very few"tweaks"to our current AB 1234 requires that travel guidelines need to articulate guidelines are needed to meet allowable expenses. The proposed update includes the AB 1234 requirements. And surprisingly enough, the State following guidelines for reimbursable activities: requirements actually make sense;and in many cases, 1. Communicating with representatives of regional, simply provide an opportunity to state and national government on City adopted policy better document existing practices.ractices. Z. Serving on professional organization or governmental committees, boards or taskforces. 3. Attending educational seminars, conferences or organized educational activities designed to improve skill levels or provide information on topics important to City policy and operations. 4. Preparing research for City projects or implementing adopted City plans, policies, goals or programs. S. Attending meetings involving activities or decisions important to City interests, consistent with adopted plans,policies, goals or.programs. G Travel and Meeting Guidelines Update Page 2 6. Attending events where the City is a formal sponsor or participant, or in performance of official duties for the City. 7. Communicating with individuals or representatives of community groups on policy positions adopted by or under consideration by the City. 8. Recognizing volunteer or employee service to the City. 9. Engaging in other business related activities with a direct connection to the implementation of adopted City plans,policies, goals or programs. Government or Group Transportation and Lodging Rates AB 1234 requires that the legislative body"use government and group rates offered by a provider of transportation or lodging services for travel and lodging when available." This has always been the City's practice, but we have formalized this in the guidelines as follows: 1. In the section addressing travel costs for common carvers: It is the City's policy to use discounted government or sponsoring group rates for transportation whenever these are offered and available. 2. In the section regarding the need to make adequate advance reservations: Additionally, you should also ask about any discounted government or group rates; and use them if they are offered and available. Sponsored Lodging Costs AB 1234 requires that "lodging costs shall not exceed the maximum group rate published by the conference or activity sponsor." This has always been the City's practice, but AB 1234 provides an opportunity to formalize it. Accordingly, the following policy has been added to the proposed update: When conference or training sponsors have made arrangements for lodging, you should stay at one of these facilities and the cost should not exceed the maximum group rate published by them. In the event that rooms are not available at one these facilities, you should stay at a comparable facility at a comparable cost, not to exceed the maximum group rate published by the sponsor. Receipts The City's current guidelines require receipts in most cases (and as a practice, they are submitted in virtually all cases). However, AB 1234 requires that receipts be submitted for all expenses. Accordingly, the proposed update says: es'- z Travel and Meeting Guidelines Update Page 3 Receipts must be submitted for all expenses. In the event that receipts are not available, you must provide a written explanation of the circumstances as to why this is the case and reason you incurred this expense. Meal Guidelines AB 1234 requires that the City either adopt "reasonable" reimbursement rates or use rates adopted by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). On one hand, there are several advantages in simply adopting the IRS meal allowances by reference. However, in researching this, IRS rates not only vary by State, but by regions within each state as well. For California alone, there are 49 distinct reimbursement amounts, varying by region or season. Managing reimbursements and ensuring compliance with these amounts (which are subject to periodic change) would present significant administrative challenges. As such, we recommend continuing with our current policy of setting reasonable reimbursement rates in our travel and meeting guidelines. On the other hand, we have not modified our rates for six years, and as such, some modification is warranted simply to account for the passage of time. In this case, IRS guidelines are helpful in assessing a reasonable adjustment. The following summarizes current IRS daily meal allowance for the regions in California most frequently traveled by City employees and officials: Los Angeles $64 San Francisco $64 Monterey $64 Santa Barbara $59 Sacramento $59 San Jose $59 San Diego $64 As reflected above, these range from $59 to $64, for a "mid-range" of$60 per day. While the City's current guidelines are not set on a "per day" basis, but per meal, the comparable total is $50 per day. Accordingly, we recommend the following change in the City's meal guidelines Current Proposed Breakfast $10 $10 Lunch 15 15 Dinner 25 35 Total $50 $60 As noted above, these are not daily guidelines, but per meal; and receipts must be submitted for all meal costs. Local Meeting and Training Costs The City's existing guidelines address reimbursements for local meeting and meal costs. However, as part of our comprehensive evaluation of our current policies (aside from those required by AB 1234), we concluded that more policy guidance in this area was warranted. �s-3 Travel and Meeting Guidelines Update Page 4 Accordingly, we recommend the following addition to the section on local meeting and training costs: 1. Meals not incurred as part of out-of-area or overnight travel are limited to activities outside of normal duties, such as business-related meetings held before or after regular working hours (including working lunches where this is the only time available) or extended overtime due to special projects or emergencies. 2. Meal reimbursements are not allowed as part of routine daily work assignments or training within City limits, unless part of the registration cost or the meal is served on as part of the program to keep all participants together and not have them disperse for meals. 3. Meals incurred during training held outside the City limits are only allowable when the training(including travel time)spans the normal meal period. For example, if training is held outside of the City limits from 9:00 until 10:30 AM at a location that is an hour away from the City, meal costs for lunch would not be reimbursable. However, meal costs for lunch under similar circumstances where the training is held from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM would be reimbursable. 4. Reimbursement for meal costs in these circumstances are subject to the City's meal cost guidelines for overnight travel. Final Version of the Guidelines To facilitate the Council's review of the proposed update, any deletions to the current guidelines (attached to the adopting resolution) are smack-through (and there are very few of these); and any additions are underlined. Following Council adoption, these"annotations" will be dropped from the final version of the resolution signed by the Mayor and filed with the City Clerk. FISCAL IMPACT There are no significant impacts associated with implementing the revised guidelines. SUMMARY Given the six years that have passed since the Council last reviewed the City's travel and meeting guidelines, and the goal of meeting AB 1234 requirements for Council members in an organization-wide context, the proposed changes are very modest; and in most cases, simply formalize existing practices. ATTACHMENT Resolution updating the City's travel and meeting guidelines G:Manuals/Financial Management Manual/Section 300/Section 301—Travel and Meeting Guidelines/Council Agenda Report (f ATTACHMENT I RESOLUTION NO. (2006 Series) A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO UPDATING TRAVEL AND MEETING GUIDELINES WHEREAS, the City of San Luis Obispo reimburses its officials and employees for travel and business expenses incurred by them in the course of their duties in accordance with adopted travel and meeting guidelines; and WHEREAS, the Council last updated the City's travel and meeting guidelines in November 2000; and WHEREAS, it is timely to update these guidelines to reflect current conditions, improved procedures and State law. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of San Luis Obispo that Resolution No. 9126 is hereby rescinded and the attached Travel and Meeting Guidelines are hereby adopted. Upon motion of , seconded by and on the following roll call vote: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: the foregoing resolution was adopted on November 14, 2006. Mayor David F. Romero ATTEST: Audrey Hooper, City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM: Jo t . Lowell, City Attorney �s S WIT "App Section 301 TRAVEL • s MEETING GUIDELINES OVERVIEW These guidelines establish the basic policies and procedures for travel on City business or attendance at meetings by all employees and officials. Everyone who travels or attends meetings for City business purposes (or supervises someone who does) is responsible for knowing and following these guidelines. These guidelines are organized into the following eight sections: 1. General Standards 2. Allowable Expenses 3. Planning an Official Trip 4. Travel Authorizations 5. Making the Trip 6. Incurring Non-Travel Expenses 7. Accounting for Expenses 8. Completing Travel Authorizations and Expense Reports The key document in the administrative process is the Travel Authorization/Expense Report (TA). Besides ensuring that travel by City employees and officials is conducted in accordance with these guidelines, the TA summarizes the total cost of attending conferences, meetings, and seminars and provides documentation for cash advances, vendor payments and credit card purchases. General instructions for completing and processing this form are also included in these guidelines. Adoption and Implementation. The Council is responsible for adopting the City's travel and meeting guidelines and for approving any significant policy revisions to them. The CAO is responsible for developing administrative procedures as needed to implement the guidelines. In this role, the CAO is authorized to make minor administrative changes in the guidelines as long as they are intended to carryout the purpose of these guidelines and will not have any significant policy impacts. O GENERAL STANDARDS These guidelines do not require you to take a bus, stay in a cheap motel or eat only in fast food restaurants. A bus or a train may cost less than a plane, but the added time away from work may make these slower options more expensive to the City overall. The meal allowances established in these guidelines allow you to eat in moderately priced restaurants. In all areas, not just economy, you are responsible for exercising good judgment in requesting, arranging and making a trip. It should be thoroughly planned, well in advance. You should not mix personal business with official business if it will cost the City anything in dollars or lost time, or if it will harm the City's interests in any way. e.5--6 301-1 r C Travel and Meeting Guidelines These guidelines are not intended to address every issue, exception or contingency that may arise in the course of City travel or attendance at meetings. Accordingly, the basic standard that should always prevail is to exercise good judgment in the use and stewardship of the City's resources. © ALLOWABLE EXPENSES Expenses incurred in connection with the following activities generally constitute authorized expenses, as long as the other guidelines of this policy are met, including good judgment in the use and stewardship of the City's resources. 1. Communicating with representatives of regional, state and national government on City adopted policy positions. 2. Serving on professional organization or governmental committees, boards or task forces. 3. Attending educational seminars, conferences or organized educational activities designed to improve skill levels or provide information on topics important to City policy and operations. 4. Preparing research for City proiects or implementing adopted City plans, policies, goals or programs. 5. Attending meetings involving activities or decisions important to City interests, consistent with adopted plans, policies, goals or programs. 6. Attending events where the City is a formal sponsor or participant, or in performance of official duties for the City. 7. Communicating with individuals or representatives of community groups on policy positions adopted by or under consideration by the City. 8. Recognizing volunteer or emplovee service to the City. 9. Engaging in other business related activities with a direct connection to the implementation of adopted City plans, policies, Foals or programs. © PLANNING AN OFFICIAL TRIP How will you travel? When planning the transportation portion of your trip, you should consider all aspects of cost to the City—daily expenses, overtime, lost work time—as well as actual transportation costs. In general, common carrier (such as bus, train or plane) is the preferred mode of transportation. You should use an intercity bus, train or airplane unless there is a valid reason for using private transportation. For example, use of a City vehicle—especially if two or more employees or officials are traveling together—may be less expensive for travel within the State. However, as noted above, the increased time for automobile transportation—and the potential for lost work C.S' 7 301-2 c EXHIBIT 17 Travel and Meeting Guidelines time, overtime, or increased lodging costs—should be considered in determining the best mode of transportation. Transportation at Your Destination. If you need local transportation at your destination, use of public transit such as buses, streetcars and subways is appropriate: the City will reimburse you for these expenses. The City will also reimburse you for taxis when public transit or other common carriers are not reasonably available. If a car rental is required, you may use a City credit card or request reimbursement when you return (see Section 275 of the Financial Management Manual regarding It is the City's policy to use guidelines and procedures for using City credit cards). discounted government or sponsodnq -group rates for Air Travel. All air travel on Ci business should be transportation whenever these City are offered and available. coach class. Traveling by Automobile. If you will be driving, you should use a City vehicle if one is available. You may use a City credit card to purchase gasoline or request reimbursement when you return. If a City vehicle is not available, or there is another reason why you should drive your personal car, you may do so with the approval of your department head. You will be reimbursed at the currently approved per mile rate(see Section 350 of the Financial Management Manual). The following intercity mileages provided by the Automobile Club of Southern California may be used: City One-Way Mileage City One-Way Mileage Anaheim 227 Sacramento 286 Bakersfield 137 San Diego 324 Fresno 138 San Francisco 231 Los Angeles 201 San Jose 188 Monterey 148 Santa Barbara 108 Oakland 228 Santa Maria 30 Additionally, you may also use third party sources such as"Yahoo Maps" in determining mileage reimbursements. To drive a privately owned vehicle on City business you must: 1. Possess a valid California driver's license. 2. Carry liability insurance limits required by the City's Risk Management Manual. 3. Realize that any damage to the car, needed service or repair occurring on the trip will be your responsibility, as these costs are included in the City's per mile cost reimbursement. 301-3 I �' aHIBIT "A" Travel and Meeting Guidelines Mileage in-Lieu of Common Carrier Costs. In the event that a common carrier would otherwise be the preferred mode of transportation, but you will use a personal car instead (subject to the approval guidelines set forth above), you will not be reimbursed more than the common carrier cost. When will you go? By what route? You should schedule your trip so that you leave at the latest reasonable hour and still arrive at your destination on time. You should also return promptly when your business is finished, thereby minimizing the time away from work and ensuring full reimbursement of all related expenses. You should generally take the most direct and commonly traveled routes. Other routes may be authorized when official business requires their use. If you take an indirect route or stop along the way for personal reasons, the City will not reimburse you for related expenses. What about compensation for travel time? When travel time exceeds your normal workweek, the City's rules for overtime apply. In determining overtime compensation, normal commute time should be deducted from the total travel time. Additionally, normal unpaid meal periods are not considered work time when you are traveling. Overtime eligibility applies equally to drivers and passengers, and should be granted whether the travel occurs during normal workdays, weekends or evenings. Where will you stay? The City will pay for a single room (including taxes and parking) for as many nights as necessary. The accommodations you use should be economical but practical. For example, it is preferable to stay at the hotel where a conference is held, even if that hotel may be slightly more expensive than others in the area. Location is also important: a hotel close to where you will be conducting business may be slightly more expensive than outlying hotels, but it may be .. -. easier to achieve the City's travel goals by When conference or training sponsors staying at the closer location. In general, you have made arrangements for lodging, you should stay at the most reasonably priced should stay at one of these facilities and accommodations available consistent with the the cost should not exceed the maximum purpose and goals of your travel. group rate published by them. In the event that rooms are not available If you have a question about using a particular at one these facilities. you should stay at hotel, obtain concurrence or direction from a comparable.facility at-a comparable. your department head before making a cost, not to exceed the maximum group reservation. rate published by the sponsor. Should you make reservations? Whenever possible, you should make reservations. They are often required for large conferences. You can use a City credit card number to confirm reservations. Be sure to cancel any reservations you will not use. If the City is charged for an unused reservation, you will pay that charge unless circumstances requiring cancellation were reasonably beyond your control. 301-4 T "All Travel and Meeting Guidelines WH When making lodging reservations, be sure to ask about exemptions from the local transient occupancy tax (TOT): some cities exempt travelers on City business, others don't. If there is an exemption, you can save up to 15% on lodging costs depending on the local TOT rate. Almost all lodging operators will require an official, written claim for exemption. A sample for this purpose is provided in Exhibit A. Additionally,you should also ask about any discounted izovernment or grout/ rates; and use them if they are offered and available. O TRAVEL AUTHORIZATIONS TA's are required whenever the total estimated cost will exceed $200 or overnight accommodations will be required. Otherwise, credit cards or the City's standard voucher system may be used to request vendor payments or expense reimbursements. Department head approval of TA's is required, and out-of-state travel requires the further approval of the CAO. The first page of the completed TA and accompanying voucher requests should be submitted to your department head as far in advance as possible. The reverse side of the TA will be used when you return to account for your actual travel expenses. Department heads approving TA's are responsible for determining that the cost is reasonable and justified by the trip's purpose. They should be certain that: 1. The purpose cannot be accomplished by mail or telephone. 2. The seminar, meeting or conference is necessary to accomplish key City goals and objectives and is unavailable locally if overnight accommodations are required. 3. The minimum number of City staff members are going. 4. The itinerary ensures accomplishment of the purpose at the lowest reasonable cost. 5. The traveler understands and follows these guidelines. 6. There is enough money in the appropriate travel budget to cover the costs. Ultimately, the responsibility for following these guidelines and exercising good judgment in the use and stewardship of the City's resources rest with each City employee and official incurring travel, meeting or meal costs on City business. Requests for Cash in Advance and Payments to Vendors The City will pay all legitimate expenses of your trip or meeting. These include transportation, lodging, registration fees, meals and any other related expenses such as parking, baggage handling and telephone costs if they are for official business and fit within these guidelines. There are three ways to pay for travel expenses: direct vendor payments, cash advances/reimbursements and credit cards. Direct vendor payments are made by the City to an organization to pay for specific costs related to a trip—usually registration fees, lodging and 301-5 Cs/o � C; C 66 99 Travel and Meeting Guidelines EXHIBIT . airfare. Cash advances are lump sum payments made to you before you leave to cover expenses as they arise on the trip; and reimbursements (or refunds to the City) are processed after your travel is completed. Credit cards are issued pursuant to the City credit card policy (Section 275 of the Financial Management Manual). If you request a cash advance, your department head must review the amount to be sure it is reasonable. When you return, you must account for all expenses you incurred, and return the unused portion of the advance. You will be reimbursed the difference if the actual, authorized expenses you incurred exceed the amount advanced. To obtain either direct vendor payments or a cash advance, you must complete the appropriate sections of the TA and attach payment vouchers for all payments (including cash advances). You should also attach a copy of the approved CAO transmittal report (if required). You should retain a copy of the completed TA (both sides) because you will need it when you return to reconcile and account for your actual expenses. TA Forms The TA Form is available as an Excel file on the City's Intranet. 4 ]MAKING THE TRIP There are two key"golden rules" to remember about making an official trip: 1. Keep it official. 2. Keep records for all expenses. Keeping It Official If you take time away from official business for personal matters, or if you delay your return after completing your business, you will not be reimbursed for expenses incurred during that time. When combining business and personal travel in this manner, department head approval is required. If this extended period occurs during your regular scheduled work hours, the time will be counted as vacation, comp time(if available) or leave without pay. If you become sick and must delay your return, you will be reimbursed for your additional living expenses (except those directly related to your illness, such as physician or hospital costs) until you are able to return home. You should notify your supervisor as soon as possible if you become ill. The time will be counted as sick leave if it occurs during your normally scheduled work hours, and the City's normal sick leave rules will apply. And lastly, all expenses must be incurred in accordance with the guidelines set forth in this policy. Keeping Records for All Expenses As discussed below under Accounting for Expenses, you must maintain a detailed record of all expenses incurred during your travel: meals, transportation, lodging, baggage handling, parking 301-6 L',S=i/ � AL tc-AUff 66A" Travel and Meeting Guidelines fees, registration fees, telephone (including reasonable calls to communicate home) and any other reasonable and necessary expenses. Receipts must be submitted for all expenses. -dual e*pease of$25.00 er . f All i,,,a. ing expenses re .,.moss of eest In the event that receipts are not available, You must provide a written explanation of the circumstances as to why this is the case and reason you incurred this expense. Meal Guidelines The following amounts (including beverages, taxes and gratuities) are allowed for meals: Breakfast $10.00 Lunch 15.00 Dinner 35.00 25.00 As noted above, receipts are required for all meal costs. Because of reimbursement limitations by other agencies (such as P.O.S.T) or other budget constraints, department heads may authorize lower meal allowances. Any reimbursements exceeding these allowances require approval by the department head. In the event that there are conflicts between these guidelines and Memorandums of Agreement (MOA) with employee associations, the MOA will apply. If meals are provided without charge at a meeting or while in transit (meals served on a plane, for example), meal costs will not be reimbursed. O INCURRING NON-TRAVEL EXPENSES Special Events. The City will reimburse expenses incurred for such meetings and hospitality as may, from time to time, be determined by the Council to be appropriate. Costs for such special occasions will be determined by specific Council action authorizing such events. Local Meeting and Training Costs. The City will also reimburse expenses you incur in attending meetings or conferences held locally which do not include travel expenditures, subject to the following guidelines: 1. Meals not incurred as part of out-of-area or overnight travel are limited to activities outside of normal duties, such as business-related meetings held before or after regular working hours (including working lunches where this is the only time available) or extendedovertimedue to special proiects or emergencies.. 2. Meal reimbursements are not allowed as part of routine daily work assignments or training within City limits, unless part of the registration cost or the meal is served on site as part of the program to keep all participants together and not have them disperse for meals. e� 301-7 �I 66 I Travel and Meeting Guidelines 3. Meals incurred during training held outside the City limits are only allowable when the training(including travel time) spans the normal meal period. For example, if training is held outside of the City limits .from 9:00 until 10:30 AM at a location that is an hour away from the.City, meal costs for lunch would not be reimbursable. However, meal costs for lunch under similar circumstances where the training is held from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM would be reimbursable. 4. Reimbursement for meal costs in these circumstances are subject.to the City's meal cost guidelines for overnight travel. Other Expenses. The City will reimburse you for costs incurred while at a meeting or other function when such costs are directly linked to the program or subject matter of the meeting. Examples of costs that may be borne by the City include printed materials, tapes or other training material that may be available for sale at the meeting. Alcoholic Beverages City funds should not be used to purchase alcohol or reimburse employees for alcohol related costs. The Council or CAO may approve exceptions to this policy on a case-by-case basis for special receptions or other unique circumstances. This discretion applies primarily to non-travel related expenditures such as special receptions, and not to routine travel or meetings by City employees. Spouses and Guests Spouses and guests are welcome to accompany you on City travel and at conferences, seminars and meetings. However, any additional costs associated with the participation of your spouse or other guests are your responsibility. Exceptions to this policy include the annual League of California Cities dinner and any other occasions as specifically approved by the Council. Guests As Passengers in City Vehicles. Due to liability concerns, non-City employees should not ride as passengers in City vehicles when it is not directly related to City business. However, department heads may approve exceptions on a case-by-case basis, subject to review by the Risk Manager. O ACCOUNTING FOR EXPENSES When you return from your trip or official function, a final accounting of all expenses must be approved by your department head and submitted to Finance within ten working days. An expense report is required in all cases—whether the advance and actual expenses are equal, you are eligible for additional reimbursement or you owe money to the City. e"5w 1,3 301-8 0 ��—t 199 flmu Travel and Meeting Guidelines The final accounting is made by completing the Travel Expense Report section on the reverse side of the TA. After completing the expense report, you should attach required receipts, sign the report attesting to its accuracy and submit it to your department head for review and approval. If you owe the City for the unused balance of a cash advance, you should pay the amount due to the cashier at your location and attach the cash register receipt to your expense report. A completed Travel Expense Report is required for the employee's vendor file, even when a trip does not have an employee advance or reimbursement because all payments were made via direct voucher or credit card. Department heads approving expense reports are responsible for ensuring that: 1. All expenses are reasonable, necessary and consistent with these guidelines. 2. Any required receipts are attached. 3. The final disposition is correct (balance due employee;balance due City). 4. Any amounts due to the City are reimbursed. 5. Final accounting of all expenses is submitted to Finance. Upon approval by your department head, the expense report should be processed as follows depending upon the circumstances: If the City Owes You The expense report should be forwarded to Finance along with a voucher request for payment to you; the reimbursement will be processed on the next check register. If You Owe the City The expense report should be forwarded to Finance with the cash register receipt attached evidencing payment of the amount due. Processing Related Vouchers All travel related costs require payments to vendors via vouchers, whether it is direct payments to vendors (such as to the conference provider for registration or hotel for lodging), credit payments or reimbursements to employees. To ensure appropriate documentation for all such payments, copies of the TA or Travel Expense Report must accompany all vouchers as follows: 1. Vouchers Processed Before Travel Occur& The TA must be attached to all related vouchers. 2. Vouchers Processed After Travel Occurs. The Travel Expense Report must be attached to all related vouchers. Note: When CAO approval is required, documentation of this must also be attached to all related vouchers. 301-9 �� /� Travel and Meeting Guidelines 0 COMPLETING TRAVEL AUTHORIZATIONS AND EXPENSE REPORTS The following charts and tables provide an overview of the City's travel procedures, instructions for completing the TA and Expense Report forms, and completed samples. Approved by the Council on November 14,2006(Resolution No. ) 301-10 �� /� �J C. "L"HI IT "All Travel and Meeting Guidelines OVERVIEW OF TRAVEL PROCEDURES Traveler a Consult with Department Head on the need for travel. • Plan itinerary,transportation&lodging. • Complete Travel Authorization(TA);attach vouchers for employee cash advance(if needed)and each direct vendor payment requested. Department Head • Review TA for conformance with City travel guidelines STEP I and department priorities. Travel Authorization • Verify that adequate funding exists in the appropriate travel budget to cover all costs. • Approve TA,provide a copy to the employee and submit to Finance for payment processing. Finance • Make cash advance and vendor payments. • File TA in employee's vendor file. Traveler • Complete and submit expense report section of the TA accounting for all expenses to the Department Head within 10 working days after completion of travel. • Attach any required receipts. • Sign report attesting to its accuracy. • Pay cashier at your location and attach cash register receipt if a balance is due to the City. STEP 2 Department Head • Review expense report for conformance with City Expense Reporting travel guidelines. • Verify accuracy of balances and disposition. • Approve expense report,make a copy for departmental records and submit to Finance;attach voucher request if funds are due to the employee. Finance • File expense report in employee's vendor file and process any payment due to the employee if requested. 301-11 Travel and Meeting Guidelines COMPLETING THE TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION OVERVIEW Appropriate vouchers, purchase orders or credit card requests should be attached to The Travel Authorization (TA) form should be the TA when it is submitted to Finance for prepared whenever the total estimated cost of processing. travel is more than $200 or overnight lodging is required. 4. Itinerary. Summarizes when and where the employee will be traveling. The TA is a two-sided form: the front side provides for approval of the travel, summarizes 5. Approvals. Provides a signature box for the cost, and provides documentation for any the employee and approval by the cash advance to the employee and direct Department Head. Out-of-state travel payments to vendors; the reverse side is for requires the further approval of the CAO. reporting actual expenses within 10 days after travel is completed and reconciling. TRAVEL EXPENSE REPORT: SIDE 2 Completing the form itself is largely self- For reporting actual expenses upon completion explanatory; and a completed sample is of travel and reconciling this amount to any cash provided for your information. The following advance received, the reverse side of the TA is highlights key areas of the TA form: organized into four major sections: TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION;_ _ SIDE 1 1. Actual Expense Detail. Itemizes actual expenses by type for each day of your trip The front side of the TA is organized into five (spaces are provided for dates and expense major sections: categories not pre-listed). 1. General Information. Identifies who is 2. Mileage Detail—Personal Vehicle. going, where the meeting or conference will Summarizes miles and cost if you were be held, how long the employee will be authorized to use a personal vehicle for the gone,how much it will cost,and the account trip. number that should be charged. 3. Travel Expense Summary. Totals 2. Purpose. Describes the reason for the trip. expenses for the trip and reconciles them with any cash advance received, resulting in 3. Cost and Payment Summary. Outlines either a balance due to the employee or due the estimated cost of the trip by expense to the City. type (registration, transportation, lodging, meals; spaces are provided to add categories 4. Approvals. Provides a signature box for not pre-listed), vendors to whom payment the employee and approval by the will be made (including cash advances to Department Head(and CAO if required). the employee), method of payment (voucher, purchase order, credit card), and amount. A summary is then provided of the payments to be made to the employee, vendors, or by credit card. o5--// 301-12 C ENV "All Travel and Meeting Guidelines My of san Luis osispo Sam le TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION P This form shadd be completedin legible handwriting of in Facel using the City's standard template Employee IDepartment Position James Logan Finance I Finance Manager Destination I No.of Days Account No. I Amount Fresno 3 1 100.25140.7459 $475.00 PURPOSE Attend seminarsponsored by the GFOA on new financial reporting model(GASB 34). COST SUMMARY Description Vendor Payment Method Amount Registration GFOA Voucher 195.00 Air Fare Lodging Holiday Inn Credit card 185.00 Meals Employee Voucher 75.00 Mileage-Personal Vehicle Gasoline-City Vehicle Service Station Credit card 20.00 Rental Car TOTAL 475.00 ITINERARY Departure Date/Time Arrival DateMme San Luis Obis 10/3-9:00 AM Fresno 10/3-Noon Fresno 10/5-5 PM San Luis Obisp 1085-8 PM APPROVALS Employee Date, Supervisor Date I=fcAm 9/15/2003 jurtaMernandez 9/16/2003 Department Head Date CAO(If Required). Date SaraECapeth 9/17/2003 �=Hzdtirw 9/18/2003 Use the reverse side of this farm for reporting actual expenses within 10 working days after yourreturn. e J —/? 301-13 EXHIBIT Travel and Meeting Guidelines MY of san lues ompo Sample TRAVEL EXPENSE REPORT This form should be completed in legible handwriting or in Excel using the City's standard template TRAVEL EXPENSE DETAIL Date Description 10/3 10/4 10/5 TOTAL. Registration 195.00 195.00 Air Fare Lodainiz 96.25 96.25 192.50 Breakfast 10.00 10.00 20.00 Lunch ' 15.00 15.00 Dinner 25.00 ' 22.59 47.59 Gasoline Rental Car Parking 10.00 10.00 20.00 Telephone 1.50 2.25 0.75 4.50 Downtown Shuttle 1.00 1.00 2.00 'Included in registration Receipts must be attached for all lodging expenses and any indiiddual expenses in excess of$25. TOTAL $496.59 MILEAGE DETAIL-PERSONAL VEHICLE Odometer Readings Departure/Destination Starting Mileage Ending Mileage Tri Miles San Luis Obispo to Fresno Per Standard Mileage) 138 Fresno to San Luis Obispo 138 Standard mileage tables provided in the CIO travel Total Miles-Personal Vehicle 276 guidelines may be wed in lieu ofodometer readings Reimbursement a@ $0.360 per mile r $99.36 TRAVEL EXPENSE SUMMARY By signing this expense report.the employee cerntles Total Travel Expenses $595.95 that the amounts listed were incurred in conformance Voucher/Credit Card Purchases 387.50 %*h the 0y's travel guidelines and that no part is Cash Expenses Paid By Employee 208.45 claimed for reimbursement of a personal nature. Cash Advances to Em 10 ee 75.00 Amount Due Employee(City) $133.45 Empl ee Date Department Head Date 'umfW= 10/14/2003 Sara'ELpeth 10/15/2003 301-14 Travel and Meeting Guidelines 111111 11 IIIII Clty of AW MERM San LUIS omsp0 . 990 Palm Street ■ San Luis Obispo,CA 93401 CLAIM FOR EXEMPTION FROM TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX The undersigned claims exemption from paying city transient tax charged for the period from through . The undersigned claims this exemption for who is on official business as an employee of the City of San Luis Obispo. NOTE. Operators of hotels should not accept this application unless the person presenting it shows satisfactory identification. A separate application is required for each occupancy period I declare under penalty of perjury of the laws of the State of California that the foregoing is true and correct: [Signature of Authorizing Official] Sara Elspeth, Date Director of Department ® The City of San Luis Obispo is committed to including disabled persons in all of our services, programs and activities. Telecommunications Device for the Deaf(805)781-7410. 301-15