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CC Resolution No. 1392 2640 RESOLUTION NO. 1392 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN, TEXAS, APPROVING THE TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION AND EXPENSE POLICY OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN, TEXAS; AND PROVIDING FOR THE EFFECTIVE DATE THEREOF. WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Baytown, desiring to protect the interest of the City of Baytown, Texas, desires to approve the Travel Authorization and Expense Policy (the "Policy") governing expense allowances to be granted city employees who travel out of the city on city business, and WHEREAS, the Policy complies with the meal and mileage reimbursement changes made by the Internal Revenue Service, NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN, TEXAS: Section 1: That the City Council of the City of Baytown, Texas, hereby approves the City of Baytown's Travel Authorization and Expense Policy,which is attached hereto as Exhibit"A" and incorporated herein for all intents and purposes. The Policy supercedes and controls over all other travel authorization and expense policies, which were in effect prior to the passage of this resolution. Section 2: This resolution shall take effect immediately from and after its passage by the City Council of the City of Baytown. INTRODUCED, READ and PASSED, by the affirmative vote of the City Council of the City of Baytown this the 24' day of June, 1999. PETE C. ALFAR , Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk Myrrta I3ercn er, 0e. (At APPROVED AS TO FORM: ACIO RAMIREZ, S ., C ty Attorney c:k1h177\city council\resolu[ions\TravelPolicyResolution ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION AND EXPENSE POLICY GUIDE PAGE 1. Purpose of the Regulation 3 2. Travel Authorization 3 3. Advance Payments 3 4 Expenses Approved for Reimbursement 3 A. Transportation 4 B. Lodging 5 C. Meals and Tips 5 D. Telephone 5 E. Registration Fees 5 F. Lodging, Meals & Travel Time When Traveling by Personal Automobile 5 G. Other Methods of Reimbursement 5 H. Incidental Expenses 6 I. Non-Allowable Expenses 6 J. Spouse/Family Travel 6 5. Travel Expense Report 6 6. Reimbursement 6 7. Settlement of Advance Payments 6 APPENDIX A: Travel Policy Clarifications 7 I. Travel Authorization 7 II. Expense Report 8 III. Benchmark Reimbursement Rate 10 APPENDIX B: Mileage Reimbursement and Official Mileage Guide I I EXHIBIT A July 1, 1999 Page 1 of 12 SUMMARY OF CHANGES TO TRAVEL POLICY CHANGES EFFECTIVE 07/01/99 The travel policy update includes changes for meals and mileage. There were no other changes made to the policy. ♦ Mileage rate changed from $0.325 per mile to $0.31 per mile. (Appendix B, Page 11) ♦ Daily allowance for meals changed from $28.00 per day to $34.00 and includes tips for meals. (Moved from Page 5 to Appendix B, Page 11) July 1, 1999 Page 2 of 12 ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION AND EXPENSE POLICY 1. Purpose of the Regulation To protect the interest of the City and insure like treatment for all, uniform policies are established to govern expense allowances to be granted City employees and City officials who travel out of the City on City business. 2. Travel Authorization All out-of-the-City travel at the expense of the City shall be made only on authorization of the department head, with approval of the City Manager or one of the Assistant City Managers (City Management). Before making a trip, the City employee must submit a "Travel Authorization Request" form on which the nature of the trip, destination, times and dates of the beginning and end of official leave and detail estimates of the cost must be stated. Same day travel or travel in the area requires only the approval of the department head. 3. Advance Payments Employees will be allowed to request advance payment on estimated expenses to finance contemplated travel on City business. Upon review, the City Management may authorize advance payment of the estimated amount to the employee. When advance payments for travel expenses are made, the reimbursement procedure, as stated in Section 6, must still be followed. Advancing money for travel expense does not constitute approval for the expenditure of the entire amount so advanced, as all expenditures must be justified and approved. 4. Expenses Approved For Reimbursement The following list of expense classifications is for information and guidance in determining which expenses are appropriate and reasonable when traveling on City business. The list is intended as a guide and is not necessarily all-inclusive. Discretion remains with the City Management in approving travel expenses to provide for unusual circumstances. Items specifically prohibited include the purchase of personal items and alcoholic beverages. Prohibited also are the expenses of the employee's family who accompany him/her on a trip. Due to budgetary constraints, departments may set more restrictive policies for travel, but in no case can the departmental policy exceed the limitations allowed in the City policy. Officials and employees are expected to show good judgment about travel expenses and have proper regard for economy in conducting business away from Baytown. July 1, 1999 Page 3 of 12 (a) Transportation: The least expensive air fare (advance purchase, non-refundable tickets) will be considered standard air travel. Other classes of air fare may be used if advance purchase, non- refundable tickets are not available. Air travel is usually more economical in time and money when making a long trip. Round trip tickets shall be purchased when air, rail or bus transportation is used. Employees should purchase tickets through a travel agency that will bill the City. A "Transportation Authorization Request" should be completed and sent to Accounts Payable before tickets are ordered. If the employee pays for the tickets, then receipts for travel expenditures must be obtained and submitted with the Travel Expense Report. No travel allowances will be made over the actual cost of travel. Use of personal automobiles for travel may be approved when the convenience of the City is served and when the convenience of the employee is served. When personal automobiles are approved for the convenience of the City, reimbursement will be at the rate allowed by the Internal Revenue Service using the most current "Official State Mileage Guide" to determine mileage between cities. The same mileage reimbursement rate will be allowed between Baytown and a Houston airport for employees (excluding employees who receive a monthly automobile allowance) using personal automobiles to reach the airport. Parking fees will also be allowed if the employee must park his/her car during the duration of his/her official leave of absence (a receipt is necessary). When personal automobiles are approved for the convenience of the employee, total allowance shall in no case exceed the cost of the standard air travel. If an air travel rate is not available, the allowance shall be determined by the City Management. When two or more employees are traveling by personal automobile to the same destination on City business, they are encouraged to car pool. Mileage reimbursement will not be authorized for personal automobiles traveling within the City or Harris and Chambers County if the employee is receiving a monthly automobile allowance from the City. Travel in City vehicles may be approved when circumstances warrant it. When such travel is approved, purchase of gasoline, oil, other routine supplies and emergency repairs for the vehicle will be allowed. The notation "City Vehicle Used" must be written on the Expense Report. All receipts for such payments must be furnished to obtain reimbursements. Repairs to personal vehicles will not be reimbursed by the City. When air, rail or bus transportation is used, expenses for local transportation, such as taxicab fare, will be allowed whenever such transportation is necessary for conducting City business. (b) Lodeine: Expenses will be allowed for adequate lodging. Hotel accommodations should be appropriate to the purpose of the trip. Detailed receipts for lodging must be provided to obtain reimbursement. The City uses IRS publication 1542 to verify the reasonableness of the hotel reimbursement allowed. Refer to incidental expenses (Item h) for other charges incurred in addition to lodging costs. July 1, 1999 Page 4 of 12 (c) Meals: Meal expenses will be reimbursed based upon a flat fee depending on when the trip started and ended as per Appendix A. Receipts are required for expenses above the per day allowance and cannot exceed the per diem rates established by the Internal Revenue Service publication 1542 using the high-low rates. Meals included as part of the registration fee will not be reimbursed. Copies of agendas from the event attended should be included with the expense report. Tips are included in the meal allowance. (d) Telephone: Telephone calls will be allowed reimbursement for official calls and messages only. (e) Registration Fees: Fees charged for registration at any convention or meeting are allowed for reimbursement. A receipt or some proof of the fee, such as a copy of the conference program setting forth the fee rate, must be provided with the Expense Report. (f) Lodging Meals and Travel Time When Traveling by Personal Automobile: In instances where use of personal automobile for out-of-state travel is allowed for the convenience of the employee, lodging, meals, and other expenses will be allowed on the same basis as if the employee traveled by air. (g) Other Methods of Reimbursement: If the City is to be reimbursed for the employee's travel expenses by another government or agency, the employee may use the travel policy from that government or agency for reimbursement of his/her travel expenses. A copy of the travel policy for that government or agency must be attached to the employee's Expense Report. Also, employees from other governments or agencies working with the City through joint task force agreements may use the travel policy of their government or agency. A copy of the travel policy for that government or agency must be attached to the Expense Report. (h) Incidental Expenses: Incidental expenses include, but is not limited to fees and tips for services, such as baggage handlers. It does not include expenses for laundry, cleaning and pressing of clothing, movie rental and snacks. Note - Laundry, cleaning and pressing of clothing will be reimbursed if stay is in excess of five (5) working days. (i) Non-Allowable Expenses: In-hotel pay television and videos, health clubs, spas, alcoholic beverages - dry cleaning or laundry. (j) Spouse/Family Travel: When accompanied by a family member, an employee shall pay all incremental costs related to having the member along on the trip. Examples of incremental costs include the difference in lodging cost between single and double occupancy and all meal and incidental costs of the family. Spouses may accompany a City employee on official business with such expenses reimbursed by the City only when the spouse has specific duties to perform for the benefit of the City and such expenses are approved in advance by the City Management. Estimated costs of spouse travel must be clearly identified on the Travel Request Form for approval by the City Management. July 1, 1999 Page 5 of 12 5. Travel Expense Report Any employee traveling on City business shall complete the "Travel Expense Report" in which a detail record of his/her expenses must be stated. All items must be supported by receipts attached to the report unless specifically exempted by this policy. 6. Reimbursement To be reimbursed for travel expenditures, the employee must sign and have his/her department head approve his/her "Travel Expense Report" and submit it to the Finance Department within five working days after his/her return to Baytown. No reimbursement will be made or travel account closed until the "Travel Expense Report" has been approved by the department head and the Finance Department. The department head shall check for reasonableness and the Finance Department shall review the expenses and check the accuracy of transportation costs and time covered. Where cause necessitates, the report will be submitted to the City Management, together with the opinions of the department head and the Finance Department, for review. 7. Settlement of Advance Payments If an employee has drawn expense money in advance, a settlement must be made on the basis of actual expenses and the unused balance promptly deposited with the Finance Department. If actual expenses exceed the estimate, upon approval of the Finance Department, the employee will be reimbursed by the City. Again, it is emphasized that when advance payments are made, they do not constitute approval to spend this amount. All expenditures must be justified. Expenses not justified by the employee must be reimbursed to the City and can be deducted from the employee's payroll check.. Reimbursement should be deposited with the central caisher and the reciept should be attached to the Travel Expense Report. Monte Mercer City Manager July I, 1999 Page 6 of 12 APPENDIX A TRAVEL POLICY CLARIFICATIONS Employees do not use the Travel Authorization Request form for same day travel from any location in Harris, Chambers, or Galveston counties. Reimbursement can be received either from petty cash or by completing a Travel Expense Report approved by the department director. The miles driven and the mileage reimbursement rate must be shown on the document used for reimbursement. If the employee uses a personal automobile, reimbursement for mileage will be at the "standard mileage rate" allowed by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The mileage reimbursement rate will be updated to remain consistent with the IRS reimbursement rate. TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION REQUEST FORM This form must be completed before an employee can go on any trip. The travel policy requires that the department director and the City Management approve any city business trip before the employee can leave. If the trip is not approved, it is possible the employee will not be reimbursed. The template for the Travel Authorization Form contains instructions for completing the form. To complete the Request form, fill in the blanks: A. Name - The name of the employee requesting permission to take a trip. B. Department - The name of the department to which the employee is assigned. If the department is divided into divisions, use the name of the division. C. Destination - The name of the city to which the employee will be traveling. D. Date and Time of: 1. Departure - The date and time of departure. 2. Return - The date and time the employee will return to Baytown. E. Purpose of the Trip - The reason the employee is taking the trip (to attend conference, meeting concerning grant, etc.). F. Account Number - The organization and account number to which the expenses for this trip are to be charged. For example, currently the account number for travel expenses is 74041. G. Social Security Number. H. Others going to the same destination for the same purpose. The employee must sign the Request form and have his/her department head and City Management sign to indicate their approval of the trip. The employee is to send the completed form to Accounts Payable for check issuance. Several vendors can be paid using the Travel Authorization Request form. Include names and address of vendors for hotel and registration payments on the form. July I, 1999 Page 7 of 12 EXPENSE REPORT When the employee returns from the trip, the Employee Expense Report is to be completed. Period covered should include the date and time of departure. To complete the Report, fill in the blanks: SECTION A - Expense: Under the Day of the Week, enter the date (i.e., 09/30/96). 1. Transportation A. Auto (Fuel) - If the employee purchased fuel for a City owned Vehicle enter the amount of the purchase here. Receipts must be attached to the report for reimbursement. B. Mileage - There are two categories for computing mileage when a personal automobile is used: To destination - Mileage is obtained from the OFFICIAL STATE MILEAGE GUIDE or from the Finance Department. At destination - Mileage driven on City business while at the destination. Record the mileage and corresponding detail in Section C. The total mileage will be automatically multiplied times the current mileage reimbursement rate and recorded in Section A under the appropriate date. C. Taxi, Limo, Auto Rental - Enter the amount of fees paid under the appropriate date. Receipts are required for reimbursement for Limo Services and Auto Rental. Receipts are not required for reimbursement for taxi fees; however, they will be reviewed for reasonableness. D. Other Auto - Enter the amount of other automobile related expenses. Provide detail in Section D. E. Commercial Transportation - If the commercial transportation (airline ticket, train ticket, etc.) was prepaid by the City enter the amount that was paid under the appropriate date in Section A and in Section B under 'Prepaid". If the employee paid for the commercial transportation, enter the amount in Section A only. For reimbursement, the receipts must be attached to the report. 2. Hotel - If the hotel bill was prepaid by the City enter the amount that was paid under the appropriate date in Section A and under the heading 'Prepaid" in Section B. The paid receipt should be sent to Accounts Payable to attach to the Check Issuance Authorization. If the employee paid the hotel bill, enter the amount under the appropriate date. If parking fees and telephone calls are included on the hotel bill, those costs should be itemized under the appropriate category. Receipts must be attached to the report for reimbursement. July 1, 1999 Page 8 of 12 3. Meals - Enter the per diem amount paid for meals under the appropriate date. Refer to the Benchmark Reimbursement Rate (Page 9) for clarification. If meals are included in the registration fee, put "N/A" to indicate that there are no expenses claimed for the meal. 4. Telephone - The City will reimburse for telephone expenses that are for official city business. Enter the amount under the appropriate date. 5. Parking Fees - To be utilized for all parking fees including airport parking and hotel parking. To be reimbursed, receipts must be attached. If the employee parked at a parking meter, write meter parking beside "Parking Fees" and the City will reimburse up to two ($2.00) dollars per day. No receipts are required for reimbursement. Enter the amount under the heading "Employee Paid". 6. Registration - If the registration fee was prepaid by the City enter the amount that was paid under the appropriate date in Section A and under the heading "Prepaid"in Section B. Receipts are not required. If the employee paid the registration fee, enter the amount under Section A only. For reimbursement, the receipts must be attached to the report. 7. Miscellaneous/Incidental Expenses - The City will reimburse for other expenses deemed necessary for official city business (i.e., postage, etc.). List the type of expenses and enter the amount under the appropriate date. Incidental expenses include, but is not limited to fees and tips for services, such as waiter and baggage handlers. Tips should generally not exceed fifteen percent (15%) of the cost of meals. It does not include expenses for laundry, cleaning and pressing of clothing, movie rental and snacks. Note - Laundry, cleaning and pressing of clothing will be reimbursed if stay is in excess of five(5) working days. SECTION B - Items Prepaid by or Charged to City The purpose of this section is to account for costs listed in Section A that should not be reimbursed to the employee since the employee did not pay for the expense. This section would track costs that were paid in advance, paid by City credit card or being directly billed to the City. List expenses in the appropriate category based on type of expenditure and method of payment. SECTION C - Mileage Record actual mileage and the corresponding detail in this section. Total mileage per day will be automatically calculated, multiplied times the current reimbursement rate and recorded in Section A. The mileage rate is reviewed and revised each January to reflect the rate allowed by the Internal Revenue Service. The mileage reimbursement rate and an official mileage guide for several cities is included in Appendix B. MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE USING THE CURRENT APPENDIX B. Information regarding mileage to cities not listed can be obtained by contacting the Finance Department. Unless otherwise authorized, the Official State Mileage Guide for Texas should be utilized. July 1, 1999 Page 9 of 12 SECTION D —Miscellaneous Provide detail on miscellaneous expenses in this Section. For reimbursement, the receipts must be attached to the report. The Report has been set up to automatically calculate daily and Section totals. Enter the amount of cash advance received by the employee on the "Travel Advance" line under "Prepaid" in Section B. If the amount on the "Total Section A" line under 'Employee Paid" is greater than the amount on the "Total Section B" line, enter the difference on the 'Due Employee" line. If the amount on the "Total Section B" line is greater than the amount on the "Total Section A" line, enter the difference on the 'Due City" line. The employee must sign the form as the traveler and have the department head approve the expenses. If money is due to the City, the employee must return the money to the City. The receipt is attached to the report that is submitted to Accounts Payable. Please do not send cash or checks to Accounts Payable. July 1, 1999 Page 10 of 12 APPENDIX B THE MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENT RATE FOR 1999 IS THIRTY-ONE CENTS ($.31) PER MILE. THE MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENT RATE WILL BE UPDATED TO REMAIN CONSISTENT WITH THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE REIMBURSEMENT RATE. OFFICIAL MILEAGE GUIDE This is a list of cities and the official mileage from Baytown to that city. This is the mileage that must be used when you use your personal automobile to travel to other cities on City business. If the city to which you are traveling is not on the list, contact the Finance Department to get the official mileage. Official mileage is available for all major cities in the nation. CITY MILEAGE CITY MILEAGE Abilene 373 Marshall 221 Amarillo 619 New Braunfels 200 Austin 187 Odessa 519 Beaumont 64 Orange 86 Brownsville 376 Plano 278 College Station 117 Port Arthur 68 Corpus Christi 225 San Angelo 387 Dallas 261 San Antonio 222 Denton 299 South Padre Island 390 El Paso 755 Temple 192 Fort Worth 282 Texarkana 290 Galveston 42 Tyler 209 Huntsville 92 Waco 205 Laredo 336 Wichita Falls 395 Longview 212 Baton Rouge, La. 243 Lubbock 535 New Orleans, La. 320 MEALS THE MEAL REIMBURSEMENT RATE Meal expenses will be reimbursed based upon a daily allowance of $34.00 per day, including tips, depending on when the trip started and ended. The following table details the maximum reimbursements allowed based on when the trip starts and ends. Receipts are not required for the daily per diem allowance. Meal Travel Start/End Times Allowance Breakfast Begins before 6 a.m. and extends beyond 8 a.m. $ 7.00 Lunch Before 12 noon to after 2 p.m. 9.00 Dinner Before 6 p.m. to after 8 p.m. 18.00 Total allowance per day $ 34.00 In the event, a traveler's expenses are above the $34.00 per day allowance, all receipts for the day must be submitted and cannot exceed the per diem rates established by the Internal Revenue Service publication 1542 using the high-low rates. Any reimbursement for meals in excess of the daily allowance is at the discretion of the department head and in no event will exceed the Internal Revenue July 1, 1999 Page I of 12 Service Publication rate for the specific city. If the specific city is not listed in the Internal Revenue Service Publication 1572, then the per day allowance will be used. Meals included as part of the registration fee will not be reimbursed. Copies of agendas from the event attended should be included with the expense report. Tips are included in the meal allowance. July 1, 1999 Page 12 of 12 _ m o o m a f�yy n 3 3 p ^P ❑ ❑ O 5 Li 3 - ❑ ❑ ❑ - c - p s c - _ > ^ _ ❑ ❑ ❑ - 0 o o o o o o 0 e O > n - ❑ ❑ ❑ > o ^ > gig 8 8 n ❑ ❑ ❑ > � c p c o = 8888 � ° ❑ ❑ ❑ ^ s _ C d a'a p na 0 a a 0 c 0 cl � D m 88sa ' 0 EMPLOYEE TRAVEL EXPENSE REPORT NO. PERIOD COVERED DEPARTMENT ACCOUNT# NAME SOC.SEC.# REASON FOR EXPENDITURE DESTINATION SECTION(A),Expense-`gi „• ...-.. SUN. MON. TUES. WED. THURS`# FRI. SAT. Calendar Date Hour of Departure and Hour of Return ITEM TOTALS 1 Transportation TO Auto-Fuel 0.00 (b) Mileage X Rate(Detail Section C) 0.00 (c) Taxi,Limo,Auto Rental 0.00 (d) Other Auto(Detail Section D) - 0.00 (e) Air Travel(Detail Section B) 0.00 2 Hotel(Attach Receipt) 0.00 J Meals 0.00 a Telephone 0.00 5 IParking i 0.00 b Registration Fees 0.00 7 Miscellaneous(Detail Section D) 0.00 0.0I DAILYTOTALS 400 ��0�0�0 0.00 1 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 SECTION"(B) Items Prepaid byor Charged to Cily ?F4Y:tigY'a«`?. '« y+Ja9r."F+ti�.-nar+'Kos"a•"het.�»+:-'•aercG'!C.':SH4'!'K!9t.�'•raT•'.^+SS.`• !�^2!a"!' City Credit Direct ITEM Card Bill Prepaid Other TOTALS Air Travel 0.00 Registration,Seminars.etc.•see note 0.00 Travel Advance(include under Prepaid) 0.00 Hotel 0.00 Other. 0.IX) 0.00 TOTALS 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 SECTION(Q Mlleage(Reimbuned@0-3l permile)aApaX "�2s:: DATE TOTALS Item From 0 I.(b) To 0 To 0 To 0 TOTALS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 SECTION(D) o•+.^ e•z+rG+. :^"`+.='^':rf^,'+Y=.WrXr>•,+YGY.a:`"":Y_:"--'^;- rs?°�..:+v+'K�.:rs';*'.:r v.�4Ca 'MK?0^!`.•sd DATE TOTALS Reason: 0.00 ODO 0.00 0.00 TOTAL AMOUNT 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 TOTAL SECTIONA O.DO m I hereby certify or affir that above expenses were actually incurred by me as necessary traveling upcnscs in the LESS SECTIO,Y 0 0.00 perfomunce of my official duties:any meals or lodging included in a conference or convention agistrawn fee DUE EMMOYEE 000 have been deducted from this travel claim:and that this claim is true and cemect in every material nutter and same DUE CITY 000 conforms in every respect with the City Travcl Policy. TRAVELER: 1 hereby certify or affirm that to the best of my knowledge We above travel was on official business of the City of Baytown and was performed for the purpose(s)stated above: • •race'ounrr,vcm:rnersufnrusr:mvcy••• APPROVED: CHECKED BY: DATE: CONTROLLER. DATE CI MCKED: NOTES COMMENTS