Number
011098
Version
SUBSTITUTE 2
Reference
010854
Sponsor
THE CHAIR
Title
A substitute ordinance relating to travel regulations and procedures.
Sections
350-181 rc
Analysis
This ordinance restates the city's travel regulations and procedures, based on the Common Council's actions to require departments to fund travel out of department budget accounts. The ordinance clarifies which travel requires Common Council approval and the procedures for obtaining approval and reimbursement of travel expenses.
BODY:
The Mayor and Common Council of the City of Milwaukee do ordain as follows:
Part 1. Section 350-181 of the code as affected by File #010854, is repealed and recreated to read:
350-181. Authorized Travel Regulations and Procedures. 1. DEFINITIONS. In this section:
a. "Convention" means a meeting of the membership of a large career or occupation oriented group or association, which occurs on a regularly recurring basis, such as annually, bi-annually or semi-annually. A convention will generally possess most of the following characteristics:
a-1. Is attended by members of the organization, who are ordinarily charged annual dues.
a-2. Is generally held in a different city each year, thus ordinarily requiring travel and lodging expenses.
a-3. May involve a registration fee.
a-4. Usually involves a general session, several more specific workshops, a dinner and a reception.
a-5. Can vary in geographic emphasis, i.e., national, regional, state or a combination thereof.
b. "Official or employe" means a person appointed or elected to a position in the city government, who is paid for their services by city payroll check or a public member of a city board or commission eligible for expense reimbursement from the city.
c. "Other city business travel" means travel to attend a seminar or other travel which is undertaken by a city official or employe in order to carry out duties devolving on a department or agency, which have been assigned thereto by the city charter, code or resolution of the common council or at the request or direction of the mayor. Training courses funded by department appropriation which require out-of-city travel also fall within this category.
d. "Seminar" means a training course provided by a person or agency who is not an employe, department or agency of the city. The location at which the course is offered can vary from as local as city hall or as far away as the continental boundaries of the United States. It shall not include courses covered by the city's tuition reimbursement program, training commonly referred to as "on-the-job training" and training courses funded by a departmental budget appropriation provided for training purposes.
2. AUTHORIZATION. a. The following out-of-city travel requires common council approval:
a-1. All conventions.
a-2. All travel by members of the common council.
a-3. Any travel to be paid from the common council contingent fund. It is the policy of the common council and mayor that, in the ordinary course of business, departments should budget for travel expenses from departmental accounts. Use of the common council contingent fund for travel will only be approved under extraordinary circumstances where a department can demonstrate that travel was essential and unanticipated and that departmental funds are not available for such travel.
b. All other travel for which budgeted funds are available shall require the approval of the respective department head.
3. CONVENTIONS. a. Eligibility. a-1. No more than 2 persons from the same city department or a division of the department of public works shall be authorized to attend the same convention. Exceptions to this policy may be made on a case by case basis only when special circumstances are presented or when the city of Milwaukee is the host.
a-2. Authorization to travel may be designated to the department or bureau staff with the attendee to be determined by the department or bureau head.
a-3. The maximum number of yearly conventions to be authorized to each city department or department of public works division shall not exceed the guidelines established by the committee on finance and personnel. In addition, each department or department of public works division may be authorized no more than 2 additional employes to attend one convention each in Wisconsin or the Chicago area within a given year.
a-4. No more than 2 board or commission members per year from the same board or commission shall be authorized to travel, either to the same or different conventions.
a-5. Both the department head and the first assistant or deputy shall not be authorized to undertake out of city travel on city business during the same period of time. Exceptions to this policy may be made on a case-by-case basis.
b. Request Procedures. b-1. Requests shall be submitted once per year, prior to November 15, for all conventions anticipated to be attended in the next year. Except as provided in subd. 3, such requests shall be submitted to the department of administration on forms prescribed by that department. Only requests which have been approved by the respective department head or chair of a board or commission as being necessary in the city's best interests and in compliance with the eligibility restrictions and guidelines cited in par. a, shall be considered for authorization. The department of administration shall prepare the necessary resolutions to authorize convention attendance. The estimated costs of each convention to be included in the resolution shall be computed by the department to assure uniformity and prudence in the allocation and expenditure of public funds for this purpose.
c-2. Requests for attendance at conventions submitted after November 15 each year shall be considered only if there is an extraordinary reason for their necessity. Such requests are to be submitted directly to common council by letter, citing the completed convention request form.
c-3. Requests for convention attendance by the mayor and members of the common council shall be submitted directly to the common council on an as needed basis during the year. Attendance shall be authorized by resolution adopted by the common council.
c-4. Substitution of a different convention from the one that has been previously authorized shall require a new authorization by resolution. Such substitution shall be requested by letter to the common council citing the reasons for the change. Changes in the location of a convention or dates held shall not require further authorization provided additional funding is not requested.
4. OTHER TRAVEL. Requests by common council members for authorization for other city business travel and any requests for travel to be paid from the common council contingent fund shall be submitted to the city clerk. The city clerk shall process such requests, including preparation of the necessary resolutions for adoption by the common council.
5.ADVANCE OF FUNDS. a. No advance of funds for travel expenses shall be made unless such travel has been authorized under this section. Advances of funds for travel expenses shall be made by city accounts payable check from a properly audited request for advance form, signed by the officer or employe requesting advance of funds and a control group register and voucher approved by the department head or delegated representative.
b. Accounts payable checks for advances of funds for travel expenses may be issued to transportation agencies for transportation tickets, lodging establishments for lodging deposits, or to the organization in charge of a convention or training program for registration fees.
c. The amount stipulated in the authorizing resolution shall serve as authorization for the city accounts payable check to be issued to make the necessary dollar advances for such purposes in context with the properly executed request for advance form.
6. REIMBURSEMENT. a. For travel authorized under this section, the city shall pay or reimburse:
a-1. For required registration expense incurred and reported by the attendee, provided a receipt is provided.
a-2. For actual expense incurred and reported by the attendee up to but not exceeding round trip airline coach fare, unless the airline certifies that no coach fare is available. In such a case, a certificate is required. A receipt or other verification form is required if public transportation is used. The choice of transportation to be used, including use of a personal automobile, shall be at the option of the respective official or employe. However, the amount of time to be allowed for travel shall be determined by the respective department head. If a personal automobile is used, reimbursement shall be in accordance with s. 350-183.
a-3. For actual expense incurred and reported up to but not exceeding the single rate for a standard hotel room for the number of days of actual attendance at the involved convention or seminar, or for other city business travel, but not to exceed 5 days, provided a receipt is provided. Exceptions to this policy may be made on a case by case basis.
a-4. The city shall pay or reimburse for actual miscellaneous expenses incurred and reported up to but not exceeding $50 per day for the number of days of actual attendance plus one.
b. The city comptroller is authorized to approve individual variances between the estimated amount established for travel and the actual reimbursement in context with par a. This can be done without the need for amendments to the itemized amounts contained in the original authorizing resolution, except that if the total funding provided in the resolution appears inadequate to fund all authorized travel contained therein, the comptroller shall initiate a supplemental funding request by resolution in a timely manner to prevent overexpenditure before such funding is provided by resolution.
c. Whenever an advance of funds has been made for travel authorized under this section, the official or employe receiving the advance shall within 15 days after returning to the city file documentation to repay the city for the full amount of the advance. In order for the officer or employe to repay the full amount of advance the person shall:
c-1. File with the city comptroller an itemized statement of actual and necessary expenses. If the travel involved attendance at a convention or seminar, a copy of the convention or seminar program or agenda shall also be submitted.
c-2. Make full settlement of the travel advance to the city treasurer within 5 working days after receiving notification from the city treasurer that the city comptroller has issued a check made payable to the city treasurer or the official or employe, or both, for the actual and necessary expenses.
d. The procedure in par. c shall be followed unless the official or employe chooses to repay the full amount of the advance to the city treasurer prior to submitting an itemized statement of expense and prior to expiration of the 15-day limit. The city treasurer shall, if the documentation is not filed within 15 days after the date of return to the city, retain out of the next salary due the employe the full amount of the advance made for travel until the official or employe has complied with this section.
7. REPORTS. Each person who attends an authorized convention or similar activity shall be prepared to submit, either in writing or orally, a report concerning the specific benefits derived from attendance to the department head or to the common council committee on finance and personnel upon request.
9. GUIDELINES. The department of administration may issue guidelines relating to procurement of transportation, lodging, meals, automobile rentals and other travel arrangements consistent with this section. Such guidelines shall be approved by the common council.
10. EXEMPTIONS. a. This section does not apply to the city's legislative activities which is authorized and shall be accounted for pursuant to s. 304-11.
b. This section does not apply to travel undertaken by the mayor or common council president, if the travel expense is charged to their respective special expense funds, in which case such travel shall be deemed authorized.
Part 2. This ordinance takes effect January 1, 2002.
LRB:
APPROVED AS TO FORM
____________________________
Legislative Reference Bureau
Date: _______________________
ATTORNEY
IT IS OUR OPINION THAT THE ORDINANCE
IS LEGAL AND ENFORCEABLE
____________________________
Office of the City Attorney
Date: ______________________
Requestor:
City Clerk-Legislative Reference Bureau
Drafter
LRB01560-4
BJZ/cac
12/20/2001
1/9/02 - Clerical correction (Part 2. added). mbh