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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-04-20 PACKET 04.D.REQUEST OF CITY COUNCIL ACTION COUNCIL AGENDA MEETING ITEM # fftk DATE 4/20/2011 PREPARED BY Administration Joe Fischbach ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT STAFF AUTHOR COUNCIL ACTION REQUEST Consider adopting a resolution amending the Personnel Policy with changes to the Travel and Training Policy. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Adopt the resolution amending the Personnel Policy with changes to the Travel and Training Policy. BUDGET IMPLICATION $ BUDGETED AMOUNT ACTUAL AMOUNT FUNDING SOURCE ADVISORY COMMISSION ACTION ❑ PLANNING ❑ PUBLIC SAFETY ❑ PUBLIC WORKS ❑ PARKS AND RECREATION ❑ HUMAN SERVICES /RIGHTS ❑ ECONOMIC DEV. AUTHORITY IHGVA 92 REVIEWED APPROVED DENIED ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS ® MEMO /LETTER: Memo from Joe Fischbach dated 4/11/2011 ® RESOLUTION: ❑ ORDINANCE: ❑ ENGINEERING RECOMMENDATION: ❑ LEGAL RECOMMENDATION: ❑ OTHER: ADMINISTRATORS COMMENTS ity Administrator ate * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * W * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * W * * COUNCIL ACTION TAKEN: ❑ APPROVED ❑ DENIED ❑ OTHER CITY OF COTTAGE GROVE MINNESOTA To: Honorable Mayor and City Council From: Joe Fischbach, Human Resources Coordinator Date: April 11, 2011 Subject: Changes to the Travel and Training Policy Background The City Administrator requested a review and update of the Travel, Training and Education policy. As a result, we called for volunteers and beginning on January 11` a group of employees began meeting to do a comprehensive review of the policy. The group met a total of 8 times. Members of the Committee are; Robin Roland, Fatma Reichstadt, John Burbank, Brian Voelker, Jim Fohrman, Greg Rinzel, Matt Foucault, Randy McAlister, Bob Byerly and myself. The Committee presented its' proposed changes to City Administrator Ryan Schroeder. Ryan suggested a few minor changes. The Committee has signed off on those changes. For reference, the Citywide 2011 travel and training budget is $110,750.00. There were several changes of note. The City has not funded the Education portion of the policy since 2003. The Committee recommends removing that whole portion of the policy. If funds do become available for that program the Committee would readdress that portion of the policy at that time. Currently the policy allows for the following in regards to meals. If the TT &E event is more than one day in duration, there shall be a maximum per diem (including gratuities for meals only) of $30 per day. For partial days, the meal allowance will not exceed the following: Breakfast: $6.00, Lunch: $9.00, Dinner: $15.00. Tips shall not exceed 15% of City reimbursed meal cost. The Committee is recommending the following in regards to meals. if the T &T event is more than one day in duration, there shall be a maximum per diem (including gratuities for meals only) of $42 per day. For partial days, the meal allowance will not exceed the following: Breakfast: $9.00, Lunch: $13.00, Dinner: $20.00. Tips are included in the maximum per diem and meals allowances. This would be the first time the meal allowance has increased since the initial creation of the policy in 1999. As a frame of reference, currently the GSA reimbursement rates for meals are $66 in Hennepin County and $51 in Eagan. We feel that making the change from $30 to $42 is sufficient to cover reasonable meal costs. It is the current practice that the City Administrator approves all training requests. The following is what the Committee recommends for approvals. Approval at Department Head (or Designee) Level All Course requests that: • meet the department's approved training plan; and • do not exceed $2,500 in non -labor costs; and • do not involve National training; and sufficient budget amounts are available in the Department training budget Approval at City Administrator's (or Designee) Level All course requests that: • exceed $2,500 in non -labor costs; or • are National training; or • are not part of the approved Department training plan The Department Head and City Administrator shall be informed by a Human Resources representative of courses where T &T events involve overnight lodging by participants. Department Heads (or Designee) will be held accountable for all training requests that they authorize. The Administration department would still track the cost of city -wide training expenses. The intent would be to have a central folder where all approved training forms would be kept. The Committee also reviewed and revised the Training Request form and the Reimbursement Request form. We believe they are now simplified and employee friendly, but at the same time capture all the necessary information. I would like to commend the Committee for all their hard work. We believe this policy, if approved, will serve the needs of the City for many years. We have put in the policy that it will be reviewed in 5 years but could be reviewed sooner if the need arises. F-MMI Consider adopting a resolution amending the Personnel Policy with changes to the Travel and Training Policy RESOLUTION NO. 11 -xxx 10-016 ADOPTED 0 18.1 PURPOSE The purpose of this policy is to provide guidelines and procedures to be used when individuals participate in Travel and Training (T &T) events. This policy will be reviewed prior to December 31, 2016, to determine if changes are necessary. ff,J jli 7LVJIIkl[HM:IINI.Y0] W 0 V All travel and training opportunities will be job related and further the goals and mission of the City. The City will maintain a highly skilled, efficient, motivated work force which meets all required mandates and allows for career enrichment through training and education. This process will be administered so it maximizes the City's return for its budget training funds and will comply with all budgetary limits. It is expected that any training, travel or education funded by the City will be for a valid business purpose. All T &T participants are expected to exercise good judgment when traveling and /or receiving training under this policy. 18.3 T &T PROGRAM DEFINITIONS Comparable Training: Any training or program substantially similar in content, or which meets similar criteria for certifications, licenses, or other required training. Established Safety Policies: The adopted safety policies and criteria established by the entire City or individual departments relating to the expected and required safety conduct, responses, action or training. Organization Goals: Remaining current with changing legal or technical requirements, maintaining education requirements for various certifications, and researching best practices. Priority 1 Training: Required and necessary training. T &T participants receive training in the skills needed to perform the specific job function in his /her division /department. Required training is in association with state and federal licenses, City job description or City step plan. This would also include state or federal guidelines for mandatory requirements which, if they were not attended, would result in penalties or fines. These training opportunities are intended to meet all applicable standards, certifications, accreditations and licenses required of the positions held. Necessary training is an accreditation or certification from professional or trade organizations that enhance an individual's level of professional status and improve the quality of the City work force. Priority 2 Training: Desirable training for job enrichment that includes verbal or written skills, technology, and personal development and improvement programs. These opportunities may be provided by other departments within the City or by others outside the City. These "Priority 2" opportunities are subject to department head approval and to the availability of department training funds. Training Action Plans: Department Training Action Plan: A narrative document detailing a plan for training, education and professional development that sets minimum standards and goals for each position, individual, or commission member within that department. Professional Development Plan: A narrative document detailing a defined action plan for professional development for an individual employee. Said plan shall list types of training, course work or degrees needed to complete the plan and list of how the described training will benefit the City. T &T Event: Any travel, training, education or business - related function that meets the eligibility approval criteria and is funded all or in part by the City of Cottage Grove. T &T Locations: In -House Training: Training provided at City facilities or through City of Cottage Grove arrangements. Local Training: T &T events that take place within 55 miles of Cottage Grove. National Training: T &T events that take place outside a 500 -mile radius of Cottage Grove. Regional Training: T &T events which take place outside 55 miles of Cottage Grove but within a 500 mile radius of Cottage Grove. T &T Participant: All full and part -time city employees, interns, affiliated volunteers, Council members, Commission and Committee members participating in T &T events. 18.4 T &T PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY /PRIORITY The following criteria will be considered in reviewing TT &E requests Required Criteria: • Funded in the budget • In compliance with the travel, training and education policy • In accordance with an Approved Departmental Training Plan Additional Criteria: • Priority level of training (Priority 1 or Priority 2) • Training associated with new trends, techniques, or technology utilized by the City • Training related to an established step advancement training program • In accordance with an approved Professional Development Plan (Individual) 18.5 REVIEW PROCESS A. Training Plan Each department shall develop a training plan by November 1st of each year for the following year. Each department training plan will be submitted to the City Administrator or designee for review and approval. Approved training plans shall be returned to the departments for administration. S. T &T Location Policy When evaluating training opportunities, requests shall be reviewed to ensure the most cost - effective option is selected based on the following critieria: • Training In -house • Training Local • Training Regional • Training National Regional or national training shall not be approved if there is reasonable access to comparable training in the local area within the same budget year. C. T &T Request Procedures To attend a T &T event, it is necessary to complete a Training /Travel Request form. Approval at Department Head (or Designee) Level All Course requests that: • meet the department's approved training plan; and • do not exceed $2,500 in non -labor costs; and • do not involve National training; and sufficient budget amounts are available in the Department training budget Approval at City Administrator's (or Designee) Level All course requests that: • exceed $2,500 in non -labor costs; or • are National training; or • are not part of the approved Department training plan The Department Head and City Administrator shall be informed by a Human Resources representative of courses where T &T events involve overnight lodging by participants. Department Heads (or Designee) will be held accountable for all training requests that they authorize. D. Training Report A report of completed training shall be made to the employee's supervisor. This report can be oral and /or written. 18.6 ALLOWABLE EXPENDITURES A. General • The City pays a T &T participant's expenses incurred while attending a T &T event, in accordance with policy guidelines. • The T &T participant must pay expenses incurred by a spouse or guest attending a conference with a T &T participant. • If an employee registers for a training event and then cancels, he /she must reimburse the City for any fees that are not returned to the City upon cancellation. This does not apply if the employee's supervisor requests that the employee cancel the training event. B. Meals • If the T &T event is more than one day in duration, there shall be a maximum per diem (including gratuities for meals only) of $42 per day. • For partial days, the meal allowance will not exceed the following: Breakfast: $9.00 Lunch: $13.00 Dinner: $20.00 Tips are included in the maximum per diem and meals allowances. • When an event encompasses a full day, T &T participants may spend the daily allowance among the three meals, at their discretion, unless meals are included as part of the conference registration. In that case, the money allotted for that meal couldn't be spent. • For local and regional area training or meetings, lunch will be reimbursed if not covered in the fee for the event. No other meals will be reimbursed unless prior approval is granted. • Costs for alcoholic beverages shall not be reimbursed. • Original, itemized receipts will be required for reimbursement upon return from the event, along with any unused portion of the meal allowance (if cash advance was received). Receipts must be original, non - altered documents, which clearly state date, location, and name of restaurant as well as specific food and beverages ordered and purchased. A representative of the City may occasionally be in the position of having to provide a meal for other persons who have official business with the City. The cost of providing such meals, including tax and a reasonable gratuity, will be reimbursed provided the following conditions are met: 1) Expenditure must be approved by the City Administrator or designee prior to the event; 2) Name and official capacity of each person attending must be listed; 3) Public purpose /benefit of the meeting must be described; 4) An original, itemized receipt (see above) must be provided; and 5) No alcoholic beverages will be reimbursed C. Lodging • Reimbursement for lodging expenses shall be allowed only for authorized T &T participants. • T &T participants are expected to choose lodging based on reasonableness of cost and proximity to the conference, meeting, or training site. • Reimbursement will be made at the lowest standard single room rate of the chosen facility. • Each authorized person shall be allowed an individual single room. • Lodging costs shall be reimbursable only from the night preceding the conference through the night immediately following such event. • Overnight stays within the local training area are not permitted. D. Miscellaneous expenses • On presentation of original, itemized receipts, costs for reasonable use of phones, copy and fax machines, baggage fees for City items and equipment or other approved business services when used to conduct City business will be reimbursed. E. Transportation Auto Rental: Rental cars shall not be used as part of a T &T event unless prior approval has been obtained from the City Administrator or designee. The cost reimbursed will be at the mid- size vehicle rate. Auto rental must be requested on the Travel Request form, and justified as required for official business. If reasonable public transportation is available, or a less expensive means of transportation is available, a rental car should not be requested. A car may be rented if the local transportation is impractical, or more expensive, than renting a car for the period in question. City Vehicle and Personal Vehicle Usage: Transportation within the state shall be by City vehicle. If a City vehicle is not available, T &T participants may use a personal vehicle. Approved personal auto usage while attending a T &T event is reimbursed at the current Internal Revenue Service per -mile rate. Family members and non - colleagues are not permitted to travel in City vehicles. The City of Cottage Grove does not provide insurance on personal vehicles. When traveling from the normal work location to a T &T event and back, the reimbursable mileage is the actual work related mileage traveled. Mileage will be reimbursed for the distance traveled that is in excess of the distance normally traveled to and/or from the workplace. If such travel occurs on a day that the T &T participant is not scheduled to work, or involves travel to evening meetings outside the normal work hours, total mileage traveled is allowed. Personal use of any City vehicle is prohibited, other than commuting (for those T &T participants required to commute in a City vehicle), or "de minimis° personal use. The department head can approve take -home vehicles for approved T &T events if there is a City benefit to do so. Air - Related Travel Policies: Air travel by authorized T &T participants must be the lowest fare routing. Lowest fare routing is the lowest fare which: • Requires no more than one interim stop or change of planes each way • Results in a layover not exceeding two hours each way. Every effort should be made, to take advantage of advance purchase discounts. Airfare tickets shall be purchased using a City credit card. If a T &T participant wishes to drive, and the mileage allowance would be greater than the airfare, the traveler will be reimbursed "equivalent airfare" instead of the actual mileage costs. Any additional time required to travel by car will be the employee's own time. Shuttle Service and /or Parking: Costs for transportation to and from the airport are reimbursed at the least expensive mode available. Ground transportation may be reimbursed up to the fare from the T &T participant's normal work site to the appropriate airport. Mileage and parking will be reimbursed if the T &T participant chooses to drive a personal automobile to the airport, only if the total cost of mileage reimbursement and parking is less than the round -trip ground transportation from the work site. Reimbursement of charges for taxis and airport limousines shall be made only if other modes of transportation are impractical. When attending an event or business meeting where parking is limited, or where parking decks are expensive, a parking meter may be used. The T &T participant will need to document the amount spent for a parking meter on a form, as required by the Finance Department. F. Cash Advance for, and /or Pre- payment of, Travel Expenses T &T events requiring overnight accommodations or extended time away shall be eligible for a reasonable cash advance. Upon prior approval by the Finance Director a travel advance may be obtained from the Finance Department. The request must be submitted by the deadlines established for check payments. Advancing money for travel does not constitute approval of spending the entire advanced sum. Monies not spent must be returned to the City. Pre - payment of travel expenses (i.e. registration fees) may be made upon application and approval of voucher by the City Administrator or designee. 18.7 REIMBURSEMENT PROCEDURES Only approved, actual, and necessary expenditures qualify for reimbursement, and must have receipts. In addition, to receive reimbursement the following criteria must be met: Within 15 days of returning from an approved T &T event, the participant must submit a Travel /Training Reimbursement Form. • Original, itemized receipts for the payment of transportation, lodging, and other business expenses shall be attached to the expense report. • Tips shall be noted on the meal receipt. • All receipts must be legible, dated and in chronological order. • Any unused portion of a cash advance will be returned to the City. • If the billing is for joint occupancy, the lodging cashier should indicate the single room rate for the room occupied. It is the TT &E participant's responsibility to obtain this. • T &T participants shall be required to submit an itemized lodging bill showing both charges and payments for reimbursement. • T &T participants submitting receipts for parking fees shall be reimbursed in the amount noted on the receipt. • When two or more T &T participants travel to the same destination by the same vehicle, mileage and parking fee reimbursement will be made to only one person. It is expected that all participants in T &T will receive a documentable benefit from attending a T &T event. It is a goal of the T &T program that participants share that benefit with an appropriate audience. Therefore, upon return from a T &T event participants are required to communicate the gained benefit. Acceptable mediums for this requirement, which should be chosen based on appropriateness, include, but are not limited to: • Written report to supervisor, co- workers, or others who would gain from knowledge; • Verbal discussion at a staff or department meeting; • Distribution of materials obtained to other employees who may benefit; and • Discussion with supervisor. 18.9 COMPUTING WORK TIME WHILE IN TRANSIT In order for the City to assess the obligations for paying travel time, the determining factor is whether or not the travel involves an overnight stay in another city. If a non - exempt employee is staying overnight in another city, travel occurring during the normal working hours, regardless of the day of the week, must be considered hours worked. If a T &T participant is directed to travel to another city, but returns home that evening, all travel time, less the T &T participant's normal commute, will be considered time worked. The employer can direct when the T &T participant should travel. This may sometimes involve a cost - benefit analysis. For example, it may be cheaper to pay travel time on a Saturday if the cost for the airfare is less for staying over on a Saturday night. This travel time may be overtime if the T &T participant is eligible per the appropriate labor agreement/personnel policy. The employer can change work hours for non -union T &T participants in order to schedule around a T &T event. For bargaining unit employees, the applicable labor agreement should always be reviewed. Exempt employees will be paid their normal salary. Travel time outside the normal work schedule is not paid, under any circumstances, to exempt employees. 18.10 EXCEPTIONS Exceptions to this policy may be allowed, with prior approval of the City Administrator or designee, 18.11 EDUCATION POLICY The Education Policy is not currently funded. At such a time that funds become available, the provisions of this section will be revisited. 18.12 BUSINESS TRAVEL AND EXPENSES (NON- EDUCATIONAL) AND AUTOMOBILE FRINGE BENEFITS Miscellaneous Expenses: An employee shall be reimbursed for his /her actual out - of- pocket expenses expended for approved purchases on behalf of the City. Such expenses will be subject to the guidelines established in Section 16. Automobile Fringe Benefits: Department Heads issued cars are required to commute to and from work in the City vehicle. Other authorized use of city vehicles is defined as travel to and from city - related meetings, seminars, or other City functions. Income will be determined according to IRS guidelines, and will be considered taxable income and reported on the W -2 for any personal benefit, including commuting. Monthly allowances and per -mile allowances are considered taxable income and will be included on the W -2 form. It is the employee's responsibility to maintain records for any deductions from this income due to miles driven, gas purchased, or expenses incurred. Clearly marked police and fire vehicles are considered exempt under IRS guidelines and, therefore, will have no additional income for automobile fringe benefits derived from the use of City -owned vehicles. Automobile fringe benefit income is paid monthly, and appropriate withholding of state and federal income taxes from this income is handled through payroll. 18.13. MEMBERSHIPS The purpose of memberships to various professional organizations must be directly related to the betterment of the services of the City. Normally, one City membership per agency, as determined by the City Administrator is allowed, providing funds are available. Upon separation of employment, individual memberships remain with the City and are transferred to another employee by the supervisor. Human Resources will maintain a list of approved memberships. Any memberships not on the maintained list must be approved by the City Administrator. The City will not pay membership dues for any organization that is not on the maintained list and /or approved by the City Administrator. Employees, who are considering participation on a committee for a professional organization, or some other work - related task, shall obtain approval of their department head prior to accepting appointment to the committee. The department head shall also be notified if an employee is considering becoming a Board member of a professional organization. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the City Council of the City of Cottage Grove, County of Washington, State of Minnesota, that the above listed section of the City of Cottage Grove Personnel Policy be amended. Passed this 20th day of April 2011. Myron Bailey, Mayor Attest: Caron Stransky, City Clerk