Milwaukee Code of Ordinances § 350-181 Authorized Travel Regulations and Procedures.
350-181. Authorized Travel Regulations and Procedures.
1. DEFINITIONS. In this section:
a.
“Conference” means an event, the location of which may vary, with a formalized agenda in which professionals of a similar background gather to consult with one another on professional matters.
b. "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:
b-1. Is attended by members of the organization, who are ordinarily charged annual dues.
b-2. Is generally held in a different city each year, thus ordinarily requiring travel and lodging expenses.
b-3. May involve a registration fee.
b-4. Usually involves a general session, several more specific workshops, a dinner and a reception.
b-5. Can vary in geographic emphasis, i.e., national, regional, state or a combination thereof.
c. "Official or employee" 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.
d. "Other city business travel" means travel to attend a seminar or other travel which is undertaken by a city official or employee 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.
e. "Seminar" means a training course provided by a person or agency that is not an employee, 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 may include courses covered by on "city time" use of the city's tuition reimbursement program 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, manager or supervisor.
c. Departments shall adhere to the administrative guidelines for automobile and travel allowance provided in ss. 350-181 to 350-187.
d. Departments shall adhere to the administrative guidelines established by the department of administration for transportation and travel.
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 employees 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.
b-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 the common council by letter, citing the completed convention request form.
b-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.
b-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 the 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 employee requesting advance of funds and the employee’s supervisor 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 for allowable expenses directly related to the employee’s job-related travel including:
a-1. Registration expense incurred and reported by the attendee.
a-2. Actual transportation-related expenses for employees traveling 50 miles or further one way (or 100 miles round-trip), including up to one checked bag, not to exceed round-trip coach fare unless otherwise approved. Additional baggage fees may be reimbursed if the employee is required to carry additional materials. The choice of transportation to be used, including use of a personal automobile, shall be at the option of the respective official or employee. 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. If the use of a rental vehicle has been approved in advance, the employee shall be reimbursed for up to the total cost of daily rental fees for a standard vehicle, taxes, standard surcharges, and fuel for business use only. Additional charges for upgrades or added services shall not be reimbursed unless authorized. Charges related to the employee’s personal use of the rental vehicle shall not be reimbursed. If an employee chooses to drive to the event, he or she shall use a pool car, a rental car or be reimbursed up to the IRS mileage rate for use of his or her personal automobile for travel unless otherwise noted. Transportation to Chicago shall be reimbursed up to the cost of a coach rail ticket unless otherwise approved. Department heads shall make the final determination and shall consider factors such as location, individual needs of the employee, security and safety issues, and other specific circumstances of the event.
a-3. Actual expenses incurred and reported for lodging for trips in which timely same-day travel is not economically available or practicable. Reimbursement shall be provided for up to but not exceeding the single rate for a standard hotel room, unless otherwise approved, for the number of days of actual attendance at the event, or for other city business travel, but not to exceed 5 days. Exceptions to this policy may be made on a case by case basis. Luxury room rates or expenses for nonessential amenities shall not be reimbursed.
a-4. Expenses incurred for meals plus tips of up to 15%, up to but not exceeding the federal meal per diem for the travel destination for the number of days of actual attendance plus one. Receipts shall be required at the discretion of the department head. The appropriate per diem amounts shall be in accordance with the guidelines issued by the department of administration. Meals shall be reimbursed for employees traveling 50 miles or further one-way from the city (100 miles roundtrip) unless otherwise approved.
a-5. Actual expenses incurred for other items or services necessary for the employee to conduct city business. These may include parking, tolls, taxi or shuttle fares, and tips not to exceed 15% of fare expenses.
a-6. Expenses incurred for long-term vehicle parking at or travel to the departure airport when traveling by air. Reimbursement shall be provided for the period commencing 2 hours prior to a scheduled flight departure and ending one hour after the arrival of the return flight.
a-7. Expenses incurred by elected officials for optional events intended to provide opportunities for networking, career-building or education.
b. Reimbursement shall not be provided for extra days of unrequired events such as parties, dinners, balls, etc., except for events eligible for reimbursement under par. a-7, or for cancellations or reservation changes unless they are due to business necessity or hardship such as illness of the employee or the illness or death of an employee’s family member.
c. 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.
d. Itemized receipts for all expenses shall be submitted unless otherwise noted. Employees shall consult the guidelines or the comptroller’s office for examples of acceptable alternatives if itemized receipts are not available. The conference or seminar agenda shall also be submitted.
e. Whenever an advance of funds has been made for travel authorized under this section, the official or employee 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 employee to repay the full amount of advance the person shall:
e-1. File with the city comptroller an itemized statement of actual and necessary expenses with all required documents as specified in sub. 7.
e-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 employee, or both, for the actual and necessary expenses.
f. The procedure in par. e shall be followed unless the official or employee chooses to repay the full amount of the advance to the city treasurer prior to submitting an itemized statement of expenses 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 employee the full amount of the advance made for travel until the official or employee has complied with this section, and the employee shall be ineligible to receive travel advances in the future. Exceptions to the deadline for settlement may be granted in cases of hardship.
7. REPORTS. Each person who attends an authorized convention or similar activity shall submit an approved travel request form, an approved statement of expenses, the event program or agenda, and, at the discretion of the department head, manager, or designated supervisor, a completed and signed conference/training evaluation demonstrating the benefits derived from attendance. All forms, receipts, and supporting documentation shall be received by the comptroller’s office no later than 15 days after the employee returns. Failure to comply may result in the forfeiture of any reimbursement due the employee or loss of travel privileges. Exceptions to the submission deadline may be made on a case-by-case basis. Employees seeking an extension in cases of hardship, such as illness of the employee or the death or illness of a family member, shall contact the comptroller’s office.
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 are 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.
c. This section does not apply to grant-funded travel. For grant-funded travel, an employee shall comply with the guidelines set forth by the funding source.
d. A department head may make exceptions to this policy on a case-by-case basis when necessary to meet the needs of his or her department. Any ongoing exceptions or modifications shall be approved by the department of administration and written in the department’s individual travel policy or guidelines. All exceptions shall be properly explained on the statement of expenses.
11. TRAVEL AND TRAINING DURING FURLOUGHS. If the authorized, paid travel or training for any city official or employee coincides with any furlough dates, the furlough time shall be rescheduled as approved by the department head.