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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20172043.tiffSec. 2-12-160. - Travel, lodging, meals, rental cars. It is the policy of Weld County to reimburse staff for reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in connection with approved travel on behalf of Weld County Travelers seeking reimbursement should incur the lowest reasonable travel expenses and exercise care to avoid impropriety or the appearance of impropriety. If a circumstance arises that is not specifically covered in this travel policy, then the most conservative course of action should be taken A. Permissible prepaid travel expenses. Before the travel, Weld County may issue prepayments for airfare, conference registration fees and cash advances. If an employee receives a cash advance they must complete the personal expense claim to settle up the advance within fourteen -day of their return. Normal procurement and payment policies will apply. Lodging (commercial). The cost of overnight lodging may be reimbursed to the traveler if the authorized travel is over forty-five (45) miles from the traveler's home or primary worksite, whichever is closer to the hotel. Weld County will reimburse lodging expenses at reasonable, single occupancy or standard business/government room rates. When the hotel or motel is the conference or convention site, reimbursement will be limited to the conference rate. Reimbursement for lodging is for commercial lodging only. Meals and incidentals (conference/training). The Weld County Home Rule Charter says that employees will be reimbursed for actual expenses incurred while on county business. This includes, but is not limited to, the cost of meals and incidentals incurred while attending conferences and training according to the following rules: 1. Cost of the meal is to be reasonable. 2. Tipping is reimbursed at no more than 15%, unless it is automatically added for large group at a higher amount. 23. Original, iltemized receipts are required (digital image is acceptable). If an itemized receipt is not turned in, no reimbursement will be allowed. 34. If meals are provided as part of the conference or built into the standard hotel room cost, reimbursement will not be allowed. 45. Copy of the conference or meeting agenda (meeting schedule) must be included with the reimbursement request. 56. Personal entertainment expenses, including in-flight movies, headsets, health club facilities. hotel pay per -view movies, in -theater movies. social activities and related incidental costs are not reimbursable. 67. Cost of "snacks" other than a meal will not be allowed. 78. No reimbursement for alcohol. 9. If receipt is for multiple people, names of those who have items being paid for must be included on the receipt. D. Meals (Single day travel). The Weld County Home Rule Charter says that employees will be reimbursed for actual expenses incurred while on county business. This includes, but is not limited to, the cost of meals and incidentals incurred during single day travel according to the following rules: Ni 1. Single day travel may be reimbursed if -appropriate -business protocol applies the employee is conducting county business during the meal. Names of people need to be listed on the receipt. 2 Tipping is reimbursed at no more than 15%, unless it is automatically added for large group at a higher amount. 2017-2043 Page 1 23 Original, iltemized receipt must be turned in (digital image is acceptable). 34. State on the receipt the business purpose of the meal. 45. If training course, provide copy of agenda. If meal is provided no reimbursement will be made. E. Accounting for savings by early arrival and/or late departure. If an officer or employee chooses to arrive early for a conference or meeting to take advantage of reduced airfare, the officer or employee must reconcile the standard economy airfare with the reduced airfare, the additional hotel and meal expenses, and any other expenses that were incurred because of early arrival. This reconciliation is to be submitted with the expense report. If the officer or employee chooses to arrive early or stay at a location after a conference has ended for personal reasons, the employee will not be reimbursed for hotel or meals for the time not spent on County business. An officer or employee is allowed to depart the day before the conference or meeting begins and stay one day after the conference ends if the conference ends late in the day or if airlines don't accommodate travel that day. (Weld County Code Ordinance 2015-17 ) Sec. 5-5-190. - Personal expense claim form. A. The personal expense claim form should be used by a County employee requesting reimbursement of expenses. The form should include the employee name, department, signature, department head's or elected official's signature, and date. The details of expense are entered on Side Two of the form and summarized on Side One. B. The personal expense claim is completed and supporting receipts are attached to an input document and forwarded to the Department of Accounting for processing. If itemized receipts or digital images supporting the expenses are not available attached, a notarized N4 statement verifying tie accuracy of tie c aims must accompany tie persona expense claim form and the input document. no reimbursement will be allowed. Exception to this will be for parking only, a notarized statement verifying the expense will be accepted. C. All personal expense claim forms must be submitted within ninety sixty (9O60) days of the date the expenses are incurred. (Weld County Code Ordinance 2007-7) Sec. 2-12-90. - Use of private automobile. Some positions require, as a condition of employment, the use of the employee's vehicle in conducting assigned duties. Employees will be reimbursed mileage based on two cents less than the Internal Revenue Service mileage rate This mileage rate covers all automobile expenses such as fuel, maintenance, towing, repairs. tires, depreciation and insurance. No reimbursement will be made for vehicle repair costs regardless of whether it results from the traveler's act or acts of others. In addition to the standard mileage allowance, tolls and parking fees are also reimbursable expenses if the use of the toll way is cost effective or necessary. Weld County will not reimburse employees for parking tickets, fines for moving violations or vehicle towing charges. Mi eage is measures -rom tie emp oyee's name to tie cestination anc return, or, tom tie employees Department Address to the destination and return, whichever is less. Mileage between an employee's re-sidence and primary place of work is not reimbursed. Mileage which originates from the employee's appointed work location and returns to that location is always measured based on actual miles driven. Mileage reimbursement where either the point of origination or the point of return, or both is the employee's home, is measured from the employee's home to the destination and return, or, from the employee's department address to the destination and return, whichever is less. When two (2) or more passengers travel in one private automobile on official county business only one employee may claim reimbursement for mileage. Personal vehicles may be used in lieu of commercial airline travel. Mileage will be reimbursed at the established ri arrant ratA hi it no imhi ircamant fnr milaonca rnnnnt ovroarl +ho rnct r,f rnnrh nnnnrrmt, F-,rn Employees assigned to another work location on a temporary basis may claim mileage to and from home and that location in an amount equal to the amount of extra mileage greater than what is required for the normal commute mileage to the permanent assigned work location. If a permanent assignment then there is no reimbursement allowed The County is not liable for damage which may occur to the employee's vehicle while on County business. (Weld County Codification Ordinance 2000-1; Weld County Code Ordinance 2007-6; Weld County Code Ordinance 2015-17) • Sec. 2-6-40. - Use of County -owned motor vehicles. OrodOZ2 of County -owned motor vehicles: n 11/6"ji okkakThe following rules shall apply to the use A. With the exception of the circumstances described in D. below, County -owned motor vehicles shall be used only in the conduct of County business. No County officer or employee shall transport persons in any County -owned motor vehicle unless such transportation is necessary in the conduct of County business. B. All County officers and employees who operate County -owned motor vehicles must have a valid Driver's license. C. Under no circumstances are alcoholic beverages or controlled substances to be consumed, used, or transported in County -owned motor vehicles, except for law enforcement evidence. Under no circumstances are persons who have consumed alcoholic beverages or controlled substances allowed to operate County -owned motor vehicle for up to six (6) hours following consumption. D. County officers and employees assigned take-home vehicles are authorized to drive such vehicles to and from work. They are prohibited from using these vehicles during non -work hours for personal use (e.g. weekends or holidays), except in response to an operational emergency. However, because they have no other form of transportation during the normal work hours, the following exceptions are authorized: 1. Travel to and from lunch or incidental/personal errands - pursuant to the "de minims" usage exemptions set forth in IRS Publication 15-B, Employers Tax Guide to Fringe Benefits. Page 3 County officers and employees will be authorized to park personal vehicles at County facilities in order to pick-up daily assigned vehicles. F. All take-home or daily assigned vehicles will be required to be marked with Weld County logo and N individual identification number, except for investigation/ -under -cover vehicles. G. Operators of County -owned motor vehicles shall drive in a safe and courteous manner at all times and in compliance with all traffic laws. Operators shall be responsible to pay any tickets received and shall be held accountable for any damage to the vehicle due to negligence on the part of the operator. Any and all accidents must be reported to Weld County Department of Human Resources within twenty-four (24) hours of the accident and in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 2-6-50, below. H. Only County officers and employees are allowed to drive County -owned motor vehicles, except in the event of emergency, or they are employees of the contractor for County Shop Operations or an agent of Weld County. Seat belts must be worn at all times during the use of a County -owned motor vehicle, including passengers who are transported via the vehicle. J. Smoking is prohibited in all County -owned motor vehicles. If determined that smoking has been in the vehicle, the assignment of the vehicle will be subject to revocation. K. While driving a County -owned motor vehicle, if employees must use a Portable Electronic Communication Device, they are required to use a "hands -free" device, or pull off the road. L. The use of a take-home vehicle used to commute to and from work may be a taxable, non -cash fringe benefit of one dollar and fifty cents ($1.50) per one way per day commute (three dollars ($3.00) for a round trip commute per day), under federal tax regulations. IRS Publication 15-B, Employers Tax Guide to Fringe Benefits should be consulted. As such, this may be included as taxable income on employees wage and tax statements. It is the responsibility of the Elected Official or Department Head to ensure that employees assigned take-home vehicles, properly record the number of trips on a monthly basis. All Page 4 County officers and employees who use County -owned vehicles are required to adhere to all applicable local and State and Federal tax laws. M. The Take -Home Vehicle Use Agreement will be required to be on file with the Fleet Manager for each County officer or employee assigned a take-home vehicle. N. County officers and employees who are provided a take-home vehicle should not house those vehicles outside of Weld County, even if their residences are located in other counties. However, the Board of County Commissioners may grant exceptions to this rule, if operational requirements necessitate. O. All County officers and employees who use County -owned vehicles are required to adhere to all applicable local and State traffic laws. P. The only passengers allowed in vehicles are County officers and employees, or passengers involved on County business. No pets are allowed at any time. Operators of County -owned motor vehicles shall not pick up hitchhikers. • Sec. 2-6-190. - Miscellaneous County -owned motor vehicle policies. A Driver's license. All drivers of County vehicles shall show proof of a valid driver's license, of the class required for the type of vehicle driven. B. Vehicle access. Hours of access to all vehicles in the main shop will be from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Special arrangements, including early departure, late arrival and assignment of vehicles to employees whose positions require after-hours availability of County vehicles, must be made with the appropriate department head to utilize vehicles after working hours. C D. E. Centralized vehicle poo c s epartment's personne hall be made by the cepartment leas to tie emp oyee assignee responsibi ity for t gat ve lie e. . - a ve lic e assignee to a particu ar cepartment is not in use by t gat , it s is be avai ab e for use by of ter County personne . Request for suc Exemptions. Law enforcement vehic this Article which, because of t es or emergency ve ie nature _ of said ve 'iic es si e exempt from t e usage, are not applicab e. 1 use le provisions of Agreement for use of soil for road purposes. Prior to the County using its equipment to remove earth material from other than County property and easements for the construction of County roads, the County and the owner of the property will complete an "Agreement for Use of Soil for Road Purposes," which will include the total estimated quantity of material to be removed; a project number; Page 5 the legal description of the property; and any other provisions agreed to by the owner and the County. Said agreement shall be forwarded to the Clerk to the Board for inclusion in the official records of the County. (Weld County Code Ordinance 2015-17 ) Page 6 Hello