(a) When the Mayor or a designee deems it necessary for the successful recruitment of qualified persons for eligible positions in the service of the City of Cleveland, as eligible positions are defined below, he or she may authorize payment of costs to recruit such persons and may authorize payment of reasonable and necessary expenses incurred by applicants who live outside of the Cleveland metropolitan area for traveling to and from Cleveland for the purpose of being interviewed for employment by the City. Reasonable and necessary travel expenses shall include lodging, meals, incidentals, and transportation from the applicant's place of residence, or mileage, provided that payment for mileage shall not exceed the round-trip airfare of a common carrier and provided further that no payment shall be authorized for:
(1) Fines, penalties, and/or forfeitures;
(2) Tobacco, alcoholic beverages, entertainment, gratuities, personal telephone calls and telegrams, or other like personal items;
(3) First-class travel accommodations unless coach or economy accommodations were not available; or
(4) Meals in lieu of other meals or food services provided during the period of travel by a carrier and included in the fare charged.
(b) The Mayor or a designee may approve payment of costs to search for and recruit and travel expenses for applicants for eligible positions, which are positions that meet the following criteria:
(1) Director, Assistant Director, Secretary to the Director, Chief Counsel, Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, Special Assistant to the Mayor, Executive Assistant to the Mayor and Secretary to the Mayor; or
(2) The following highly specialized technical personnel: Air Pollution Control Engineer; Airport Chief Engineer; Airport Comptroller; Airport Safety Chief; Architect; Air Trade Development Manager; Assistant Director of Law; Superintendent of Electric Transmission and Distribution; Chief of Air Pollution Monitoring; Chief Architect; Chief Assistant Director of Law; Assistant Building Official; Chief Engineer - Civil; Chief Engineer - Mechanical; Administer of Engineering & Planning; Master Plan Examiner; Chief of Water Distribution and Water Plant Manager; Budget Administrator; City Comptroller; City Treasurer; Income Tax Administrator; Consulting Engineer; Deputy Commissioner of Cleveland Hopkins International Airport; Deputy Commissioner of Convention Center/Stadium; Engineer of Hydraulic Surveys; Manager of Data Processing Center; Manager of Parks and Urban Forestry; Secretary to the Civil Service Commission; Superintendent of Electric Transmission and Distribution.
(c) Payment of authorized travel expenses may be made directly to a vendor, or the applicant may be reimbursed for authorized expenses paid out of pocket. Claims for payment of authorized expenses, other than mileage and incidentals, shall be submitted to the Mayor or a designee and shall be accompanied by invoices and/or receipts showing payment of such claimed expenses. Invoices and/or receipts showing payment of overnight lodging expenses shall have clearly identified thereon the rate for the accommodations utilized. The maximum amount that may be paid to any one (1) person who is a candidate for one (1) of the eligible positions for travel and related interview expenses shall be two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500.00) per interview trip.
(d) The Director of Finance is authorized to pay funds or reimburse costs for the recruiting and travel expense payments authorized in this section from funds appropriated for this purpose.
(e) If necessary to obtain the services of persons for eligible positions, as defined above, the City may pay moving expenses incurred by them in relocating to the City upon presentation of verifying documents, as long as those persons have moved from a distance consistent with the Internal Revenue Service distance test for moving expense deductions.
(f) The phrase "moving expenses" includes expenses incurred for transportation to Cleveland to secure housing, as well as food and lodging expenses for a period not to exceed five (5) days, incurred while engaged in securing housing. Moving expenses also shall include all lodging, food, and transportation expenses of family and household goods and personal effects which are incurred solely for the purpose of relocating, from departure of such family and goods from the place of current residence until the time that the family and possessions arrive in Cleveland, unless such expenses have been otherwise reimbursed. The authorized maximum rate for moving expenses as defined herein shall be ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00).
(g) The Director of Finance is authorized to pay funds or reimburse costs for the moving expense payments authorized in this section from funds appropriated for that purpose.
(h) A person who receives moving expenses shall sign an agreement that should such person voluntarily leave the City's employ within one (1) year of initial appointment to a position, he or she shall reimburse the City for all moving expenses plus any applicable interest as calculated pursuant to relevant Internal Revenue Code provisions. The Mayor may waive or modify the repayment amount upon the showing of mitigating circumstances.
(i) The Director of Human Resources shall notify the Clerk of Council, with a copy to each Council member, when any costs authorized by this section are paid. Once fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) has been spent under this section, additional legislation is required to authorize any further expenditures under this section.
(Ord. No. 461-16. Passed 5-2-16, eff. 5-4-16)