(A) Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
“ADMINISTRATOR.” The City of Florence Administration Department.
“EXCESS HOURS.” Credit hours earned beyond 15 during a single calendar year.
“QUALIFYING COURSE.” Any training, seminar, educational or learning event that provides instruction or information that is relevant to the duties and functions of city government and city officials and that has been pre-approved by the administrator.
“TRAINING UNIT.” Fifteen clock hours of attendance or participation in qualifying courses during a calendar year.
(B) Adoption of City Officials Training Program. In accordance with KRS 64.5278, the City of Florence hereby establishes the City Officials Training Program to make available incentive payments as specified by this policy to the elected city officials, including the Mayor and all members of the City Council, and nonelected city officers holding an office existing or created under KRS 83A.080 to participate in the incentive program.
(C) Incentive payment.
(1) Each city official eligible for participation in the City Officials Training Program shall receive training incentive payments of $500 for completion of each training unit during his or her continuous service as a city official within the city. In addition, the city official shall receive mileage reimbursement and per diem meal allowances as described in the City of Florence Administrative Policies, subject to a travel request form. The city official shall only receive training incentive payments for a maximum of four training units. The city official shall not be awarded more than one training unit per calendar year.
(2) The city official may continue to receive training incentive payments for four training units in each calendar year following the fourth year, provided that the officer continues to earn a training unit each subsequent calendar year.
(3) The failure of a city official to obtain a training unit during any calendar year shall disqualify the officer from receiving any training incentive payments for the calendar year, and the city official shall lose any previously accumulated training units earned during previous calendar years.
(4) Any city official earning excess hours during a calendar year shall be permitted to carry forward a maximum of ten hours to apply to the earning of a training unit in the following calendar year.
(5) Training incentive payments shall be made to a city official presenting proof of completion of a training unit for a calendar year within 60 days of the conclusion of the calendar year.
(D) Administration of city officials training.
(1) The City Officials Training Program for the City of Florence shall be administered by the City Administrator. The administrator shall be responsible for approving courses as qualifying under the terms of this policy, maintaining records of attendance and participation, and notifying the city when a city official earns a training unit and the number of training units earned by a city official during his or her continuous service as a city official within the city.
(2) The administrator shall evaluate and approve courses as qualifying for credit based on the relation of the course to the operation of city government. In addition to other courses that may be approved as qualifying courses by the administrator, courses that provide instruction on the statutory duties of cities and city officials, intergovernmental relationships, municipal finance and budgeting, municipal taxation, ethics, open records, open meetings, economic development, or municipal police powers shall be approved as qualifying courses under this policy. The administrator shall require the submission of the course or conference agenda, curriculum, name of the provider, and other course materials to determine whether a course should be approved as a qualifying course.
(3) The city official shall submit proof of attendance or participation in a qualifying course to the administrator. The city official shall submit the course name, date, and location, name of the instructor or provider, and sufficient proof of attendance or participation in the qualifying course before the administrator shall award credit. The administrator shall not award credit to a city official for attendance or participation in a qualifying course that is not, in the administrator's opinion, substantially different from another course the city official attended or participated in during the same calendar year.
(4) The administrator shall maintain records that reflect each of the courses and hours completed by the city official and shall provide it to each city official upon request. Within 30 days of the close of the calendar year, the administrator shall provide written or electronic certification to each participating city official of completed courses and hours, and shall, if applicable, certify the completion of a training unit and the total number of accumulated training units. Upon receipt, a city official shall present a copy of the certification of the completion of the training unit and the total accumulated training units to the city in order to receive his or her training incentive payments.
(E) Status of incentive payments.
(1) Training incentive payments do not constitute wages under KRS Ch. 337, creditable compensation under the County Employees Retirement System under KRS Ch. 78, or compensation for the purposes of setting maximum compensation or modification of compensation under KRS Ch. 83A, and may be repealed or modified by the city at any time.
(2) The training incentive payment amount established in this policy shall not be adjusted by any index reporting changes to consumer prices or any other method to account for inflation.
(Ord. O-24-2023)