(A) Purpose. The Board of Trustees will reimburse employee and officer travel, meal, and lodging expenses incurred in connection with pre-approved travel, meal, and lodging expenses incurred on behalf of the village. Employees and officers are expected exercise the same care in incurring expenses for official business as a prudent person would in spending personal funds.
(B) Definitions. For the purpose of this section, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ENTERTAINMENT. Includes, but is not limited to, shows, amusements, theaters, circuses, sporting events, or any other place of public or private entertainment or amusement, unless ancillary to the purpose of the program or event.
TRAVEL. Any expenditure directly incident to official travel by employees and officers of the village, or charges of the village, involving reimbursement to travelers or direct payment to private agencies providing transportation or related services.
(C) Authorized types of official business. Travel, meal, and lodging expenses shall be reimbursed for employees and officers of the village only for purposes of official business conducted on behalf of the village, which includes, but is not limited to, off-site or out-of-town meetings related to official business and pre-approved seminars, conferences and other educational events related to the employee’s or officer’s official duties.
(D) Maximum allowable expenses.
(1) Maximum expenses. Travel, meal, and lodging expenses incurred by any employee or official must not exceed $1,200, unless otherwise approved in an open meeting by a majority roll-call vote of the Board of Trustees.
(2) Personal automobiles. Mileage reimbursement will be based on mileage from the work location office to the off-site location of the official business, not from the employee’s or officer’s residence, unless the distance from the employee’s or officer’s residence is less than the mileage from the work location office to the off-site location. When attending a training event or other off-site official business directly from an employee’s or officer’s residence, no reimbursement will be made if the distance is less than the mileage of a normal commute to the workplace. An employee or officer will be reimbursed at the prevailing IRS mileage rate. The traveler will only be reimbursed up to the price of a coach airfare ticket if they drive to a location for which airfare would have been less expensive.
(3) Automobile rentals. Travelers will be reimbursed for the cost of renting an automobile, including gasoline expense, only as limited in this section. Travelers using rental cars to conduct official business are required to purchase insurance through the rental agency or provide proof of personal insurance equivalent to the rental agencies insurance. Car rental insurance will cover the vehicle during personal use, e.g., using the vehicle after the conference has ended.
(4) Tolls. The village will reimburse an employee for incidental tolls associated with approved travel.
(5) Public transportation. In the case of local training or official business where an employee or officer chooses to use public transportation, reimbursement for use of public transportation will be made upon documentation of a paid receipt. When attending training or business directly from an employee’s or officer’s residence, no reimbursement will be made if the distance is less than the mileage of a normal commute to the workplace. If the distance is greater than the traveler’s normal commute, reimbursement will be paid at the differential of the commute less the mileage of a normal commute to the workplace.
(6) Hotel/motel accommodations. The traveler will be reimbursed for a standard single room at locations convenient to the business activity. In the event of a change in plans or a cancellation, the traveler must cancel the hotel/motel reservation so as not to incur cancellation charges.
(7) Meals. No payment or reimbursement may be made for personal supplies, alcoholic beverages, or entertainment. If some meals are included in the prepaid registration fees, the employee or officer of the village may not be reimbursed for those meals.
(8) Vacation in conjunction with business travel. In cases where vacation time is added to a business trip, any cost variance in airfare, car rental, lodging and/or any other expenses must be clearly identified on the travel, meal, and lodging expense report form and paid by the traveler.
(9) Accompanied travel. When a traveler is accompanied by others not on official business, any lodging, transportation, meals or other expenses above those incurred for the authorized traveler will not be reimbursed by the village.
(10) Parking. Parking fees at a hotel/motel will be reimbursed only with a receipt.
(E) Approval of expenses.
(1) Travel, meal, and lodging expenses that are in excess of the maximum $1,200 incurred by any employee must be previously approved in an open meeting by a majority roll-call vote of the Board of Trustees.
(2) Travel, meal, and lodging expenses incurred by any member of the Board of Trustees must be approved by roll-call vote at an open meeting of the Board of Trustees.
(3) Travel, meal, and lodging expenses advanced as a per diem to any employee or any member of the Board of Trustees must be approved by roll-call vote at an open meeting of the Board of Trustees prior to payment. Documentation of expenses must be provided in accordance with divisions (C), (D) and (F) of this section, and any excess from the per diem must be repaid.
(F) Documentation of expenses.
(1) Before an expense for travel, meals, or lodging may be approved under division (E) of this section, the following minimum documentation must first be submitted, in writing, to the Board of Trustees on a travel, meal, and lodging expense form:
(a) An estimate of the cost of travel, meals, or lodging if expenses have not been incurred, or a receipt of the cost of the travel, meals, or lodging if the expenses have already been incurred;
(b) The name of the individual who received or is requesting the travel, meal, or lodging expense;
(c) The job title or office of the individual who received or is requesting the travel, meal, or lodging expense; and
(d) The date or dates and nature of the official business for which the travel, meal, or lodging expense was or will be expended.
(2) All documents and information submitted under this section are public records subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.
(3) The village hereby adopts as its official standardized form for the submission of travel, meal, and lodging expenses the travel, meal, and lodging expense report form found in Appendix B to this chapter.
(G) Entertainment expenses. No employee or officer shall be reimbursed for any entertainment expense, unless ancillary to the purpose of the program, event or other official business.
(H) Exceptions. Employees that utilize their personal vehicles for day-to-day operations shall continue to utilize the village’s monthly mileage report form, and shall be reimbursed upon approval of the Board of Trustees. Other exceptions for good cause may be granted with Village Board approval.
(Ord. 2000-02, passed 5-17-00; Am. Ord. 2017-004, passed 4-19-17)