Prior to the adoption of 1-1 on 07/01/2006, Policy 1-1 read as follows.

PURPOSE: To establish policies and procedures for in-town and out-of-town transportation for employees, the Mayor, and City Council who have a need to conduct official city business.

BACKGROUND: City employees use city-owned and, occasionally, privately-owned vehicles (POVs) to perform their duties. Cost for acquisition and operation of vehicles represents a substantial investment for city government. A policy is needed to assure proper assignment and utilization of these vehicles. This policy pertains only to vehicles used primarily for transportation. It does not pertain to police cars, fire trucks, trucks one-ton and larger, and other similar work vehicles. Often the Mayor, council members, employees and other city representatives are required to travel out of town on official business to attend meetings, conferences, workshops or schools. A formal standard operating procedure is needed so that travel arrangements can be made effectively and funds can be obtained and accounted for properly. Procedures should protect the interests of the city, while minimizing inconvenience ot the traveler.

1. City employees are authorized use of either a city vehicle or privately owned vehicle (POV) for transportation in the performance of official business. The availability of a city vehicle and the type of transportation authorized will be based upon the needs of the city. Employee convenience is not a consideration.

2. A valid Oklahoma driver's license is required to operate a city vehicle or POV used on city business. City policy requires that department directors verify that employees driving on city business possess a valid license.

a. Type 1 - May be driven portal to portal but is limited to Lawton city limits. To receive this authorization the employee must be required to attend after hours meetings or respond to emergency situations on a frequent basis. City Manager approval is required.

c. Type 3 - Employee must have a recurring transportation requirement. Funding must be included in the department budgets. The employee shall have in effect public liability and property damage insurance as required by the state. City Manager approval is required on an annual basis.

b. Requests for Type 1 and 3 transportation must be forwarded to the City Manager annually. Department directors shall submit these requests to the City Manager for approval with budget requests each year.

b. An employee authorized Type 3 transportation will keep a record of all mileage driven while on city business, on Form RS-103, Local Travel Record. Beginning and ending odometer readings will be recorded for each trip. a copy of RS-103 is shown at Attachment B.

c. Whenever RS-103 is completely filled out, or prior to the end of the fiscal year, the form will be signed and submitted to the department director for approval. Upon approval of the document, a requisition will be processed for payment. A copy of the completed RS-103 will be attached to the requisitions.

c. The City Manager may grant leave with pay, together with necessary travel and expense allowances, to employees to leave the city for official city business or to attend conferences, schools and similar events.

d. The Mayor, Council, and other officials serving on municipal boards, commissions, and committees, or assisting the city in an advisory capacity shall have necessary travel and expense allowances paid by the city when out-of-town travel is required to discharge their official responsibilities.

e. Travel expenses shall be paid only for officials representing the City of Lawton. Expenses for spouses, friends, and business associates will not be reimbursed. An exception to this policy is provided for in paragraph 2D of this policy which authorizes the City Manager to approve payment for another person's meal.

f. With the exception of elected officials, no more than one employee of a department will be authorized to attend the same out of state conference, seminar, or other such meeting. Exceptions must be approved in advance by the City Manager.

(1) Air transport shall normally be air-coach class. First class is not an option. Whenever possible, air travel for City business will be departure from and return to the Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport. Short trips may be made in city vehicle or in a POV. Should traveler want to drive a POV to a distant location, he must do so without costing the city time or travel funds in excess of the lowest costs of air fare.

(3) City vehicles which are available to city officials are expected to be used for short trips. Department directors will determine whether a city vehicle in suitable mechanical condition is available for the trip. Expenses involved in operating the city vehicle, i.e., fuel and repair costs, will be reimbursed. The traveler, with approval of the department director, may elect for his own convenience to drive his personal vehicle even if it has been determined that a city vehicle is available. In this instance, the amount paid to the traveler will be one-half the standard mileage rate.

(4) The City will reimburse travelers who drive POV at the mileage rate shown in Attachment A. In addition to the mileage rate, the city will pay for tolls, meals, and lodging while en route, but the total reimbursement for en route expenses may not exceed the cost of coach class airfare, plus transportation costs to and from the airport. Should the total travel expense be less than coach class, the actual expense is the amount which will be reimbursed. When traveling POV, reimbursement for expenses incurred after arrival at the destination will be made for the time period that would have been involved in the traveler had flown. This time should be, at the most, one day before and one day following a meeting.

Persons authorized to travel in a personal vehicle shall have the minimum insurance coverage required by the State of Oklahoma. A statement that the owner has the minimum insurance coverage will be signed on the Out of Town Travel Authorization Request from (Attachment C) when the traveler requests use of a POV.

The city will pay the normal cost of hotels and motels. Normal means the cost of single occupancy without special accommodations, i.e., suites, sitting rooms, movies, or other higher costs arrangements. Only business telephone call are reimburseable.

When gone for a full day (7:00a.m. - 7:00 p.m.), payment for meals will be on a per diem basis. Per diem amounts are shown in Attachment A. Amounts shown include foods, taxes, and tips. Receipts for meals are not required. Reimbursement will not be made for meals provided on an airline or during a conference, seminar, or convention when price of the meal is included in the registration or otherwise provided at no charge. The city will pay for breakfast if the traveler departs by 7:00 a.m. or earlier. The city will pay for lunch if the traveler is out of town between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Reimbursement or payment for dinner will be provided if the traveler has not returned by 7:00 p.m. Payment for another person's meal may be requested at the time the travel claim is submitted. A statement justifying the expense must be attached and submitted to the City Manager approval.

(1) Registration, tuition, taxi, parking fares, bus fares, tolls, gratuities, except for meals, and other fees or items necessary in the performance of official business are reimburseable.

a. Out-of-town travel must be approved by the department director prior to payment for registration or travel costs. The City Manager must approve travel requests for department directors, and all requests for travel out of state. Department directors may take out-of-town "one day" trips without approval by the city manager. The Out-of-Town Travel Authorization Request, shown as Attachment C, will be used to request the travel. The request, when possible, must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the travel. The city manager may approve exceptions based on emergencies.

b. In those cases where an individual wishes to drive a POV to a distant location, the provisions of paragraph 2.(3) of this policy shall apply. In addition, the costs of the lowest class airfare must be indicated in parenthesis after the estimated mileage expenses shown on the Out-of-Town Travel Authorization Request.

c. The traveler may obtain travel funds in advance. The funds will not be paid more than thirty days prior to departure. Advance travel can be obtained for all anticipated expenses except airfare. A separate requisition will be processed for payment of airfare. To receive advance travel, a purchase requisition must be attached to the Out-of-Town travel authorization Request and submitted to the Financial Services Division. Traveler will indicate on the request the amount of advance requested. In an emergency, advance travel funds may be obtained from the city clerks cash fund. City Manager approval is required prior to disbursement of these funds.

d. Within ten days of return, the traveler will submit to his supervisor an Out-of-Town Travel Expense Statement, Attachment D, with expenditure receipts attached. Receipts, or an itemized signed statement, must be attached for all expenditures except meals. If a pikepass is used for tolls, no receipts are required. If receipts have not been obtained then the traveler must identify those expenses and provide an itemized, signed statement for those expenses in order to be reimbursed. An itemized statement will only be accepted for parking and local transportation such as taxi or bus. If advance travel was received, a copy of the Out-of-Town Travel Authorization will be attached. If advance travel had not been paid, the original Out-of-Town Authorization will be attached. A copy of the Out-of-Town Travel Expense Statement is shown at Attachment D.

g. If emergency travel funds were obtained from the City Clerk's cash fund, the Out-of-Town Travel Expense Statement will be turned into the City Clerk's office. Receipts and an itemized, signed statement, if necessary, must be attached. The City Clerk will remit additional cash if authorized expenditures exceed the amount of the advance. If expenditures are less than the amount of the advance, excess funds will be turned into the city clerk. In either case, the City Clerk will adjust the amount on the requisition and forward to Financial Services division for reimbursement.

h. The City is authorized to make payroll deductions for collection of advanced funds not substantiated by receipts or an itemized, signed statement, unused funds, or vouchers not turned in within ten days of return. All travel documents with requisitions will be kept on file in the Financial Services division. After all administrative action has been completed, the auditing department will review all requisitions and documents related to travel.