title
Approve updates to the County’s Travel Policy; and Authorize the County Administrator to make future revisions to the Travel Policy as needed to align with County needs
body
Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The County Administrator’s Office recommends the Board of Supervisors:
1) Approve updates to the County’s Travel Policy; and
2) Authorize the County Administrator to make future revisions to the Travel Policy as needed to align with County needs.
SUMMARY/ DISCUSSION:
The County initially implemented a Travel Policy on July 6, 1953, which has been updated on a periodic basis to reflect changing conditions within the County with the most current version revised on February 28, 2012. The County Administrator’s Office, in collaboration with the Auditor-Controller’s Office, County Counsel, General Services, and Human Resources, has revised the Travel Policy to better reflect today’s County resources. The updated version (Attachment A) has simplified language and clarification of some existing policies and revises and adds others, such as electric and hybrid vehicles, which was provided by General Services. A copy of the current version with redlined changes is attached for reference (see Attachment B).
A summary of the most notable updates are as follows: 1) adds the definition of Personal Use Mileage; 2) clarifies that overnight stays are generally not reimbursable if the location of the authorized activity is less than 50 miles from the home or primary work location of the authorized attendee(s); 3) clarifies that individuals receiving a County Automobile Allowance may not receive reimbursement for travel expenses incurred within the county; 4) limits reimbursement of transportation costs to the lower of mileage reimbursement based on the County’s approved rate or the cost of the most economical airfare available, regardless of which mode of transportation is selected; 5) adds policies related to electric and hybrid vehicles; 6) adds rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft as modes of transportation eligible for reimbursement; 7) prohibits use of short-term rentals such as Airbnb and Vrbo as eligible lodging; 8) clarifies the County’s participation in the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Employer Pull Notice program; and 9) limits the number of attendees at the same training or conference to two individuals in most cases; exceptions may be granted at the sole discretion of the County Administrator or Chair of the Board of Supervisors.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no cost to updating the Travel Policy. The costs associated with preparing the agenda item are nominal and absorbed by the Department’s FY2025/26 Working Budget.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board may choose not to approve the updates to the Travel Policy; however, this is not recommended because the current policy is out-of-date and does not accurately support the County’s resources.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Feedback and updates to the Travel Policy were provided by the Auditor-Controller’s Office, the Department of Human Resources, and County Counsel. General Services provided the Electric and Hybrid Vehicle section.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION