DATE: September 6, 2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Dominic Lazzaretto, City Manager
By: Dr. Jennifer Brutus, Senior Management Analyst
SUBJECT: TRAVEL EXPENSES FOR CITY MANAGER’S LOS ANGELES COUNTY
BLUE-RIBBON COMMISSION ON HOMELESSNESS STUDY TRIP IN
HOUSTON, TEXAS
Recommendation: Approve City Expenditure
SUMMARY
The Los Angeles County’s Blue-Ribbon Commission on Homelessness (“Commission”) established an executive-level action team to assist with driving urgently needed homeless reform, leading discussion on issues of common interest, and facilitating data development and sharing. Supervisor Kathryn Barger has invited City Manager Dominic Lazzaretto to be one of the public officials to represent the County’s 5th Supervisorial District on this working group. The working group will be participating in a homelessness study trip in Houston, Texas on September 14-16, 2022. While a private foundation has offered to cover travel expenses for this expedition, it is recommended that the City Council approve the City Manager’s study trip-related travel expenses using the City’s General Fund in the amount of approximately $1,200.
BACKGROUND
The Commission’s Homeless Governance Report, which was adopted on March 30, 2022, cited Houston, Texas as an example of a large urban area that has made significant strides in addressing homelessness. The Commission’s working group will visit Houston for three days (September 14-16, 2022) to learn more about Houston’s approach to connecting unhoused individuals with permanent housing, and speak directly with critical service providers, government agencies, and other individuals and organizations that have played a role in Houston’s success.
Two private grantmaking foundations who have an ongoing commitment to homelessness in the Los Angeles region (the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and the Weingart Foundation) are attending the trip and have offered to fund the working group’s travel costs to include airfare, lodging, and a group dinner. Both foundations partner with grantees whose focus
Travel Expenses for Houston, Texas Study Trip on Homelessness September 6, 2022
is on improving access to permanent housing and supportive services for individuals experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County.
DISCUSSION
The homelessness study trip in Houston, Texas will require air fare, lodging, and meal expenses (“travel expenses”) for the City Manager. The City has three options to consider for handling payment of the City Manager’s travel expenses:
1. Allow the foundations to pay for the City Manager’s travel expenses by accepting a reimbursement payment. This option is viable if the City complies with the reporting practices of the Fair Political Practices Commission (“FPPC”). As such, the City must first determine that it will cover the expense. With this approval from the City Council, the City may then accept a reimbursement payment from the foundations and subsequently, reimburse the City Manager for the covered expenses.
In accordance with the FPPC, the City would be required to report the total reimbursement payment on FPPC Form 801, which is used to report payments received by state and local government agencies including payment for an official’s travel expenses for the purpose of facilitating the public’s business (such as a study on homelessness) in lieu of a payment using agency funds.
2. Require the City Manager to pay for the travel expenses out-of-pocket without any reimbursement.
3. Cover the cost of the City Manager’s travel expenses as a City expenditure.
Although other cities participating in the study trip may accept the foundations’ offer to pay for their executive’s travel expenses, and the City could follow suit and ensure compliance with FPPC regulations, out of an abundance of caution, it is recommended that the City forgo the offer and pay for the travel expenses using the City’s General Fund dollars set aside for travel and meeting expenses in the City Manager’s Office. Selecting Option 3 will help the City avoid any potential ethical concerns or possible perceptions of conflicts of interest that may arise later.
The total travel expense for this study trip is expected to be approximately $1,200 ($500 for airfare, $400 for lodging, $200 for meals, and $100 for transportation). Thus, it is recommended that the City Council approve the City Manager’s study trip-related travel expenses in the amount of approximately $1,200 as a City expenditure.
Travel Expenses for Houston, Texas Study Trip on Homelessness September 6, 2022
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
The proposed actions do not constitute a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) based on Section 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines. It can be seen with certainty that it will have no impact on the environment. Thus, this matter is exempt under CEQA.
FISCAL IMPACT
The City Manager Department’s Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2022-23 has sufficient funding in its Meetings & Trainings Budget to absorb this one-time cost of approximately $1,200 in its entirety. Should the City Council wish to allow the foundations to reimburse the City, it will need to make necessary findings and authorizations.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council determine that this action does not constitute a project and is, therefore, exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”); and approve the City Manager’s travel expenses in the amount of approximately $1,200 for the Houston, Texas study trip on homelessness, forgoing any reimbursement.