CA Review CKM
Meeting Date: Nov. 14, 2023
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Scott Chadwick, City Manager
Staff Contact: Sheila Cobian, Director of Legislative & Constituent Services [email protected], 442-339-2917
Subject: City Council Policy – City Council Conference, Training and Professional Development Travel Policy
Districts: All
Recommended Action
Adopt a resolution approving City Council Policy – City Council Conference, Training and Professional Development Travel Policy.
Executive Summary
Over the past several years, there has been an increased interest among members of the City Council wishing to travel for conferences, trainings and professional development seminars. In an effort to allow all City Council members an equal opportunity to participate in such travel, staff are recommending the City Council adopt a policy for City Council travel expenses.
Staff have developed a policy (Exhibit 1 – Attachment A) that would allocate $10,000 each fiscal year to each City Council member for their conference, training and professional development travel expenditures to be used at their discretion.
When submitting the required travel expense reports for review, City Council members shall attest that the travel expense was for a legitimate government purpose in their capacity as a City of Carlsbad elected official.
Explanation & Analysis
Expenditures
The following table reflects the City Council’s training and conference travel expenditures since fiscal year 2017-18:
FY 2017-18 FY 2018-19 FY 2019-20 FY 2020-21 FY 2021-22 FY 2022-23 $2,857.27 $4,331.14 $2,648.87 $65 $10,159.81 $13,906.33 Based on travel requests received so far for fiscal year 2023-24, staff are calculating known expenses of approximately $20,000. It should be noted that there are several additional requests for which the registration and travel expenses are not yet known.
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Recommendations
Staff are recommending that the Finance Department establish a travel expense account for each City Council member in the amount of $10,000 per fiscal year. City Council members would use the funds for attendance at conferences, meetings, trainings and professional development seminars.
When submitting the required travel expense reports for review, City Council members shall attest that the travel expense was for a legitimate government purpose in their capacity as a City of Carlsbad elected official.
Should a City Council member exhaust their budget prior to the end of the fiscal year and wish to participate in additional conferences or trainings, the City Council member would request that an item be placed on a future City Council agenda for the full City Council to authorize travel expenditures in excess of their allotted $10,000 per fiscal year. Any travel outside of the United States, or any travel expenses in excess of the reimbursement rates established by City Council Policy No. 2 – Travel Policy, would also need to be placed on a City Council agenda for the full City Council’s consideration and approval before the travel occurs or the expense is incurred.
Required vote for approving City Council policies
Adopting City Council policy statements requires four affirmative votes.
Fiscal Analysis
Should City Council approve the recommended City Council Policy, the Finance Department will create expense accounts for each City Council member in the amount of $10,000 for each fiscal year.
There is $22,000 in the fiscal year 2023-24 budget for City Council member training and conference meeting travel. To accommodate this shift in budgeting, the Deputy City Manager of Administrative Services will transfer the current budget of $22,000 along with $28,000 from the City Council contingency account to the appropriate City Council member expense accounts for fiscal year 2023-24. The City Council contingency balance is currently $500,000.
Options
Staff provide the following options for the City Council’s consideration:
Option 1 – Ado pt a resolution approving the City Council Policy – City Council Conference, Training and Professional Development Travel Policy Option 2 – Prov ide additional feedback to staff and direct staff to return to City Council at a later date with a revised policy
Option 3 – Provid e other direction as desired
Next Steps
Staff will implement the City Council’s direction.
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Environmental Evaluation
This action does not require environmental review because it does not constitute a project within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act under California Public Resources Code Section 21065 in that it has no potential to cause either a direct physical change in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
Exhibits
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1. City Council resolution
2. Correspondence received through Nov. 8, 2023
RESOLUTION NO. 2023-279
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARLSBAD,
CALIFORNIA, APPROVING CITY COUNCIL POLICY STATEMENT - CITY
COUNCIL CONFERENCE, TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
TRAVEL POLICY
WHEREAS, City Council Policy Statement No. 2 - Travel Policy is the policy followed by all elected officials, commissioners, City Council appointed employees, city employees and volunteers when traveling on city business; and
WHEREAS, City Council Policy Statement No. 2 - Travel Policy does not address the establishment of a travel budget for individual City Council Members; and WHEREAS, the City Council desires to establish a policy to address the increased requests for City Council Members to participate in conferences, trainings and professional development seminars.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Carlsbad, California, as follows:
1. That the above recitations are true and correct.
2. That the City Council approves the City Council Policy Statement - City Council Conference, Training and Professional Development Travel Policy {Attachment A).
3. That the City Manager is authorized to have the Deputy City Manager of Administrative Services transfer $3,000 from City Council contingency, along with the $22,000 that has been budgeted for City Council training and conference travel for Fiscal Year 2023-24 to individual City Council Member expense accounts in the amount of $5,000 each.
Exhibit 1
Nov. 14, 2023 Item #8 Page 4 of 13
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED at a Regular Meeting of the City Council of the City of Carlsbad on the 14th day of November, 2023, by the following vote, to wit:
AYES:
NAYS:
ABSTAIN:
ABSENT:
Blackburn, Bhat-Patel, Acosta, Luna.
Burkholder.
None.
None.
I. •
KEITH B
�
SHERRY FREISINGER, City Clerk ,Ir-=
(SEAL)
Nov. 14, 2023 Item #8 Page 5 of 13
City Council
POLICY STATEMENT
Policy No.
Date Issued
100
11/15/2023
Resolution No. 2023-279
Subject: City Council conference, training and professional development travel policy Purpose
This policy supplements City Council Policy No. 2 - Travel Policy, and establishes guidelines and procedures for City Council Member conference, training and professional development travel.
Background
City Council Members are invited to participate in numerous conferences, trainings and professional development seminars throughout the year. This policy establishes funding for each individual City Council Member, to participate in conferences, trainings and professional development opportunities.
Statement of policy
It is the policy of the City Council of the City of Carlsbad to allocate up to $5,000 annually for each City Council Member to use for participation in conferences, trainings and professional development opportunities.
Procedure
• Funding in an amount up to $5,000 per City Council Member shall be budgeted each fiscal year for individual City Council Members' use, for travel expenses. • Travel must be communicated in advance to the Mayor or Mayor Pro Tern and the City Manager's purview shall be confined to budgetary matters. • All travel arrangements shall be facilitated through the Executive Assistant to the City Council.
• Travel must meet the following criteria:
1. If travel is related to any assignment with another agency, the City Council Member should first seek funding from the other agency; or
2. Travel is consistent with current adopted budget and/or legislative priorities; or
3. Clear public benefit is evident; or
4. Revenue enhancement opportunity is clearly attainable; or
5. Travel is related to the elected official's roles or duties (i.e. standing committee assignment, liaison assignment, task force assignment, economic development, etc.)
• The City Council Member shall report back to the rest of the City Council after the trip. • Travel requests in excess of the annual $5,000 threshold shall require City Council approval.
• All travel requests outside of the United States shall require advance City Council approval.
Attachment A
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City Council Policy Statement
Nov. 14,2023
• City Council Members shall adhere to all provisions of City Council Policy No. 2 -Travel Policy. Travel expenses in excess of the reimbursement rates established by City Council Policy No. 2 require advance City Council approval.
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Exhibit 2
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Nov. 14, 2023
Item #8
From: Council Internet Email
To: City Clerk
Subject: FW: Travel Expense Acct for City Council Members Date: Wednesday, November 8, 2023 8:11:54 AM
From: Shirley Keating-Hudson <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, November 8, 2023 12:01 AM
To: Council Internet Email <[email protected]> Subject:
Travel Expense Acct for City Council Members
I am strongly against use of City funds for a travel expense account without strict restrictions, accountability and transparency to prevent abuse of our tax dollars.
PLEASE DEFER THIS UNTIL NEXT WEEK OR FOR 2 WEEKS TO ALLOW CITIZENS TO VOICE THEIR OPINIONS.
My previous experience with the City Council and with the Mayor in particular, leads me to believe this will not be done with accountability or transparency.
Thank you,
Shirley Hudson
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From: Council Internet Email
To: City Clerk
Subject: FW: regarding travel pay for council members
Date: Wednesday, November 8, 2023 8:12:38 AM
From: Ken <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, November 8, 2023 6:11 AM
To:
Council Internet Email <[email protected]>
Subject: regarding travel pay for council members
I just want to voice my opinion, you all do not need to add in the amount of money for travel expenses. You can then chose when, where you want to travel even if not for the City of Carlsbad. We cannot trust the City Council to do the right thing any long for the citizens of Carlsbad, you all have proven that. I say no to you asking for more money.
Robin Hardesty
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From: Council Internet Email
To: City Clerk
Subject: FW: Agenda Item #6
Date: Wednesday, November 8, 2023 10:22:03 AM
From: George Bradvica <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, November 8, 2023 9:36 AM
To:
Council Internet Email <[email protected]>
Subject: Agenda Item #6
I object to the Carlsbad City Council creating a $10,000 travel budget for each of the 5 council members.
This expense is unwarranted, unnecessary and unbudgeted. This is an extraordinarily poorly conceived expense at a time when inflation is creating an expected shortfall in the overall budget for Carlsbad in the year 2024.
The citizens of Carlsbad deserve a chance to express our displeasure with with expense in person and in front of the council members.
Please move this item #6 to next week for a public hearing. Thank you.
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Sheila Cobian, Legislative & Constituent Services Director Nov. 14, 2023
City Council Conference,
Training and Professional
Development Travel Policy
1 PROPOSED ACTION
• Adopt a resolution approving City Council
Policy – City Council Conference, Training
and Professional Development Travel Policy
ITEM 8: CITY COUNCIL CONFERENCE, TRAINING
AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAVEL POLICY
2 CITY COUNCIL POLICY NO. 2 – TRAVEL POLICY
3 ITEM 8: CITY COUNCIL CONFERENCE, TRAINING
AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAVEL POLICY
• Establishes policy to be followed by all employees including elected officials when traveling on City business
• Requests shall be limited to situations where the City will derive a benefit through the attendance of a representative
• For elected officials, all travel involving more than 5 days requires advance approval by City Council
• Travel shall be approved through the operating budget • Elected officials are not eligible for per diem, therefore must submit receipts for all expenditures
PROPOSED POLICY
4 ITEM 8: CITY COUNCIL CONFERENCE, TRAINING
AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAVEL POLICY
• $10,000 will be budgeted annually for each Council Member for conference, training and professional development
• All travel will be coordinated by Executive Assistant • Council Members shall attest that the travel was for legitimate government purpose
• Requests in excess of $10,000 budget shall require City Council approval
• Requests for travel outside the United States shall require City Council approval
OPTIONS
1. Adopt the resolution approving the Policy
2. Provide feedback to staff & direct staff to return
with a revised Policy reflecting City Council
direction
3. Provide other direction as desired
5 ITEM 8: CITY COUNCIL CONFERENCE, TRAINING
AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAVEL POLICY
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Adopt the resolution approving City Council
Policy Statement – City Council Conference,
Training and Professional Development Travel
6 ITEM 8: CITY COUNCIL CONFERENCE, TRAINING
AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAVEL POLICY
QUESTIONS?
7 ITEM 8: CITY COUNCIL CONFERENCE, TRAINING
AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAVEL POLICY