City of Santa Clara
Council Policy Manual
GUIDELINES FOR COMMISSIONERS
FOR ATTENDANCE AT CONFERENCES AND TRAINING EVENTS
Revised June 2023 Council Policy 006 Page 1 of 2
PURPOSE The purpose of this Policy is to establish crit eria for B oards and Commissions travel to conferences and training events.
POLICY Each City C ommission has a separate budget to pay for members’ attendance at appropriate conferences and training pr ograms. These guidelines were established by the City Council in 1997 and amended in 2003 and 2010 bas ed on the City’s Budget Principles. In general, the policy disc ourages international and out -of-state travel for conferences and training events.
TRAVEL
GUIDELINES
1. Official travel must be related to the Commissioner’s roles or duties and approved by the City Commission.
2. Attendance at conferences and training events s hould be rotated as much as feasible among members of each City Commission.
3. All travel requests must be pre- approved by the Board or Commission prior to travel arrangements.
4. The C ity of Santa Cl ara is fiscally responsible and endorses the proper use of City assets to help ensure the City’s f iscal stability.
To that end, out -of-state travel is discouraged. I f the City Commission believes that the out -of-state conference is highly important, and if sufficient funding is available within the exi sting budget then approval by the City Council is required.
5. No more than two members of a City commission may attend any specific out-of-state conference or training event.
6. No more than three members of a City commission may attend any specific conference and training event held within the State of California. If more than three members of a City commission wish to attend a conference within the State of California, if sufficient funding is available within the existing budget, working with the staff li aison, the City C ommission may send more than three members to the conference upon a vote of the City C ommission, without requiring additional City Council approval.
7. Attendance at a n international conference or training held outside of the United States requires special approval by the City Council.
Out-of-country travel is not recommended.
City of Santa Clara
Council Policy Manual
GUIDELINES FOR COMMISSIONERS
FOR ATTENDANCE AT CONFERENCES AND TRAINING EVENTS
Revised June 2023 Council Policy 006 Page 2 of 2
8. One-day meetings that do not require an overnight stay are allowed as long as the total budget is not exceeded.
9. Overnight lodging m ay be approved depending on whether an extensive commute is required to reach the conference /event by 8 a.m.
10. A sp ecial situation exists for the Historical & Landmarks Commission which has a formally designated advisor as requi red for the City’s Certified L ocal Government status. The Commission may choose to send the advisor instead of a member of the commission.
11. Per AB 1234 requirements, Commissioners should report ver bally on conference and training attendance at the subsequent meeting of the C ommission. A brief written report from the C ommissioner may be substi tuted for the verbal report. (S ee t he “Resource Material” section of “Board and Commission Handbook and Survival Guide” for more information.)