Agenda packet — Governance and Ethics Committee, September 8, 2025

City of Santa Clara
Meeting Agenda
Governance and Ethics Committee
City Hall – Council Chambers
1500 Warburton Avenue
Santa Clara, CA 95050
10:00 AMMonday, September 8, 2025
The City of Santa Clara is conducting Governance and Ethics Committee meetings in-person and continues to have methods for the public to participate remotely or in-person.
• Via Zoom: https://santaclaraca.zoom.us/j/98559951444
• Webinar ID: 985 5995 1444
• By phone: +1 669 444 9171
To submit written public comment before meeting:

Send email to [email protected] by 10 a.m. one day before the date of the meeting. Emails will be forwarded to Committee members and will be uploaded as supplemental meeting material.

Note: Emails received as public comment will not be read aloud during the meeting.

CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL

CONSENT CALENDAR

1. Approval of the June 2, 2025 Governance and Ethics Committee Meeting Minutes
25-1006
Approve the minutes of the June 2, 2025 Governance
and Ethics Committee Meeting
Recommendation:

PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS
[This item is reserved for persons to address the body on any matter not on the agenda that is within the subject matter
jurisdiction of the body. The law does not permit action on, or extended discussion of, any item not on the agenda except under special circumstances. The governing body, or staff, may briefly respond to statements made or questions posed, and appropriate body may request staff to report back at a subsequent meeting.]

GENERAL BUSINESS

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Governance and Ethics Committee Meeting Agenda September 8, 2025

2. Review
and Approval of Amendments to Council Policy 043
("Official Travel by Elected Officials")
25-4450
Approve the proposed amendments to Council Policy
043 ("Official Travel by Elected Officials") to be
retitled Council Policy 043 ("Official Travel by the City Council") and present the proposed changes, to the
full City Council for consideration and approval.

Recommendation:

3. Review and Approval of Proposed Amendments to Council Policy
006 ("Guidelines for Commissioners Attendance at
Conferences and Training Events") to be retitled Council Policy 006 ("Guidelines for City Commissions, Boards and
Commissions for Attendance at Conferences and Training
Events”)
25-610
Approve proposed amendments to Proposed Council
Policy 006 ("Guidelines for City Commissions,
Boards and Commissions for Attendance at
Conferences and Training Events”) and authorize
presentation to the full City Council for consideration and approval.

Recommendation:

STAFF REPORT

COMMITTEE MEMBER REPORTS / FUTURE REFERRALS FOR CONSIDERATION

ADJOURNMENT

MEETING DISCLOSURES

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Governance and Ethics Committee Meeting Agenda September 8, 2025 The time limit within which to commence any lawsuit or legal challenge to any quasi-adjudicative decision made by the City is governed by Section 1094.6 of the Code of Civil Procedure, unless a shorter limitation period is specified by any other provision. Under Section 1094.6, any lawsuit or legal challenge to any
quasi-adjudicative decision made by the City must be filed no later than the 90th day following the date on which such decision becomes final. Any lawsuit or legal challenge, which is not filed within that 90-day period, will be barred. If a person wishes to challenge the nature of the above section in court, they may be limited to raising only those issues they or someone else raised at the meeting described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City of Santa Clara, at or prior to the meeting. In addition, judicial challenge may be limited or barred where the interested party has not sought and exhausted all available administrative remedies.

If a member of the public submits a speaker card for any agenda items, their name will appear in the Minutes. If no speaker card is submitted, the Minutes will reflect "Public Speaker."
In accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("ADA"), the City of Santa Clara will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs, or activities, and will ensure that all existing facilities will be made accessible to the maximum extent feasible. The City of Santa Clara will generally, upon request, provide appropriate aids and services leading to effective communication for qualified persons with disabilities including those with speech, hearing, or vision impairments so they can participate equally in the City’s programs, services, and activities. The City of Santa Clara will make all reasonable modifications to policies and programs to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to enjoy all of its programs, services, and activities.

Agendas and other written materials distributed during a public meeting that are public record will be made available by the City in an appropriate alternative format. Contact the City Clerk’s Office at 1 408-615-2220 with your request for an alternative format copy of the agenda or other written materials.

Individuals who require an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication, or any other disability-related modification of policies or procedures, or other accommodation, in order to participate in a program, service, or activity of the City of Santa Clara, should contact the City’s ADA Coordinator at 408-615-3000 as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled event.

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City of Santa Clara
Agenda Report
1500 Warburton Avenue
Santa Clara, CA 95050
santaclaraca.gov
@SantaClaraCity
25-1006 Agenda Date: 9/8/2025

REPORT TO GOVERNANCE AND ETHICS COMMITTEE

SUBJECT
Approval of the June 2, 2025 Governance and Ethics Committee Meeting Minutes

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(a) as it has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.

FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact to the City other than administrative staff time.

PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Governance and Ethics Committee agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email [email protected] or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.

RECOMMENDATION
Approve the minutes of the June 2, 2025 Governance and Ethics Committee Meeting Reviewed by: Maria Le, Assistant to the City Manager, City Manager’s Office Approved by: Jovan D. Grogan, City Manager

ATTACHMENTS

1. June 2, 2025 Governance and Ethics Committee Meeting Minutes Draft City of Santa Clara Printed on 9/5/2025Page 1 of 1
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City of Santa Clara
Meeting Minutes
Governance and Ethics Committee
Draft
10:00 AM City Hall – Council Chambers
1500 Warburton Avenue
Santa Clara, CA 95050
06/02/2025
The City of Santa Clara is conducting Governance and Ethics Committee meetings in-person and continues to have methods for the public to participate remotely or in-person.
• Via Zoom: https://santaclaraca.zoom.us/j/98559951444
• Webinar ID: 985 5995 1444
• By phone: +1 669 444 9171
To submit written public comment before meeting:

Send email to [email protected] by 10 a.m. one day before the date of the meeting. Emails will be forwarded to Committee members and will be uploaded as supplemental meeting material.

Note: Emails received as public comment will not be read aloud during the meeting.

Chair Raj Chahal, Member Suds Jain, and Member Kevin ParkPresent 3 -

CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
Chair Suds Jain called the meeting to order at 10:10 a.m.

Chair Raj Chahal, Member Suds Jain, and Member Kevin ParkPresent 3 -

CONSENT CALENDAR

1.A 25-645 Approval of the May 1, 2025 Governance and Ethics Committee Special Meeting Minutes
Recommendation: Approve the minutes of the May 1, 2025 Governance and Ethics Committee Special Meeting
A motion was made by Member Kevin Park and seconded by
Member Raj Chahal to approve the minutes of the May 1, 2025 Special meeting .

Aye: Chair Chahal, Member Jain, and Member Park3 -

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06/02/2025Governance and Ethics Committee Meeting Minutes

PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS
Member of the public Wanda Buck commented on the status of the Committee work related to Ethics .

City Manager Jovan Grogan stated the Consultant Morin Jacob from Liebert Cassidy Whitmore is currently scheduled to return on September 8, 2025 to the Committee to provide an update on the review of the Ethics documents and an options on establishing an Ethics Commission.

GENERAL BUSINESS

2. 25-218 Review and Approval on Amendments to Council Policy 035 ("Naming of Facilities") to Proposed Council Policy 035 (“Naming of City Streets, Parks and Other Facilities”)
Recommendation: Approve amendments, if any, to Council Policy 035 ("Naming of Facilities") to Proposed Council Policy 035 (“Naming of City Streets, Parks and Other Facilities”) to be brought forth to the City Council for consideration and approval.

City Manager Jovan Grogan presented on Council Policy 035 which establishes the criteria and procedures for the naming of City of Santa Clara facilities. Staff presented proposed recommendations to further define criteria and provide consistent procedures for naming proposals for City streets, parks and other facilities for consideration.

The Committee reviewed the proposed policy and also had a robust discussion around tying donations of land to the City of naming rights and the need for the donation policy to be separate. City Manager Jovan Grogan stated as a follow up to this discussion, city staff will also review donation policies in place and return to this Committee at a future meeting.

Member Chahal motioned to approve the staff recommendation and remove the language referring to donations. Member Park amended the original motion to also include the change to the policy to make the process consistent for Historical and Landmarks Commission, for naming of streets and other facilities, to also be brought to Governance and Ethics Committee prior to moving forward to full Council. The motion was approved to bring forth the proposed recommendations to the full City Council for review and consideration.

Aye: Chair Chahal, Member Jain, and Member Park3 -

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06/02/2025Governance and Ethics Committee Meeting Minutes

STAFF REPORT
None.

COMMITTEE MEMBER REPORTS / FUTURE REFERRALS FOR CONSIDERATION Chair Suds Jain stated he received his 200th public record request from member of the public J. Rowen.

Member Kevin Park added we need an AI Policy and guidelines for the City Council.

CIty Attorney Glen Googins stated the City is currently reviewing the Public Record Act processes.

CIty Manager Jovan Grogan added the City has an internal working group on a Citywide Policy on AI. As part of the Commitee workplan to update all the Council policies into a comprehensive CIty Council manual, staff can add the use of AI to the comprehensive Council policy manual.

Chair Suds Jain requested we schedule an additional special meeting for Governance and Ethics Committee to complete our workplan items.

Member of the Public Wanda Buck stated to the Committee she appreciated their work today on the agenda items.

ADJOURNMENT
Chair Jain adjourned the meeting at 12:05 p.m.

MEETING DISCLOSURES

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06/02/2025Governance and Ethics Committee Meeting Minutes The time limit within which to commence any lawsuit or legal challenge to any quasi-adjudicative decision made by the City is governed by Section 1094.6 of the Code of Civil Procedure, unless a shorter limitation period is specified by any other provision. Under Section 1094.6, any lawsuit or legal challenge to any quasi-adjudicative decision made by the City must be filed no later than the 90th day following the date on which such decision becomes final. Any lawsuit or legal challenge, which is not filed within that 90-day period, will be barred. If a person wishes to challenge the nature of the above section in court, they may be limited to raising only those issues they or someone else raised at the meeting described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City of Santa Clara, at or prior to the meeting. In addition, judicial challenge may be limited or barred where the interested party has not sought and exhausted all available administrative remedies.

Agendas and other written materials distributed during a public meeting that are public record will be made available by the City in an appropriate alternative format.

Contact the City Clerk’s Office at 1 408-615-2220 with your request for an alternative format copy of the agenda or other written materials.

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City of Santa Clara
Agenda Report
1500 Warburton Avenue
Santa Clara, CA 95050
santaclaraca.gov
@SantaClaraCity
25-4450 Agenda Date: 9/8/2025

REPORT TO GOVERNANCE AND ETHICS COMMITTEE

SUBJECT
Review and Approval of Amendments to Council Policy 043 ("Official Travel by Elected Officials")

BACKGROUND
As part of the Governance and Ethics Committee workplan, existing Council Policy 043 ("Official Travel by Elected Officials") (Attachment 1) was identified for review and revision. The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines for official travel by City Councilmembers in connection with their roles and responsibilities. The policy outlines reimbursable expenses for official travel and ensures compliance with fiscal responsibility standards.

In addition to updating this policy, City staff is updating the City Manager Directive (CMD) Purchase Card (P-Card) policy that will include audit review procedures. These measures will assigned credit cards to be issued to Councilmembers for official travel related expenses. Once the policy has been updated, staff will implement the policy and provide training to the City Council on proper use.

DISCUSSION
This item presents for Governance and Ethics Committee consideration proposed amendments to the existing Council Policy 043 (“Official Travel by Elected Officials”).

The proposed amendments to Council Policy 043 (Attachment 2) include clarifications, cleanup language, and corrections. Proposed key changes include:

1. Title: The title of the Council policy is proposed to be revised from “Official Travel by Elected Officials” to ("Official Travel by the City Council").This proposed amendment is to clarify that the Council policy applies to the Mayor and City Councilmembers, not to the elected Police Chief or City Clerk. The policies that govern their travel are contained in City Manager Directive (CMD) 28 Travel Policy (Attachment 3).

2. Criteria for Official Travel: In this section, proposed revisions were made as follows:
a. “Official travel” that qualifies for reimbursement retains the requirements that travel shall relate to a Councilmembers “official duties,” “professional development,” or “representation” of the City at regional, state or national organizations the promote or advance the interests of the City.
b. Where there is the potential for “multiple attendees,” the current policy states: “If multiple members meet the criteria to attend, the representative may attend based on seniority.” The proposed amendment states: “When several Councilmembers request attendance at the same event, priority will be based on committee or legislative assignment; submission date of request; budget availability; and, depending upon the City of Santa Clara Printed on 9/5/2025Page 1 of 5
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nature of the event, consideration of Brown Act limitations. If multiple members of the City Council elect to attend the same event for travel, Councilmember(s) may attend based on available department budget or based on a committee assignment or legislative priorities of interest.” This proposed amendment provides a process for staff to confirm if quorum is met for City Council meetings during the travel period if multiple members of the Council plan to travel.

3. Types of Travel: The current policy has a section defining criteria for official travel for local, in- state, out of state and international travel. The following amendments are proposed to outline and further clarify the criteria:
a. “Local travel” is now specifically defined as less than 50 miles for single-day events, must meet the “official travel” criteria described above. b. “In-State Travel” now defined as travel exceeding 50 miles, must also meet the official travel criteria which may include: League of California Cities Annual Conference, League of California Cities New Members Academy.
c. “Out-of-state travel” includes events such as the United States Conference of Mayors and National League of Cities conferences and meetings. d. Added language makes it clear that “International travel” is allowed for all City Councilmembers. International travel may be initiated by invitation or commemoration of anniversaries with the City of Santa Clara's Sister Cities or Friendship Cities.

4. Procedures for Travel: This proposed section further defines the procedure for City Councilmembers to request travel.
a. Prior to travel, Councilmembers should submit a written request to City staff stating the purpose and benefit to the City with reference to the “official travel” criteria. b. City staff will verify available funds and prepare the pre-authorization form. c. The City Manager or designee approves the pre-authorization form.

5. Reimbursable Expenses: The proposed amendments includes the addition of this new section which defines in detail authorized expenses which may be reimbursed or covered by the City.
a. Lodging: Lodging is covered for approved travel, including the night before and the night after an event. Receipts are required, and reimbursement is limited to actual costs. If no specific lodging site is designated for official City business, the City will reimburse the actual cost of lodging at an alternative location. b. Meals: The City will pay for Councilmember’s meals during authorized travel, including tax and tips and incidentals, up to the per diem amount established by the GSA for the destination location (available at http://www.gsa.gov/perdiem) for a full day of travel. Itemized receipts showing the expense amount are required for Councilmembers to receive reimbursement.

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Reimbursements are capped at the GSA amounts detailed below.

On the first and last travel day, meals are reimbursed at 75 percent (75%) of the per diem rate. The Meals & Incidental Expenses will be used to generate the per diem rate for meals. Any meals provided as part of the conference, event, or hotel, must be deducted from the reimbursement as listed on http://www.gsa.gov/mie .

Alcohol, guest meals, and hotel incidentals (e.g. in-room services) are not eligible for reimbursement.
c. Transportation
· Use of City /Private Vehicles: City vehicles are available for in-state or local travel. Councilmembers shall be compensated for the use of their private vehicles for approved business travel at the current GSA standard mileage rate, provided that it is the most logical and least expensive method of transportation.

To drive a vehicle on City business, Councilmembers must possess a valid California driver’s license. A driver of a privately owned vehicle must carry liability insurance coverage, and be responsible for any damage, service, or repair to the car occurring on the trip, as these costs are included in the City’s per mile cost reimbursement.
· Bridge Tolls/Parking: Bridge tolls and parking fees incurred while traveling on City business are reimbursable with receipts. Councilmembers shall obtain itemized receipts and submit them with their Travel Expense Reports. · Train /Other Mass Transit: Councilmembers shall be compensated for train or other mass transit fares and fees provided that it is the most logical and least expensive method of travel.
· Ground Transportation: Supplementary transportation within the destination city shall be accomplished by hotel courtesy buses, local shuttle services or public transportation, if available and logical. Taxi or rideshare may also be used. · Rental Vehicles: Rental vehicles shall only be used when no practical alternative exists; in such cases, Councilmembers must select economy class vehicles, and optional insurance is not reimbursable.
d. Airfare: Airfare must be booked at the lowest reasonable fare that provides the most direct route. Air travel options shall not be limited to a specific airline. Refundable tickets are permitted if there is a risk of cancellation. One checked bag is reimbursable.

Any unused credits from official travel must either be applied to future City travel or reimbursed to the City.

6. Expense Report: The proposed amendment changes the date for processing from within 15 days to within 30 business days to allow City Councilmembers to gather and submit itemized City of Santa Clara Printed on 9/5/2025Page 3 of 5
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25-4450 Agenda Date: 9/8/2025
receipts to staff for processing.

7. Rewards and Promotional Benefits: The proposed amendment adds the following language to the policy: “Councilmembers may earn frequent flyer miles or other travel rewards (such as airline, hotel, or vendor loyalty points) while on official City travel. However, if personal frequent flyer miles or other reward points are used to purchase tickets or services for City business, the value of those tickets or services is not reimbursable.”

8. Reports by City Councilmembers: The proposed amendment continues to include the process for the City Councilmember file a written or oral report to the City Council within fifteen (15) business days or at the next City Council meeting. Other previously required reporting items were removed and replaced with the option for any course materials received could be shared in a digital format with the full City Council.

If the Committee approves the proposed amendments, staff will prepare the revised policy and present it to the full City Council for consideration and approval. If additional revisions are approved by the Committee, staff will also include those in the recommendation.

FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with the approval of the recommendation.

COORDINATION
This report was coordinated by the City Manager’s Office, City Auditor’s Office and the City Attorney’s Office.

PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Committee agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email [email protected] or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.

RECOMMENDATION
Approve the proposed amendments to Council Policy 043 ("Official Travel by Elected Officials") to be retitled Council Policy 043 ("Official Travel by the City Council") and present the proposed changes, to the full City Council for consideration and approval.

Reviewed by: Maria Le, Assistant to the City Manager, City Manager’s Office Approved by: Jovan D. Grogan, City Manager
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ATTACHMENTS

1. Current Council Policy 043 ("Official Travel by Elected Officials")

2. Proposed Council Policy 043 ("Official Travel by City Councilmembers")

3. City Manager Directive (CMD) 28 Travel Policy
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City of Santa Clara
Council Policy Manual

OFFICIAL TRAVEL BY ELECTED OFFICIALS

Revised 9/4/2019 Council Policy 043 Page 1 of 6 Resolution No. 19-8751
PURPOSE Consistent with the City of Santa Clara (City)'s Code of Ethics and Values, the City is fiscally responsible and endorses the proper use of City assets to help ensure the City's fiscal stability.

In order to ensure an open and transparent government, the City Council will regulate and prescribe guidelines for official travel by all elected officials. Reimbursement for official travel funded by non-City entities shall be in accordance with the guidelines issued by such other non-City entity.

To the extent the official’s expenses are not reimbursed by the non-City entity, the official may request reimbursement in accordance with the requirements of this policy (e.g., the official is chosen to serve as the City representative on a County-wide committee and the County agency sends the official to a conference, and reimburses the official for conference attendance and hotel, but not for meals and mileage; the Official may seek reimbursement for meals and mileage in accordance with the terms of this policy.)
This policy does not address an official’s reporting requirements relative to payments by a non-City entity for official travel; elected officials must comply with FPPC reporting requirements relating to payments for travel.

POLICY In order to control and properly account for expenditures made by elected officials in the course of their official duties, only authorized expenses may be reimbursed in accordance with the Travel-Meal Reimbursement & IRS Mileage Rates established by the Finance Department on an annual basis and within the criteria outlined within this policy.

Any questions regarding the appropriateness of a particular type of expense should be resolved by the City Council before the expense is incurred. Examples of non-reimbursable expenses include personal expenses, charitable/political contributions, entertainment expenses, personal losses incurred while travelling, and expenses for family members.

In order to conserve City resources and keep expenses within community standards for public officials, expenditure amounts should adhere to the guidelines set forth within. Expenses that exceed these City of
Santa Clara
The Center of What's Possible
City of Santa Clara
Council Policy Manual

OFFICIAL TRAVEL BY ELECTED OFFICIALS (cont.)

Revised 9/4/2019 Council Policy 043 Page 2 of 6 Resolution No. 19-8751
guidelines will be reimbursed only to the maximum extent of the guidelines.

All cash expenditures, credit card expenses, and expense reimbursement requests must be submitted to the City Auditor on an expense report form provided by the City, accompanied by receipts documenting each expense. Expense and mileage reports must document that the expense in question meets the requirements of this policy. Inability to provide such documentation in a timely fashion may result in the expense being borne by the official.

All expenses are subject to review and verification by the City Auditor for compliance with this policy and eligibility for reimbursement.

TRAVEL

GUIDELINES
Reports by Elected Officials
The elected official must file a written or oral report to the City Council within fifteen (15) business days or at the next City Council meeting immediately following any travel attended at City expense or travel attendance as a City official that is funded by a non-City entity.

The report shall include, but is not limited to:
a. A listing of any workshops, presentations, educational seminars, speeches, or other sessions attended with summary and/or descriptions of information gathered
b. A listing of meeting(s) held during travel with legislators, other governmental officials, or groups with subjects addressed during the meeting(s)
c. A listing of any speeches, presentations, or other speaking roles during travel
Course Materials
Course materials received will be turned into the Mayor and Council Offices - Council Library or elected official’s respective department’s library, as applicable, for open accessibility, except for safety-sensitive portions of such materials.

Rewards and Promotional Benefits
Rewards granted under frequent travel programs through airlines, City of
Santa Clara
The Center of What's Possible
City of Santa Clara
Council Policy Manual

OFFICIAL TRAVEL BY ELECTED OFFICIALS (cont.)

Revised 9/4/2019 Council Policy 043 Page 3 of 6 Resolution No. 19-8751
hotels, or any type of travel vendor, if accrued through official travel and at the City's expense, shall be used only for official travel and/or turned over to the City for future official travel, to the extent possible.

Promotional benefits or materials received during official travel, if obtained under the same conditions as those offered to the general public and at no expense to the City, may be retained for personal use.

CRITERIA FOR

OFFICIAL
TRAVEL
Official City Representative Criteria
When travelling to a conference, convention, workshop, or similar event, one or more elected officials shall be specifically designated to act as the official representative(s) of the City with the following criteria:

a. Official travel must be related to the elected official’s roles or duties such as work performed on a particular issue or
substantive area in an official capacity, committee assignment, liaison assignment, task force assignment, or council
assignment.
b. If multiple members of the City Council meet the criteria, the representative(s) will then be designated based on seniority.

Public Purpose Criteria
Travel by elected officials is an allowable activity and expense when it is performed for a valid public purpose:

a. Attending educational seminars designed to improve the elected official’s skill and information levels, or to comply with applicable professional standards

b. Participating in regional, state, and national organizations whose activities affect the City’s interests

c. Communicating with representatives of regional, state, and national government and their various agencies

d. Travel is consistent with the adopted budget and/or legislative priorities

Elected officials may attend conferences or any other official travel at City of
Santa Clara
The Center of What's Possible
City of Santa Clara
Council Policy Manual
OFFICIAL TRAVEL BY ELECTED OFFICIALS (cont.)
Revised 9/4/2019 Council Policy 043 Page 4 of 6
Resolution No. 19-8751
their own expense if such travel falls outside the criteria set forth in this policy.

SUMMARY OF

CONFERENCES

AND TRAVEL
Official Travel – Local (Drivable Distance)
c. Local travel or single-day events that do not require an overnight stay are open to all elected officials.
d. Local travel or single-day events that require an overnight stay must meet the criteria for official travel.

Official Travel – In-state
a. In-state travel is limited to a maximum of two elected officials per official travel event, except as follows:

The League of California Cities Annual Conference is open to all elected officials, and the League of California Cities New Members Academy is open to all newly elected or appointed members of the City Council.
b. In-state travel requires elected officials to meet the criteria for official travel.

Official Travel – Out-of-state
a. Out-of-state travel is approved in advance annually with the respective department’s Operating Budget
b. Out-of-state travel is limited to a maximum of two elected officials per conference, with the exception of United States Conference of Mayors and National League of Cities
conferences and meetings.
c. Out-of-state travel requires elected officials to meet the criteria for official travel.

Official Travel – International
a. International travel is limited to a maximum of three elected officials per trip.

City of
Santa Clara
The Center of What's Possible
City of Santa Clara
Council Policy Manual
OFFICIAL TRAVEL BY ELECTED OFFICIALS (cont.)
Revised 9/4/2019 Council Policy 043 Page 5 of 6
Resolution No. 19-8751
b. International travel may be initiated by invitation or commemoration of anniversaries with the City of Santa Clara's sister cities.
c. International travel requires elected officials to meet the criteria for official travel.
d. International travel is approved in advance annually in the respective department’s Operating Budget and must be
submitted in advance to the City Council for approval with sufficient time to ensure that, if approved by Council, arrangements can be made before the first day of travel.

Official Travel – Other
For any official travel that has not been pre-approved in the respective department’s Operating Budget, requests for travel approval must be submitted to the City Council with sufficient time to ensure that, if approved by Council, arrangements can be made before the first day of travel.
a. Requests for travel approval must meet all of the criteria for official travel.
b. Requests for travel approval require 5 votes from the City Council.
c. When reviewing and considering approval of requested travel by elected officials, the City Council shall ensure compliance with the Brown Act (California Open Meeting Requirements for Local Legislative Bodies).

PROCEDURE Prior to incurring expenses, review policy to ensure proposed expenses are allowed based on the criteria established within this policy.

Within fifteen (15) business days of an expense being incurred, elected officials submit to the City Auditor an expense report form, accompanied by receipts, documenting the amount and purpose of each expense and how it meets the requirements of this policy. Course materials must be turned into the respective department’s library for open accessibility, except for safety-sensitive materials.

City of
Santa Clara
The Center of What's Possible
City of Santa Clara
Council Policy Manual
OFFICIAL TRAVEL BY ELECTED OFFICIALS (cont.)
Revised 9/4/2019 Council Policy 043 Page 6 of 6
Resolution No. 19-8751
The elected official must file a written or oral report to the City Council within fifteen (15) business days or at the next City Council meeting immediately following any travel attended at City expense, with the criteria outlined within this policy.

City of
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Council Policy Manual
Proposed Amendments in Yellow

OFFICIAL TRAVEL BY THE CITY COUNCIL

Revised 9/4/2019 Council Policy 043 Page 1 of 6 Resolution No. 19-8751
POLICY The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines for official City Council travel. Travel must serve a legitimate public purpose, be conducted in a fiscally responsible manner, and comply with the City of Santa Clara Code of Ethics and Values. All expenses are subject to review by the City Auditor to ensure transparency and accountability.

Aligned with the City of Santa Clara Code of Ethics and Values, the City is committed to fiscal responsibility and the prudent use of public resources to protect long-term financial stability. To promote open and transparent government, the City Council establishes guidelines for official travel by Councilmembers.

Travel by Councilmembers is permitted and reimbursable when it serves a valid public purpose. This policy defines the types of expenses that are authorized during official travel and outlines the procedures for reimbursement. Reimbursements will not exceed the limits set forth in these guidelines.

All travel expenses are subject to review and verification by the City Auditor to ensure compliance with this policy and eligibility for reimbursement.

This policy governs City-funded travel only. It does not address reporting obligations for travel paid by non-City entities. City Councilmembers remain responsible for complying with all Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) reporting requirements regarding non- City payments for travel.

ELIGIBILITY

AND CRITERIA
Official Travel
The City’s annual operating budget for the Mayor and Council office includes funding allocated for official City travel. Travel meeting the criteria of this policy may be allowed as long as funding is available.

Official travel may be authorized when it meets one or more of the following:

1. Official Duties: Related to the Councilmember’s elected role, committee assignment, or legislative priority (e.g. committee or liaison assignment, task force assignment, or council
assignment).

City of
Santa Clara
The Center of What's Possible
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City of Santa Clara
Council Policy Manual
Proposed Changes in Yellow

OFFICIAL TRAVEL BY CITY COUNCILMEMBERS (cont.)

Revised 9/4/2019 Council Policy 043 Page 2 of 6 Resolution No. 19-8751

2. Professional Development: Conferences, meetings, workshops, trainings or educational seminars that build skills or knowledge relevant to City service.

3. Representation: Participation in regional, state, or national organizations that promote and advance the interests of the City.

4. Multiple Attendees: When several Councilmembers request attendance at the same event, priority will be based on committee or legislative assignment; submission date of request; budget availability; and compliance with Brown Act quorum requirements If multiple members of the City Council elect to attend the same event for travel, Councilmember(s) may attend based on available department budget or based on a committee assignment or legislative priorities of interest.

a. All requests for additional budget approval must meet all criteria for official travel.
b. Requests for travel approval requires five votes from the City Council.

Types of Travel

a. Local travel (50 miles or less) for single-day events which meet the official travel criteria above.
b. In-State Travel exceeding 50 miles must meet the official travel criteria above which may include: League of California Cities Annual Conference, League of California Cities New Members Academy.
c. Out-of-State travel for events such as the United States Conference of Mayors and National League of Cities
conferences and meetings.
d. International travel is allowed for all City Councilmembers.

International travel may be initiated by invitation or
commemoration of anniversaries with the City of Santa Clara's Sister Cities or Friendship Cities.

City of
Santa Clara
The Center of What's Possible
•
City of Santa Clara
Council Policy Manual
Proposed Changes in Yellow

OFFICIAL TRAVEL BY CITY COUNCILMEMBERS (cont.)

Revised 9/4/2019 Council Policy 043 Page 3 of 6 Resolution No. 19-8751
PROCEDURES Travel Arrangements
Travel arrangements should be made as far in advance as possible to obtain the best possible fares, early bird and discounted rates, and to avoid late registration fees.
1) Prior to travel, Councilmembers must submit a written request to City staff stating the purpose and benefit to the City. 2) City staff will verify available funds and prepare the pre- authorization form.
3) The City Manager or designee approves the pre-authorization form.

REIMBURSABLE

EXPENSES
Lodging
Lodging is covered for approved travel, including the night before and the night after an event. Receipts are required, and reimbursement is limited to actual costs.

If no specific lodging site is designated for official City business, the City will reimburse the actual cost of lodging at an alternative location.

Meals
Meal expenses are reimbursed, including tax and tips and incidentals, up to the General Services Administration (GSA) per diem rate for the destination (available at http://www.gsa.gov/perdiem) for a full day of travel. Itemized receipts showing the expense amount are required for Councilmembers to receive reimbursement. Reimbursements are capped at the GSA amounts detailed below.

On the first and last travel day , meals are reimbursed at 75 percent (75%) of the per diem rate . The Meals & Incidental Expenses will be used to generate the per diem rate for meals. Any meals provided as part of the conference, event, or hotel, must be deducted from the reimbursement as listed on http://www.gsa.gov/mie .

Alcohol, guest meals, and hotel incidentals (e.g. in-room services) are not eligible for reimbursement.

City of
Santa Clara
The Center of What's Possible
City of Santa Clara
Council Policy Manual
Proposed Changes in Yellow

OFFICIAL TRAVEL BY CITY COUNCILMEMBERS (cont.)

Revised 9/4/2019 Council Policy 043 Page 4 of 6 Resolution No. 19-8751

Transportation

Use of City /Private Vehicles: City vehicles are available for in-state or local travel. Councilmembers shall be compensated for the use of their private vehicles for approved business travel at the federal GSA standard rate, provided that it is the most logical and least expensive method of transportation.

Bridge Tolls/Parking: Bridge tolls and parking fees incurred while traveling on City business are reimbursable with receipts.

Councilmembers shall obtain itemized receipts and submit them with their Travel Expense Reports.

Train /Other Mass Transit: Councilmembers shall be compensated for train or other mass transit fares and fees provided that it is the most logical and least expensive method of travel.

Ground Transportation: Supplementary transportation within the destination city shall be accomplished by hotel courtesy buses, local shuttle services or public transportation, if available and logical. Taxi or rideshare may also be used.

Rental Vehicles: Rental vehicles shall only be used when no practical alternative exists; in such cases, Councilmembers must select economy class vehicles, and optional insurance is not reimbursable.

Airfare
Airfare must be booked at the lowest reasonable fare that provides the most direct route. Air travel options shall not be limited to a specific airline. Refundable tickets are permitted if there is a risk of cancellation.

One checked bag is reimbursable. Any unused credits from official travel must either be applied to future City travel or reimbursed to the City.

City of
Santa Clara
The Center of What's Possible
City of Santa Clara
Council Policy Manual
Proposed Changes in Yellow

OFFICIAL TRAVEL BY CITY COUNCILMEMBERS (cont.)

Revised 9/4/2019 Council Policy 043 Page 5 of 6 Resolution No. 19-8751

If travel arrangements must be canceled, Councilmembers are expected to notify staff as soon as practicable to allow sufficient time to avoid or minimize additional costs to the City.

Expense Report
 All itemized receipts and documentation must be submitted within thirty (30) business days of travel to staff for processing with the City Auditor’s Office.
 Expense and mileage reports must document that the expense meets the requirements of this policy. Inability to provide such documentation in a timely fashion may result in the expense being borne by the official.
 Non-reimbursable expenses: Expenses that are personal, political, or entertainment related are not eligible for reimbursement. Alcohol expenses for family members or
guests, and costs associated with extending a trip for personal reasons are also non-reimbursable.

Rewards and Promotional Benefits

Councilmembers may earn frequent flyer miles or other travel rewards (such as airline, hotel, or vendor loyalty points) while on official City travel. However, if personal frequent flyer miles or other reward points are used to purchase tickets or services for City business, the value of those tickets or services is not reimbursable.

Reports by City Councilmembers

Councilmembers must provide either a written or oral report to the City Council within fifteen (15) business days of their return, or at the next City Council meeting, whichever comes first. This requirement applies City of
Santa Clara
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City of Santa Clara
Council Policy Manual
Proposed Changes in Yellow

OFFICIAL TRAVEL BY CITY COUNCILMEMBERS (cont.)

Revised 9/4/2019 Council Policy 043 Page 6 of 6 Resolution No. 19-8751
to travel funded by the City as well as travel undertaken in an official capacity that is funded by a non-City entity. Any course or conference materials received may be shared in digital format with the full City Council.

The report shall include, but is not limited to:
 A listing of any workshops, presentations, educational seminars, speeches, or other sessions attended with summary and/or descriptions of information gathered
 A listing of meeting(s) held during travel with legislators, other governmental officials, or groups with subjects addressed during the meeting(s)
 A listing of any speeches, presentations, or other speaking roles during travel
Course Materials
Course materials received may be shared with the Mayor and Council Office staff to include in a digital format to share with the full City Council. the Council Library or elected official’s respective department’s library, as applicable, for open accessibility, except for safety-sensitive portions of such materials.

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City Manager’s Directive 028
Travel Policy
CMD 028 Page 1 of 12 DATE: July 1, 2022
CANCELS: June 19, 1997
POLICY The City of Santa Clara (the “City”) expects to pay all reasonable costs incurred by City employees traveling on approved City business; and City employees are expected to use sound fiscal stewardship when expending public funds, and to travel in the most logical and least expensive manner possible.

PURPOSE The purpose of this Travel Policy (the “Policy”) is to define the City’s expectations of its employees who travel in connection with their work responsibilities and to clarify which expenses the City will fund and which expenses are considered the personal responsibility of the traveler. This policy is not intended to cover short trips during work hours made by employees in the course of their regularly assigned work duties.

Local Travel Local travel is travel necessary to conduct official City business and is performed by the most direct route within and adjacent to an employee’s official worksite. Local travel is defined as less than 50 miles from the employee’s home or place of business, whichever is the shortest distance. Comp ensation shall be based upon the number of miles between the trav el destination and either the employee’s designated work location or residence, whichever is the shortest distance. The City will not pay for lodg ing or per diem meal expenses related to local travel as defined above. The City will pay for transportation and parking costs related to the local travel.

Employees can settle their allowable local travel expenses through the petty cash reimbursement process if the request is less than the petty cash limit at the time of reimbursement. Requests larger than the petty cash limit require an accounts payable request for payment.

Conference
and Meeting
Attendance
City employees shall be authorized to join professional and public organizations and attend the meetings and conferences held by such organizations subject to adequate budget appropriations and adherence to this policy.

General
Procedures
and Guidelines
The Policy shall be reviewed annually by the City Auditor’s Office to ensure its consistency with respect to the City's objectives and any modifications must be approved by the City Manager.

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The Center of What 's Possible
CMD 028: Travel Policy
DATE: July 1, 2022 CMD 028 Page 2 of 12
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Travel
Authorization
A. City Manager Pre-Travel Authorization Form Required.

City Manager (or designee) authorization is required in advance of travel or the commitment of City funds for the following:
 Travel by Department Directors
 Out-of-State travel by any staff
 Any exception to this policy
Authorization shall be sought via submittal of a Pre-Travel Authorization Form (Attachment A).

B. Department Director Pr e-Travel Authorization Form
Required.

In-state, overnight travel requires the approval of a
Department Director via submittal of a Pre-Travel
Authorization Form in advance of travel and the commitment of City funds.

C. Department Director or Designated Supervisor
Authorization Required.

A pre-travel authorization form is not required for local travel as defined above, where meal reimbursement, overnight or out-of-state travel is not concerned. Employees are required to obtain approval from their supervisor prior to any business travel for which the City is expected to pay for mileage, bridge tolls and/or parking. This approval can be via email, with a copy of email approval submitted with travel costs. Itemized receipts are necessary to receive reimbursement for all expenses whether through petty cash or accounts payable request for payment. An employee may not approve their own travel documentation under any circumstances.

Travel
Arrangements
Travel arrangements shall be made as far in advance as possible to obtain the best possible fares and rates. Registration for conferences and training shall be made far enough in advance to take advanta
ge of earl y (discounted) fees, and to avoid late
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Santa Clara
The Center of What 's Possible
CMD 028: Travel Policy
DATE: July 1, 2022 CMD 028 Page 3 of 12
CANCELS: June 19, 1997
registration fees. If travel arran gements must be cancelled for any reason, the person who made the arrangements shall cancel them in sufficient time to prevent t he City from incurring unnecessary costs when possible.

At the Department Director’s discretion, one or more persons may be designated as a Travel Coordinator and be assigned
responsibility for making travel arrangements for all business travelers within a department. It is the City’s preference that all travel be booked by designated Travel Coordinators using their City Procurement Cards to secure travel arrangements ahead of all travel. Individual travelers may make their own travel arrangements with their personal credit cards and be reimbursed if it is not feasible for a travel coordinator to do so.

Transportation Travelers shall use whatever mode of transportation is the most reasonable and least expensive. W hen planning the transportation portion of a trip, the em ployee shall consider all aspects of cost to the City including daily expenses, overtime, lost work time as well as actual transportation costs.

Use of a mode of transportation ot her than the most reasonable and least expensive must be documented and have advance approval from the employee’s Department Director. The City will pay only the cost of the most reasonable and l east expensive mode. If the mode of transportation is determined to be a City vehicle, the traveler shall comply with the City Manager’s Directive (CMD) 21 Use and Maintenance of City Vehicles Incl uding General Government/Public Works Pool Vehicles. The difference between the selected mode and the least expensive mode shall be documented and considered the employee’s personal expense at the time of travel authorization.

This paragraph does not apply to s pecial accommodations made to qualified employees under the Am ericans with Disabilities Act provided that the alternate mode of transportation is approved in advance.

A. Air Travel.

Employees shall not limit their air travel options by specifying an airline. The airline offering the lowest fare for a reasonable route shall be selected.

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B. Use of Personal Vehicle.

With the exception of empl oyees who have been assigned a City vehicle or who receive a ca
r allowance, employees shall
be compensated for the use of their private vehicles for business travel at the current IRS standard mileage rate, provided that it is the most reasonable and least expensive method of transportation. Compensation shall be based upon the number of miles between the tr avel destination and either the employee’s designated work location or residence,
whichever is the shortest distance.

Employees that receive a car allowance and are required to travel greater than 50 miles from their work location or residence, whichever is the shortest distance, are eligible to be compensated for the use of their private vehicle for business travel at the current IRS standard mileage rate for miles traveled over 50 each way of the trip (e.g. if travel destination is 80 miles from the work location and 70 miles from the residence, then the employee will receive
reimbursement for 20 miles (70-50=20)).

Employees who do not receive a car allowance may also be compensated at the current IRS standard mileage rate for the use of their private vehicles for routine travel on City business between City facilities or to other locations in Santa Clara or the adjoining communities. Co mpensation shall be based upon the number of m iles between the travel destination and either the employee’s designated work location or residence, whichever is the shortest di stance. Employees must keep a log of such routine travel us ing the Mileage Reimbursement Log (Attachment C). Expense re imbursements for this type of mileage must be submitted monthly.

The City will reimburse all expense s, such as bridge tolls and parking fees, incurred as the result of an employee’s
authorized use of a vehicle while traveling on City business.

Employees requesting reimburse ment for the payment of
such expenses shall obtain it emized receipts and submit them as pa
rt of their travel expenses on the Travel Expense
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Santa Clara
The Center of What 's Possible
CMD 028: Travel Policy
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Form. Also, whenever possible, employees attending the
same event shall travel together to minimize expenses.

To drive a City or privately-owned vehicle on City business an employee must possess a valid Ca lifornia driver’s license. An owner/driver of a privatel y-owned vehicle used for City business must carry adequate liabi lity insurance coverage in accordance with applicable State law, and be responsible for any damage, service, or repair to the car occurring on the trip, as these costs are included in the City’s per mile cost reimbursement.

In addition, the employee shall charge any additional
personal time spent outside of the normal reasonable travel time during normal work hours to vacation or a similar leave.

C. Train and Other Mass Transit.

Employees shall be compensated for train or other mass
transit fares and fees provided that it is the most logical and least expensive method of travel to the conference,
conference related events, or meeting site. Any incremental cost beyond the basic cost required for the employee to attend a conference or meeting shall be paid for by the employee. In addition, the employee shall charge any
additional personal time spent outside of the normal
reasonable travel time during normal work hours to vacation or a similar leave.

D. Ground Transportation at Destination.

Supplementary transportation within the destination city shall be accomplished by hotel courtesy buses or local shuttle services, if available. Taxi or ride-share (Uber/Lyft) service shall be used only when no other convenient, less costly mode of transportation is available for the employee to travel to the conference, conference related events, or meeting site.

Any incremental cost beyond the basic cost required for the employee to attend a conference or meeting shall be paid for by the employee.

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E. Rental Vehicles.

Rental vehicles shall be used only when no other mode of transportation is available or when alternate transportati on
would be more expensive or impractical and must be
authorized in advance by the Department Director. If a rental vehicle is authorized, employees shall request the least expensive vehicle category that meets their needs.

Employees are required to purchase and shall be reimbursed for optional insurance coverage for the rental vehicle.

Optional insurance coverage shall include Damage Waiver (DW) (also referred to as Collision Damage Waiver (CDW)) and third-party liability coverage.

F. Travel Time.

Travel time is compensable under certain conditions identified in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). As a charter city, the City follows current FLSA regulations for determining the compensability for travel time. The FLSA regulations are available at:
http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs22.htm
Lodging The City will pay lodging expenses for approved City travel, including the evening preceding or subsequent to a meeting or business event when the employee w ould otherwise have to travel from his/her residence before 6 a.m. or after 9 p.m. to reach or return from his or her destination. Local travel, as defined previously in this policy, does not qualify for City paid lodging expenses.

Employees are expected to use t he most cost-effective lodging reasonably available. When a confer ence or training session is held at a specific hotel, the City shall pay for actual lodging expenses up to the standard lodging rate advertis ed by the conference or training sponsor unless approved by the Depar tment Director as part of the travel authorization process.

When there is not a specific lodging site associated with official City business, the Cit
y shall pa y for actual lod ging expenses up to the
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The Center of What 's Possible
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GSA maximum rate allowed by location
(http://www.gsa.gov/perdiem). Note that the GSA maximum rate applies to the base room rate only and does not include taxes. Any exception to applying the GSA rate due to the current market rates in the area of travel must be documented in writing and approved, pre-travel, by the Department Director.

Every effort shall be made to obtain lodging at or near the facility where official City business is to ta ke place to minimize travel time and transportation costs. The lodging should also be clean, safe and appropriate for business travel. Government rates are often available and should be sought. T he City will pay for standard room accommodations at the most co st-effective lodging reasonably available. Any incremental cost beyond that of a standard room shall be paid for by the employ ee unless a written exception has been approved by the City Manager (or designee).

Room reservations may be made in advance using a City
procurement card and the employ ee should request a copy of the hotel’s credit card authorization receipt as applicable. This will be used to authorize the hotel to char ge the total room cost, including all taxes, on the Travel Coordinator’s purchasing card. Employees shall personally pay for any additiona l expenses incurred, such as movie rental, mini-bar bills, room service, etc.

Employees shall cancel any reservations for lodging they will not use. Any charge for an unused reservation shall be considered the employee’s personal expense unless failure to cancel the reservation was due to circumstances reasonably beyond the employee’s control.

Meals A. Overnight Travel
The City will pay for an employee’s meals during authorized travel, including tax and tips and incidentals, up to the per diem amount established by the GSA for the des tination location (available at:
http://www.gsa.gov/perdiem) for a full day of trav el. Per GSA, rules, employees are only eligible for 75 percent of the total per diem amount on the first and last travel day. The Meals & Incidental Expenses (M&IE) column will be used to generate the per diem rate for meals. Use the
guide on http://www. gsa.gov/mie to breakdown
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the per diem amount for each meal. For any meal that is provided by the conference or hotel the appropriate meal amount listed on http://www.gsa.gov/mie must be deducted from the reimbursement request.

The City will not pay for the following:
 Meals that the employee elec ts to purchase from another source when the meals are included in the cost of a
conference, training registration fee, or hotel stay. In the event an exception is granted due to dietary restrictions, the meal will be reimbursed on an actual expense basis, up to the applicable GSA rate.
 Alcoholic beverages.

B. Non-Overnight Travel
With regard to partial days of travel that is not overnight but exceeds the local travel guidelines detaile d above, the City will pay for meals on a pro-rated basis using GSA meal amounts, as follows:
 If the partial day includes travel before 8 a.m. , the City will pay for the employee's breakfast.
 If the partial day includes tr avel between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., the City will pay for the employee's lunch.
 If the partial day includes travel after 5 p.m., the City will pay for the employee's dinner.

Miscellaneous
Fees/Business
Expenses
A. Gratuities/Tips.

The City will pay reasonable a nd customary gratuities and tips during City business travel, which are included in the standard per diem rate per GSA guidelines.

B. Business Expenses.

The City will pay for goods and/or services deemed
necessary for the completion of official business, such as printer, copier, and computer usage, etc.; for internet usage at actual cost and for all bus iness telephone calls. Cellular phones are often mo
re cost-effective than using hotel phones
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directly and should be consid ered as a primary option.

Whenever possible, employees shall anticipate the need for supplies and shall take what ever they will need with them instead of buying supplies at their destination.

C. Baggage Fees.

If the airline charges for all checked baggage, the City will cover the cost for one checked bag only. Excess baggage charges are not reimbursable.

D. Personal Expenses.

Personal expenses will not be paid by the City. In addition to those items identified as personal expenses throughout this Policy, personal expenses inclu de early bird flight check-in fee, change flight fee (except as otherwise set forth in this Policy), personal transportati on costs outside of the
conference or conference event site, personal telephone calls, in-room movies, spas and gyms, optional recreational events in connection with a conference, laundry or dry
cleaning, miscellaneous sundrie s, or other items of a
personal nature.

Personal travel shall not be mixed with business travel if it will result in (1) additional cost s to the City, (2) employee engaging in personal travel wh ile be compensated, or (3) harming the City’s interest in any way. Any extension of a trip for personal travel must be accompanied by Director approval and supporting documentation of what the trip would have cost with the original business itinerary. The City will reimburse the lesser of the original business itinerary cost or the extended trip cost due to per sonal travel. Any additional cost from the original business itinerary must be covered by the employee. The City will not pay for any expenses of a spouse or other person who a ccompanies an employee on
business travel.

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Settlement of
Trip Expenses
Payment of travel expenses incu rred during the trip using City procurement cards is not permitted. Purchase cards may be used to pre-pay expenses such as flights, hotel, car rental, or conference registration (preferably by a Trav el Coordinator) or may pay these expenses by invoice through accounts payable.

Allowable expenses per this policy dur ing the trip are to be paid out of pocket by employees and reimbursed upon completion of travel.

The City will not provide any adv ance payment of travel costs directly to employees.

Travel
Reimbursement
All employee travel reimbursement requests require either direct supervisor or Department Head approv al prior to submitting to the City Auditor. Direct super visors can approve expense
reimbursement requests if there is no greater than a 10% variance between the pre-approved travel esti mate and the actual expense reimbursement requested. An y reimbursement request with a difference greater than 10% of the pre-approved estimate must be approved by the Department Director.

The City Auditor’s Office is responsible for review and has final approval of travel expense reimbursement requests. Approval shall be based upon the employee’s compliance or non-compliance with the requirements of this policy. Once approved by the City Auditor, the reimbursement request will be fo rwarded directly to accounts payable for processing and email notification will be provided to travel coordinators and/or the employee.

Within 30 days of an employee's return from a business trip, a final, department approved expense report associated with the trip shall be submitted to the City Auditor to be eligible for any reimbursement. The employee must complete a signed Travel Form and supporting documentation to substantiate all reported expenses with the exception of meals, as these are reimbursed based on GSA per diem rates. The documentation should be in its original form and include the following, if applicable:
 Pre-travel request authorization as defined by this policy  Invoice and trip itinerary from vendor
 Event brochure or agenda for conf erence, training, or special event
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 Any certificates of completion associated with event
 Airfare receipt showing the travel dates and time
 Parking receipts showing the travel date and amount paid  Transportation receipts showing the travel date and full address to/from the event location
 Car rental receipt showing the dates and number of days  Final itemized hotel bill or statement showing all charges  Documentation showing mile s between destination and the employee’s work location or residence to substantiate the shortest distance driven for mileage
 A brief written explanation if a reporting item doesn’t have supporting documentation.

It is the employee’s responsibility to submit the travel expense reimbursement request within the specified timeline.

Uncompleted training will not be paid by the City unless the employee's failure to complete the training was due to a cause outside the employee's control as documented with a memorandum.

Advances The City does not offer advances to employees for travel.

Exceptions to
this Policy
This Policy does not claim to address all contingencies and conditions. However, any exception requires City Manager (or designee) approval in writing for anticipated/known exceptions or unanticipated/unplanned expenses. R equests for exceptions should be accompanied by the traveler’s written justification for the expense.

Examples of exceptions to this po licy include, but ar e not limited to, the following:
 Unusual business expenses
 Per diem and/or lodging expenses which exceed GSA limits  The purchase of one or more meals from another source even though they were included in a conference and/or
seminar registration fee
 The use of an alternate mode of transportation
 Lodging expenses incurred during local travel
 Travel costs exceeding av ailable budget appropriations City of
Santa Clara
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CANCELS: June 19, 1997
City Auditor to
Conduct
Periodic Audits
The City Auditor shall conduct periodic audits in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards to ensure compliance with this travel policy. A udit results shall be submitted to the City Council.

Cross Refe
rences:

CMD 49 - Membership in Professional Societies and Associations CMD 21 - Use and Maintenance of City Vehicles Including General Government/Public Works Pool Vehicles
Attachments:

A – Travel Authorization Form
B – Travel Expenses Reimbursement Form
C – Mileage Reimbursement Log
City of
Santa Clara
The Center of What 's Possible
City of Santa Clara
Agenda Report
1500 Warburton Avenue
Santa Clara, CA 95050
santaclaraca.gov
@SantaClaraCity
25-610 Agenda Date: 9/8/2025

REPORT TO GOVERNANCE AND ETHICS COMMITTEE

SUBJECT
Review and Approval of Proposed Amendments to Council Policy 006 ("Guidelines for Commissioners Attendance at Conferences and Training Events") to be retitled Council Policy 006 ("Guidelines for City Commissions, Boards and Commissions for Attendance at Conferences and Training Events”)

BACKGROUND
As part of the Governance and Ethics Committee workplan, Council Policy 006 ("Guidelines for Commissioners Attendance at Conferences and Training Events”) (Attachment 1) was identified for review and revision. The purpose of Council Policy 006 ("Guidelines for Commissioners Attendance at Conferences and Training Events”) is to establish guidelines for official travel by members of City Commissions, Boards and Committees who attend conferences and training events. The policy also defines reimbursable expenses for official travel and ensures compliance with fiscal responsibility standards.

DISCUSSION
This item presents proposed amendments to Council Policy 006 for Governance Committee’s consideration and direction.

The proposed amendments (contained in Attachment 2) include clarifications, cleanup language, and corrections. Key changes include:

1. Title: The title has been updated to “Guidelines for City Commissions, Boards and Committees for Attendance at Conferences and Training Events” to clarify that the policy applies to all Commissions, Boards, and Committees.

2. Criteria for Official Travel: Language has been added to specify that overnight lodging is not permitted for local travel, defined as less than fifty miles from Santa Clara City Hall.

Exceptions may be approved by the City Manager when an extensive commute would otherwise be required.

3. Procedures for Travel: This section includes the following proposed language which details procedures for travel.
· Travel arrangements should be made as far in advance as possible to obtain the best possible fares, early bird and discounted rates, and to avoid late registration fees. · All itemized receipts and documentation must be submitted within thirty (30) business days of travel to staff for processing with the City Auditor’s Office.

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25-610 Agenda Date: 9/8/2025
· Expense and mileage reports must document that the expense meets the requirements of this policy. Inability to provide such documentation in a timely fashion may result in the expense being borne by the official.
· Non-reimbursable expenses: Expenses that are personal, political, or entertainment related are not eligible for reimbursement. Alcohol expenses for family members or guests, and costs associated with extending a trip for personal reasons are also non-reimbursable. · An extension of the trip outside of the official travel pre-authorization period to include additional days or weekends for personal reasons, does not entitle the traveler to be reimbursed for any expenses on extra days including lodging, meals or additional airfare expenses.

4. Reimbursable Expenses: Detailed provisions now describe eligible expenses:
a. Lodging: Reimbursement for approved overnight travel, limited to actual costs with receipts. If no official hotel is designated, alternative lodging may be reimbursed. b. Meals: Where a conference or other event includes a meal or meals as part of the costs of the activity, no separate meals will be reimbursed unless due to dietary restrictions. Reimbursement will be provided during authorized overnight travel, capped at the General Services Administration (GSA) per diem rate for the destination. First and last travel days are reimbursed at 75% of the per diem rate.

Alcohol, guest meals, and hotel incidentals (e.g. in-room services) are excluded. c. Transportation: Eligible costs include mileage at the GSA rate for private vehicles, bridge tolls and parking fees with receipts, train or mass transit fares, local shuttle or public transportation, and rideshare or taxi when appropriate. Airfare must be booked at the lowest reasonable direct fare, refundable tickets are permitted, when necessary, one checked bag is reimbursable, and unused credits must be applied to future travel or reimbursed to the City.

5. Rewards and Promotional Benefits: Boardmembers/Commissioners may retain frequent flyer miles, hotel points, or other loyalty rewards earned during City travel. However, if personal rewards are used to purchase tickets or services for City business, the City will not reimburse their value.

If the Committee approves the proposed amendments, staff will prepare the revised policy and present it to the City Council for consideration and approval. Any Committee recommendations for additional changes, will also be included.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(a) as it has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably City of Santa Clara Printed on 9/5/2025Page 2 of 3
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foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.

FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with the approval of the recommendation.

COORDINATION
This report was coordinated by the City Manager’s Office, City Auditor’s Office and the City Attorney’s Office.

RECOMMENDATION
Approve proposed amendments to Proposed Council Policy 006 ("Guidelines for City Commissions, Boards and Commissions for Attendance at Conferences and Training Events”) and authorize presentation to the full City Council for consideration and approval.

Reviewed by: Maria Le, Assistant to the City Manager, City Manager’s Office Approved by: Jovan D. Grogan, City Manager

ATTACHMENTS

1. Current Council Policy 006 ("Guidelines for Commissioners Attendance at Conferences and Training Events")

2. Proposed Council Policy 006 ("Guidelines for City Commissions, Boards and Committees for Attendance at Conferences and Training Events”)
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City of Santa Clara
Council Policy Manual

GUIDELINES FOR COMMISSIONERS

FOR ATTENDANCE AT CONFERENCES AND TRAINING EVENTS

Approved and Amended July 11, 2023 Council Policy 006

Page 1 of 2 ends

PURPOSE The purpose of this Policy is to establish criteria 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 based 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 req uests must be pre-a pproved by the Board or Commission prior to travel ar rangements. Exceptions will be made for urgent or late travel requests, which occur before the Board or Commission convene s, these requests may be approved by the City Manager.

4. The C ity of Santa Cl ara is fiscally responsible and endorses the proper use of City assets to help ensure the C ity’s fiscal stability. If the City Commi ssion believes that the out -of-state conference is highly important, and if sufficient funding is available wi thin the existing budget then approval by the City Manager 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 bu dget, 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.

City of
Santa Clara
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City of Santa Clara
Council Policy Manual
GUI

DELINES FOR COMMISSIONERS

FOR ATTENDANCE AT CONFERENCES AND TRAINING EVENTS
Approved and Amended July 11, 2023 Council Policy 006

Page 2 of 2 ends

7. Attendance at an international conference or training held outside of the United States requires special approval by the City Council.

Out-of-country travel is not recommended.

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 for travel ma y be approved by the City Manager depending on whether an extensive commute is required to attend the conference/event.

10.A special situation exists for the Historical & Landmarks Commission which has a formally des ignated advisor as required for
the City’s Certified Lo cal Government status. The Co mmission may
choose to send the advisor instead of a member of the
commission.

11. Per AB 1234 requirements, Co mmissioners should report verbally on
conference and training attendance at the subsequent meeting of the
Co mmission. A brief written report from the Co mmissioner may
be substituted for the verbal report. (See the “Resource Mat
erial” section of “Board and Commission Handbook and
Survival Guide” for more information.)
City of
Santa Clara
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Resolution / Adoption of Amended Council Policy 006
Rev: 6/9/2020

Page 1 of 2 ends

RESOLUTION NO. 23-9245

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA,
AMENDING COUNCIL POLICY 006 ENTITLED “GUIDELINES FOR

COMMISSIONERS FOR ATTENDANCE AT CONFERENCE AND
TRAINING EVENTS”

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA AS FOLLOWS:

WHEREAS, the City of Santa Clara Council Policy Manual includes policies and procedures by which the City Council, Boards, Commissions, Standing and Ad Hoc Committees, shall conduct City business and activities;
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Santa Clara takes its stewardship of the City’s finances and oversight to ensure public resources should only be used where there is a substantial benefit to the City of Santa Clara; and WHEREAS, the Council Policy 006 on Guidelines for Commissioners for Attendance at Conferences and Training Events establishes the criteria, procedures and guidelines for official travel by Commissioners to ensure that public funds are expended for travel only when it serves a purpose for the City of Santa Clara.
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NOW THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA AS FOLLOWS:

1. That the amended Council Policy 006 ("Guidelines for Commissioners for Attendance at Conferences and Training Events"), attached hereto as Attachment 1, is hereby approved and adopted by the City Council of the City of Santa Clara.

2. Effective date. This resolution shall become effective immediately .

I HEREBY CERTIFY THE FOREGOING TO BE A TRUE COPY OF A RESOLUTION PASSED

AND ADOPTED BY THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, AT A REGULAR MEETING THEREOF HELD ON THE 11TH DAY OF JULY, 2023, BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES: COUNCILORS :

NOES: COUNCILORS:

ABSENT: COUNCILORS :

ABSTAINED : COUNCILORS:

Attachments incorporated by reference:

1. Council Policy 006
Resolution/ Adoption of Amended Council Policy 006
Rev: 6/9/2020
Becker, Chahal, Hardy, Jain, Park, and Watanabe,
and Mayor Gillmor
None
None
None
ATTEST : ,,~

NORA PIMENTEL, MMC

ASSISTANT CITY CLERK

CITY OF SANTA CLARA

Page 2 ends

City of Santa Clara
Council Policy Manual
Proposed Amendments in Yellow

GUIDELINES FOR CITY COMMISSIONS, BOARDS AND COMMITTEES

FOR ATTENDANCE AT CONFERENCES AND TRAINING EVENTS

Revised 7/11/23 Council Policy 006 Page 1 of 5

POLICY The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines for official travel of City Board and City Commissioners who travel to conferences and training events.

This policy defines the types of expenses that are authorized during official travel and the process for requesting reimbursement.

Reimbursements will not exceed the limits set forth in these guidelines.

All travel expenses are subject to review and verification by the City Auditor to ensure compliance and eligibility.

CRITERIA FOR

OFFICIAL
TRAVEL

1. Travel must be related to the Commissioner or Boardmember’s roles or duties and be approved by the City Commission/Board.

2. Attendance at conferences and training events should be rotated among members when feasible.

3. All travel requests require pre-approval by the Board or Commission. Urgent or late travel requests before a meeting may be approved by the City Manager.

4. Out-of-state is subject to availiabilty of funds and requires City Manager approval .

5. No more than two members may attend the same out-of-state conference or training event.

6. No more than three members may attend the same in-state event. If more than three members request to attend an event, the Commission/Board must vote to authorize additional
members, subject to the availability of funds.

7. Single-day meetings and events that do not require an overnight City of
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Council Policy Manual
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GUIDELINES FOR CITY COMMISSIONS, BOARDS AND COMMITTEES

FOR ATTENDANCE AT CONFERENCES AND TRAINING EVENTS
Revised 7/11/23 Council Policy 006 Page 2 of 5

stay are allowed subject to the availability of funds.

8. International travel requires approval by the City Council, and travel outside of the Unite States is generally discouraged.

9. Overnight lodging is not permitted for local travel, defined as less than fifty (50) miles from Santa Clara City Hall.

10. The City Manager may approve overnight if extensive commuting would otherwise be required.

11. The Historical and Landmarks Commission may, when
necessary, designate an advisor to attend an event in place of a commissioner. In compliance with AB 1234,
Commissioners/Boardmembers must report on their attendance at a conference or training. A verbal update should be provided at the next meeting, although a brief written report may be submitted instead. (See the “Resource Material” section of “Board and Commission Handbook and Survival Guide” for more information.)
PROCEDURE Travel arrangements should be made as far in advance as possible to obtain the best possible fares, early bird and discounted rates, and to avoid late registration fees.
1) All itemized receipts and documentation must be submitted within thirty (30) business days of travel to staff for processing with the City Auditor’s Office.
2) Expense and mileage reports must document that the expense meets the requirements of this policy. Inability to provide such documentation in a timely fashion may result in the expense being borne by the official.
3) Non-reimbursable expenses: Expenses that are personal, political, or entertainment related are not eligible for reimbursement. Alcohol expenses for family members or
guests, and costs associated with extending a trip for personal reasons are also non-reimbursable.

An extension of the trip outside of the official travel pre-authorization period to include additional days or weekends for personal reasons, does not entitle the traveler to be reimbursed for any expenses on extra City of
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City of Santa Clara
Council Policy Manual
Proposed Changes in Yellow

GUIDELINES FOR CITY COMMISSIONS, BOARDS AND COMMITTEES

FOR ATTENDANCE AT CONFERENCES AND TRAINING EVENTS
Revised 7/11/23 Council Policy 006 Page 3 of 5

days including lodging, meals or additional airfare expenses.

REIMBURSABLE

EXPENSES
Lodging
Lodging is covered for approved overnight travel, including the night before and the night after an event. Receipts are required, and reimbursement is limited to actual costs.

If no specific lodging site is designated for official City business, the City will reimburse the actual cost of lodging at an alternative location.

Meals
Where a conference or other event includes a meal or meals as part of the costs of the activity , no separate meals will be reimbursed unless due to dietary restrictions . The City will pay for the meals for Commissioners/Boardmembers during authorized overnight travel only as detailed below.

Meal expenses are reimbursed, including tax and tips and incidentals, up to the General Services Administration (GSA) per diem rate for the destination (available at http://www.gsa.gov/perdiem) for a full day of travel. Itemized receipts showing the expense amount are required for Councilmembers to receive reimbursement. Reimbursements are capped at the GSA amounts detailed below.

On the first and l ast travel day , meals are reimbursed at 75 percent (75%) of the per diem rate . The Meals & Incidental Expenses will be used to generate the per diem rate for meals. Any meals provided as part of the conference, event, or hotel, must be deducted from the reimbursement as listed on http://www.gsa.gov/mie .

Alcohol, guest meals, and hotel incidentals (e.g. in-room services) are not eligible for reimbursement.

Transportation

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GUIDELINES FOR CITY COMMISSIONS, BOARDS AND COMMITTEES

FOR ATTENDANCE AT CONFERENCES AND TRAINING EVENTS
Revised 7/11/23 Council Policy 006 Page 4 of 5

Use of Private Vehicles: Members shall be compensated for the use of their private vehicles for approved business travel at the current GSA standard mileage rate, provided that it is the most logical and least expensive method of transportation.

Bridge Tolls/Parking: Bridge tolls and parking fees incurred while traveling on City business are reimbursable with receipts.

Councilmembers shall obtain itemized receipts and submit them with their Travel Expense Reports.

Train /Other Mass Transit: Members shall be compensated for train or other mass transit fares and fees provided that it is the most logical and least expensive method of travel.

Airfare: Airfare must be booked at the lowest reasonable fare that provides the most direct route. Air travel options shall not be limited to a specific airline. Refundable tickets are permitted if there is a risk of cancellation. One checked bag is reimbursable. Any unused credits from official travel must either be applied to future City travel or reimbursed to the City.

Cancellation
If travel arrangements must be canceled, members are expected to notify staff as soon as practicable to allow sufficient time to avoid or minimize additional costs to the City. Failure to providetimely notice may result in the member being disqualified from travel for at least six months.

Rewards and Promotional Benefits

Boardmembers/Commissioners may earn frequent flyer miles or other travel rewards (such as airline, hotel, or vendor loyalty points) while on official City travel. However, if personal frequent flyer miles or other reward points are used to purchase tickets or services for City business, the value of those tickets or services is not reimbursable.

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Council Policy Manual
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GUIDELINES FOR CITY COMMISSIONS, BOARDS AND COMMITTEES

FOR ATTENDANCE AT CONFERENCES AND TRAINING EVENTS
Revised 7/11/23 Council Policy 006 Page 5 of 5

City of
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Governance and Ethics CommitteeSeptember 8, 2025

Governance and Ethics Committee
September 8, 2025