HomeMy WebLinkAbout(2026, 02/24) - F-8 - AmendedW.
CITY TRAVEL POLICY STATEMENT
Purpose
To set forth the policy for official City travel for reimbursement of expenses incurred by City Council
members, appointed officials, members of special boards, commissions, committees, and employees while
traveling overnight on official City business. This policy will not apply for commuter (local) training
seminars and local City business expenses, nor is it intended to supersede Police Officer Standard Training
reimbursable travel policies established by the State of California or the Newport Beach Police Department.
The governing rule for all City travel expenses will be availability, economy, convenience, and propriety.
Travel Policy
A. The City will provide reimbursement for expenses directly related to attendance at approved
conferences, seminars, meetings, and other official functions / purposes.
B. Official travel is planned, approved, and budgeted at the department level.
C. All official travel must be approved prior to the time of the travel by the Administrative Services
Director.
D. The City Manager will adopt and enforce administrative procedures that assure that all City
authorized travel is:
1. Paid directly by the City or reimbursed to the traveler based on actual, itemized expenses or
covered by per diem payment.
2. The City's per diem rate for Meals and Incidental Expenses (M&IE) will be equal to the
U.S. General Services Administration's (GSA) M&IE rates. (www.GSA.gov).
Procedure
A. Each Department Director will include all planned trips in the department's annual budget requests.
The Travel Authorization Form will be used as a planning/cost estimation guide. For unbudgeted,
unplanned travel, the same form will be prepared at the time travel is requested.
B. All requests for travel advances will include the original Travel Authorization Form signed by the
Department Director.
C. The Travel Expense Claim Form will be used to file the final travel claim with the Administrative
Services Director. A copy of the Travel Authorization Form must be attached.
I
F-8
Special Reimbursement Rules Related to Legislative Bodies Including City Council, Appointed
Officials, Members of'Special Boards, Commissions and Committees
The California Government Code Section 53232 et seq. provides restrictions on expense reimbursements
paid to members of legislative bodies, which include members of the City Council, appointed officials, and
members of special boards, commissions and committees created by charter, ordinance, resolution, or
formal action of the City Council. Members of a legislative body may only be reimbursed for actual and
necessary expenses incurred in the performance of official duties and their travel claims must be
accompanied by the receipts documenting each expense.
Continuity of City Government Policy
With the advent of different modes of rapid transportation, there is the possibility of accidents injuring or
killing several people simultaneously. Since Council Members are required to attend conferences,
conventions, and meetings outside City Hall, it is desirous to require that whenever possible, no more than
three members of the City Council use the same transportation at the same time.
When it comes to the Council's attention that a conference, convention, or meeting in which transportation
is required, Council Members shall try to arrange their itinerary so that no more than three members of the
City Council use the same transportation. The City Clerk will be utilized to provide alternate travel
arrangements where necessary to comply with this policy.
This policy will help ensure that there will be a continuity of City government and that there is always a
majority of Council members capable of fulfilling the responsibilities placed upon them by the City.
In addition, the City Manager, Department Directors and other key personnel should use the same guidelines
in traveling separately on official business whenever practicable.
History
Adopted A-2 —
5-13-1963 ("Authorization of Staff Trips")
Amended A-2 —
8-30-1966
Amended A-2 —
11-12-1968
Amended A-2 —
3-9-1970
Amended A-2 —
2-14-1972
Adopted A-11
— 12-10-1973 ("Council Travel)
Amended A-2 —
11-11-1974
Amended A-11
— 11-23-1981
Amended A-11
— 11-28-1988
Adopted F-25 —
6-8-1992 ("City Travel") (incorporating A-2 and A-11)
Amended F-25
— 1-24-1994 (changed to F-8)
Amended F-8 —
2-26-1996
Amended F-8 —
4-23-2002
Amended F-8 —
10-10-2006
Amended F-8 —
8-11-2009
Amended F-8 —
9-27-2011
W.
Amended F-8
— 2-12-2019
Amended F-8
— 5-25-2021
Amended F-8
—12-9-2025
Amended F-8
— 2-24-2026