Okaloosa County BOCC — April 27, 2013 — reading text

their designees. 3. Out-of-County travel must be approved in advance. c. All travel must be by a usually traveled route. In case a person travels by an indirect route for his/her own convenience, any extra costs shall be borne by the traveler; and reimbursement for expenses shall be based only on such charges as would have been incurred by a usually traveled route. d. All mileage shall be shown from point of origin to point of destination and, when possible, shall be computed on the basis of the current map of the Department of Transportation. Vicinity mileage necessary for the conduct of official business is allowable but must be shown as a separate item on the expense voucher. e. Travel reimbursement rates may differ when travel is funded pursuant to grant agreements. f. Travelers shall receive a meal allowance for continuous travel of 24 hours or more which involves overnight absence outside the city or town of the official headquarters or immediate vicinity. 1. Subsistence allowances are stabled by Board resolution. 2. No one shall be reimbursed for any meal included in a convention/ conference registration fee paid by the Board, any meals included in the registration fee or provided by the convention/conference or complimentary of the lodging establishment. 3. No allowance permitted within 50 miles of the official headquarters or residence unless circumstances necessitating such overnight travel are fully explained by the traveler and preapproved. Criteria for approval shall include late night or early morning job responsibilities and excessive travel time because of traffic conditions. 4. Meal allowances: i. Breakfast – when travel begins before 6 a.m. and extends 16 Packet Pg. 706  8.6.c.b beyond 8 a.m. ii. Lunch – when travel begins before 12 noon and extends beyond 2 p.m. iii. Dinner – when travel begins before 6 p.m. and extends beyond 8 p.m. g. Travel for short or day trips not resulting in in overnight absence, Class C travel, is not reimbursable. h. Travel advances of 80% of the estimated travel expense for reimbursements Attachment: Okaloosa County Purchasing Manual-5 (1517 : Revisions to the Purchasing Manual) of $50.00 or more may be requested but are not mandatory. i. All travel must be settled with the Finance Department within 10 business days of travel completion. j. If the County has a contract on travel service(s), it shall be the Department Director’s responsibility to ensure the contracted agency be used for all travel requirements covered under the contract, except for use of County vehicles and/or private vehicles. Department Directors must ensure that the most advantageous method of travel is used; either the contract agency, the County vehicle or private transportation. Department Directors shall compare total travel expenses of all three methods to include time away from job. k. Taxi fare is listed in Section 112.061(8), Florida Statutes, as an incidental travel expense to the traveler that may be reimbursed. Additionally, the State Department of Financial Services allows for “Actual Tips Paid to Taxi Drivers which shall not exceed fifteen (15) percent of the fare.” Rule 691- 42.010, Florida Administrative Code. l. Travel requests submitted for approval and reimbursement must be accompanied by the following items. Confirmations and itineraries are sufficient for advances. However, actual receipts, tickets, and invoices notating dates and times are required for settlement. a. Summary of Travel Expense form b. Registration forms c. Conference/class agenda (In cases where agendas are not provided, a memo, email correspondence or letter from the meeting sponsor of business showing the meeting purpose, dates, times, and locations must be provided.) d. Itemized hotel receipt e. Flight itinerary and boarding passes f. Car rental receipt with departure and return dates g. Invoices or itemized receipts for any other incidental travel costs (taxi fare, parking fees, tolls, fuel, etc.) H. EMERGENCY PURCHASES 1. Definition: An emergency purchase is defined as one brought about by a sudden unexpected turn of events (i.e., acts of God, riot, fires, floods, accidents or any circumstance or cause beyond the control of the department in the normal conduct of 17 Packet Pg. 707  8.6.c.b its business) involving health, welfare, injury or loss to the County and which can be rectified only by immediate purchase of equipment, printing, supplies, materials or services. 2. Procedures: In the event of an emergency, the following procedures shall be utilized: a. If during regular work hours (7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday) (1) Contact the Purchasing Department and inform them of (a) The emergency and Attachment: Okaloosa County Purchasing Manual-5 (1517 : Revisions to the Purchasing Manual) (b) The item(s) needed to rectify the emergency (2) The Purchasing Department will procure the item(s) needed. (a) The Purchasing Department will give top priority to emergency purchases. (b) The Purchasing Department shall have the authority to deviate from normal purchasing practices to satisfy an emergency requirement. The above deviations must be fully documented as to why they were necessary. b. If after regular work hours, during the weekend or on a holiday, (1) Contact the Purchasing Director or Staff and (a) Inform them of the emergency (b) Request a verbal approval to purchase (c) Give the Purchasing Department as much information as possible concerning the purchase. (1) Item(s) required (2) Estimated cost (3) Any other information about the purchase that is available. NOTE: A representative from the Purchasing Department shall be on call at all times. If contact cannot be made, and the Department has established that a true emergency exists, the purchase should be obtained and administrative action taken on the following business day. (2) The affected department shall procure the item(s) required to rectify the emergency. The affected department shall use good judgment in procuring the required item(s) at the best possible price considering the circumstances of the emergency. (3) On the first business day following the emergency, the affected department shall electronically submit a completed requisition to the Purchasing Department. The requisition shall indicate: 18 Packet Pg. 708  8.6.c.b (a) An emergency purchase (b) The price (unit and total cost) (c) Name of the vendor (d) A description of the item(s) (e) Quantities purchased Attachment: Okaloosa County Purchasing Manual-5 (1517 : Revisions to the Purchasing Manual) (f) Any other information deemed necessary. (4) Upon receiving the completed Purchase Requisition from the affected department, the Purchasing Department shall complete the Purchase Order and process it through the Finance Department for certification of funds and legality of the purchase. c. Any emergency purchase. (1) The affected Department Director shall file with the Purchasing Department a statement certifying the conditions and circumstances requiring an emergency purchase. This shall be submitted within five (5) business days of the emergency purchase and shall include the purchase order number used in the emergency and complete details surrounding the event(s) that created the emergency. (2) The Purchasing Department will not formally approve any purchase order number under this provision as the burden of proof rests with the certifying Department Director; however, all statements will be reviewed by the Purchasing Department and should there be any reasonable doubt that an emergency existed; an opinion will be filed with the Internal Auditor. 19 Packet Pg. 709  8.6.c.b I. OKALOOSA COUNTY PURCHASING CARD POLICY AND PROCEDURES Introduction The Okaloosa County Purchasing Card Program is designed to improve efficiency in processing low dollar purchases from vendors accepting the Purchasing Card. This program will allow cardholders to purchase approved commodities and services directly from our vendors. The Purchasing Department and the t Finance Department will monitor the performance of the Attachment: Okaloosa County Purchasing Manual-5 (1517 : Revisions to the Purchasing Manual) program. All questions, requests, or concerns related to this program shall be directed to: Procurement Related Purchasing Director, 689-5960 Accounting Related Finance Department, Clerk of Court A. Assignment and Control of the Purchasing Card