REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 09/06/2023
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Council Member Wes Speake
SUBJECT:
Title
TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT REQUEST FOR COUNCIL MEMBER WES SPEAKE FOR ATTENDING A MEETNG AT THE CALIFORNIA STATE CAPITOL.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to consider approving the travel reimbursement request for Council Member Wes Speake, for attending a meeting at the California State Capitol.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council approve the travel reimbursement request for Council Member Wes Speake for attending a meeting at the State Capitol. The estimated total cost for the requested trip was $641.97, which included airfare, transportation, meals, and other related fees.
Body
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
Council Member Wes Speake is a Commissioner with the Riverside County Transportation Commission representing the City of Corona. Commissioners are responsible for coordinating highway and transit planning and identifying projects for state and federal funding, and all aspects of regional planning for Riverside County’s mobility.
Administration Policy No. 01200.001 (Travel and Other Expense Reimbursement Policy) requires all City Officials to obtain advanced approval from the City Council for trips involving overnight stays or travel by air. The policy also permits if the Mayor determines that last minute travel by a City Official is necessary and appropriate and that the City Council agenda deadlines cannot be met prior to the trip or prior to the need to incur a non-refundable expense, to approve the advance travel request form up to a maximum of $1,000 for the entire trip. Approval must be obtained prior to incurring any non-refundable expenses for the trip, including, but not limited to, event registration and flight or hotel reservations. In the event the Mayor approves an advance travel request form, the policy requires the approval to be reported to the City Council at the next available City Council meeting.
ANALYSIS:
Council Member Wes Speake will travel to Sacramento, California on September 6, 2023, to meet with Assembly Member Bill Essayli along with Riverside County Transportation Commission Executive Director and Caltrans’s Deputy Director to discuss the 15 lane drops and assist with some of the technical issues.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The estimated total cost for this trip is $641.97, which includes airfare, transportation, meals, and other related fees. City Council Members’ travel and other expenses reimbursements are funded by the City Council’s operating budget in the General Fund. Funding for this request is included in the approved Fiscal Year 2024 Budget.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) for the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if covered by the common sense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This action is for an advance travel request. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: ANGELA NIETO, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
REVIEWED BY: JACOB ELLIS, CITY MANAGER
Attachments:
1. Exhibit 1 - City Official Advance Travel Request