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Dobbs Ferry trustees adopt travel, fuel-card and gift-card policies and tighten change-order timing
Summary
At its May 27 meeting the Board of Trustees adopted a set of administrative policies including a travel policy, a fuel-card policy, a new gift-card restriction for grant funds, and a revised change-order policy shortening the response window to 10 working days.
The Dobbs Ferry Board of Trustees on May 27 adopted several administrative rules intended to tighten fiscal controls and clarify procedures for staff and volunteers.
Trustees unanimously approved a travel policy that lays out rules for village employee travel, a fuel-card policy for municipal vehicles and a new gift-card policy that, by the village treasurer's recommendation, stops the use of grant funds to purchase cash-equivalent gift cards for program incentives.
Treasurer Jeff explained the change in the gift-card approach as a fiscal-control measure: “stop using grant funds for gift cards,” he said, noting that some grants legally permit gift cards but that cash-like cards are vulnerable to fraud. Trustees and staff discussed alternatives such as providing physical prizes, non-cash items or working with organizations to procure incentives without direct grant-based gift-card purchases.
The board also amended its change-order policy for capital projects, shortening the time allowed for contractors to extend schedules to 10 working days (revised from 15 working days) and approved the change-order policy as amended. Officials said the shorter schedule target is intended to help projects stay on track.
Nut graf: The policies are administrative but carry fiscal and programmatic consequences — the gift-card restriction was adopted to reduce fraud risk on grant-funded programming, and the change-order timing and travel/fuel rules are intended to improve budget predictability and accountability.
All four motions passed unanimously. Trustees who made or seconded motions were recorded on the floor for each item; staff said the travel and related policies will be distributed to department heads and posted for village staff reference.
Ending: Village staff were directed to circulate the finalized policies to department heads and include them in an employee policy manual; the treasurer and recreation staff will coordinate on acceptable non-cash incentives for youth programs.
