Liberty Lake staff proposes per‑diem travel, vehicle allowances and new employee benefits

City finance and administration staff outlined proposed updates to the financial policy and personnel manual at the April 15 council meeting, including a return to advanced per‑diem travel, new vehicle allowances for executives, a protective footwear reimbursement and a formal employee appreciation budget.

Why it matters: The changes are framed as pragmatic adjustments to streamline travel logistics for staff and elected officials, recognize recurring job‑related expenses, and strengthen workplace culture. The proposals would affect recurring operating budgets and employee/official reimbursements.

Travel per diem: Staff recommended switching from the current receipt‑based reimbursement and purchase‑card mix to a standard federal per‑diem approach with an advance payment option. Under the proposal, a procurement specialist would centralize travel arrangements (hotel, registration, flights) and staff or elected officials could receive an approved per‑diem check before travel. Council members asked whether per‑diem would cover meals, whether the city will follow federal per‑diem rates, and how conference meals provided by organizers would be treated; staff said the plan follows federal rates and would exclude organizer‑provided meals but accommodates dietary restrictions.

Vehicle allowance: Staff proposed a monthly vehicle allowance benchmarked to peer cities — example ranges cited were about $200 per month for directors and $300 for the mayor/administrator — intended to reduce frequent mileage reimbursements and avoid buying additional city pool vehicles. Council asked whether allowances would be optional, whether they would require proof of insurance for personal vehicles used on city business, and whether the city would see insurance savings; staff said private insurance requirements would be written into policy and legal staff would review liability language.

Protective footwear and employee appreciation: Staff proposed up to $200 per year per eligible employee for required protective footwear (dispersed through payroll) and a modest employee appreciation fund (staff recommended raising a typical annual celebration fund from $2,500, noting prior year outlays and the number of employees/family attendees). Council asked that protective‑footwear policy include required use and recordkeeping to protect both employees and the city.

Procurement/administration clarifications: The update also memorializes state procurement threshold adjustments and clarifies delegated approval authorities (adding the public works director and city administrator in specific spots) and housekeeping changes to titles and terms.

Next steps: Staff said it will prepare redlines and bring a resolution for codification, likely at the May 6 meeting, and will work with legal on insurance/ liability language and with departments on opt‑out and implementation details.

Ending: Councilmembers generally supported streamlining travel and reducing administrative burden but asked for clearer opt‑out language, specific allowance amounts per position, and legal review on insurance and elected‑officials usage before formal adoption.