Commission sends contractor lodging invoice back for correction amid questions over remote hours and mileage

Carter County commissioners on the budget consent agenda voted to return a contractor invoice for correction after questions about hotel charges, mileage and itemized remote hours.

The county's budget committee discussed an invoice that included hotel bills that county members said appeared to charge for multiple bedrooms and above the Tennessee state travel lodging rate of $110 per night. Commissioners described overlapping dates, separate hotel bills for employees who could have stayed together and mileage billed for multiple vehicles on the same day. Finance staff told the committee the contract does not require the vendor to stay at particular hotels and that the county reimburses at the state-allowed rate; commissioners said they wanted invoices adjusted to that rate before payment.

Why it matters: The line-item questions touch on two county priorities—making sure public funds are spent appropriately and ensuring submitted charges will meet FEMA documentation standards so the county can seek federal reimbursement. Commissioners also raised open-records concerns when some invoices omitted employee names and used employee numbers instead.

Most important facts - The committee moved to return the vendor invoice for correction and resubmission so lodging charges would conform to Tennessee state travel rules (the $110 per-night standard cited repeatedly in the discussion). The motion was approved by the commission. - Commissioners and staff debated whether FEMA would accept remote-work entries that do not list physical locations; finance staff said FEMA will focus on what hours were worked and whether they are documented rather than where the work was done. - Several commissioners asked for more detailed supporting documentation before approving other invoices from the same contractor, including itemized travel logs and clearer dates. - Commissioners also questioned a separate invoice format that billed brief email and phone contacts as billable time (entries broken into 0.2-hour units), asking whether the county can expect FEMA reimbursement for such line items.

Details and context Finance staff described how the vendor submitted invoices with employee numbers rather than names; commissioners noted the contract cites compliance with the Tennessee Open Records Act and said that staff names are necessary for public accountability. Staff explained the company had requested names be withheld because of threats against family members; commissioners expressed frustration and said if that created an inability to audit charges the county needed clearer documentation.

Discussion focused on three related issues: - Lodging: A sample lodging grouping totaled about $2,800 for eight nights and three employees. Commissioners calculated that applying the $110 state lodging rate would reduce the reimbursable amount (one calculation in the meeting produced $2,640 for eight nights x three employees at $110 per night). The committee's approved approach was to ask the vendor to resubmit invoices adjusted to the state rate; if the vendor was charged less than the maximum, the county would pay the actual lower amount. - Mileage and site visits: Several invoices included mileage for multiple employees on the same date and for apparently overlapping trips. Highway and engineering staff explained that multiple vehicles are sometimes required on site because survey crews typically travel with separate equipment and personnel—examples used in the meeting said survey teams often travel with two vehicles (instrument operator, rod person, party chief), which can produce multiple mileage lines for the same site visit. Commissioners requested clearer trip descriptions and confirmed there is no contractual cap on the number of personnel the vendor may bring. - Billable email/phone entries: One invoiced line item listed brief email responses or calls charged in 0.1- or 0.2-hour increments. Commissioners questioned whether FEMA would reimburse such charges when described as per-email billing. Staff and other commissioners said it is common in professional services billing to capture short work units and that FEMA reimbursement can accept billable time for phone calls and emails if properly documented.

Committee action and follow-up The commission approved a motion to return the vendor invoice to the contractor (identified in packet materials) for correction and resubmission so lodging charges reflect the Tennessee state travel rate and so the vendor clarifies mileage and date entries. The commission also asked staff to pay attention to incoming corrected invoices for employees 101, 102 and 105 and to forward any specific, written questions from commissioners to the contractor (without individual commissioner names) so staff can compile standardized requests for clarification.

What commissioners said Commissioners repeatedly emphasized the dual aims of fiscal oversight and keeping federal reimbursement eligibility intact: they do not want to withhold valid FEMA-eligible costs, but they also want to avoid paying charges that cannot be documented or justified under state or federal rules. Several commissioners urged caution about terminating the contractor relationship immediately, noting county staff capacity constraints and the volume of paperwork required for FEMA claims; others argued that if the contractor cannot provide acceptable documentation the county should end the contract and seek other providers.

Ending note The county will not pay the disputed lodging amounts until the vendor resubmits corrected invoices consistent with the state travel rate or with supporting documentation showing the lower charged amounts; staff were directed to flag any further invoices with similar issues and to route written, specific questions from commissioners to the contractor for a formal response.