Oregon Administrative Rules › Chapter 628 - OREGON FOREST RESOURCES INSTITUTE › Division 10 - ADMINISTRATION › Section 628-010-0030 - Compensation for OFRI Board Members, Officers, and Employees

Current through Register Vol. 63, No. 7, July 1, 2024
For purpose of board members, officers, and employees of OFRI receiving their actual and necessary travel and other expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties the OFRI board adopts the following rules governing the incurring and paying of such expenses:
(1) OFRI board members, officers and employees may receive reimbursement for their actual and necessary travel expenses and other expenses incurred in performance of their official duties. OFRI board members, officers and employees are not eligible to receive a per diem allowance. Receipts are required for all instate and out-of-state meal and lodging travel expenses incurred.
(2) There will be no reimbursement for the expenses of the spouse of a board member, officer or employee.
(3) Prior approval must be obtained from the OFRI Chairperson, in writing, for out-of-state travel more than 150 miles beyond Oregon's border or for foreign travel. Travel should be by the most direct route, by the method most advantageous to OFRI, and at the general public fare rate (i.e., coach class). Factors considered in determining what is most advantageous to OFRI include, but are not limited to, cost (including time involved in travel); objective of the trip; public image; consistency with the state's energy conservation policies and consistency with any contracts the state may have for providing travel services.
(4) OFRI shall use the following guidance in incurring actual and necessary travel expenses:
(a) A board member, officer, or employee, in the course of official OFRI business, may opt to use his/her private vehicle and be reimbursed for mileage at the current private car mileage rate set by the federal Internal Revenue Service and other automobile travel expenses such as parking fees, bridge tolls, etc.;
(b) During travel periods, actual costs of lodging, meals and miscellaneous travel expenses (taxis, telephone charges, registration fees, etc.) shall be paid by OFRI. However, no meals or lodging may be compensated for board members, officers, or employees who travel within 25 miles of their home or official work station. The exception to this case is if such travel is related to special events (conferences, conventions, fairs, etc.);
(c) OFRI may cover the costs of meals for persons other than board members, officers, and employees of OFRI and may claim reimbursement for approved travel expenses of another state employee or state agency officer upon substantiation that such costs were in the furtherance of OFRI business affairs. Claims for travel expenses of another state employee or state agency officer may be reimbursed only if the employee or state agency officer is traveling and appearing in an official capacity and the event requiring travel bears a relationship to the employee's or state agency officer's official duties or office. Reimbursement shall not be allowed for claims that do not have sufficient documentation substantiating such expenses (i.e., attached agenda, or written authorization from the OFRI Chairperson);
(d) OFRI may reimburse eligible non-state employees (e.g., a member of an advisory committee appointed by the OFRI Chairperson or OFRI Executive Director, an applicant interviewing for state employment, a volunteer working for OFRI, or a person providing a service to OFRI through a personal services contract relationship) for approved costs incurred for travel, meals and lodging while conducting OFRI business. Requests for reimbursement for expenses by eligible non-state employees shall be submitted within 30 days after the month in which expenses are incurred. Reimbursement shall not be allowed for claims that do not have sufficient documentation substanti-ating such expenses;
(e) OFRI shall not pay for or reimburse for the cost of, including but not limited to, personal expenses (such as newspapers, magazines, personal purchases and other non-travel related expenses) or for the purchase of alcoholic beverages. The board may allow limited reimbursement for personal telephone calls when members, officers or employees travel overnight;
(f) Reimbursement up to 15 percent of receipt cost for gratuity is allowed. When a gratuity of less than 15 percent is paid, only the amount paid shall be claimed. Gratuity shall be documented on meal receipt;
(g) The board may prescribe the type of receipts required to document authorized travel and other expenses and the required form of documentation or expense records to support reimbursement for such expenses. Travel reimbursement for board members, officers and employees shall be submitted on the form prescribed by OFRI within 30 days after the month in which the expenses were incurred;
(h) Claims may only cover the actual days of the meeting, activity, or function plus "acceptable reasonable time" to reach the intended destination and return. The board may prescribe the circumstances under which reimbursement for overnight and non-overnight travel meals are allowed;
(i) If an OFRI board member, officer, or employee is engaged in foreign travel, the OFRI Chairperson is authorized to establish special travel expense provisions applicable to the particular travel undertaken;
(j) With prior authorization obtained from the OFRI Chairperson or OFRI Executive Director, a cash advance for travel or other expenses may be made to a board member, officer, or employee. Request for cash advances must be in written form documenting the specific cost(s) needing to be covered. If the travel advance is in excess of expenses incurred, cash repayment must be made to OFRI on or before the tenth day following the month in which the authorized travel ended and shall accompany the itemized request for travel expense reimbursement;
(k) If an OFRI board member, officer, or employee should elect to decline payment for compensation for expenses for a given period of time, as set forth in this rule, then the individual must submit a signed statement to that effect to the OFRI Chairperson. After declining payment, a board member, officer, or employee may at any subsequent date choose to accept payment by submitting a written statement to the OFRI Chairperson indicating such a change. An OFRI board member, officer, or employee may not receive payment for expenses, current or retroactive, during a period they have set forth in writing to the OFRI Chairperson as declining compensation.