By Amira Van Leeuwen
KYLE —Over the course of several meetings, the Kyle City Council unanimously approved a city-issued credit card policy.
On Aug. 25, the city council asked the Director of Finance Perwez Moheet to incorporate changes recommended by the Compensation Committee related to city council compensation, which was reviewed extensively in a series of earlier meetings.
Moheet made the requested changes and brought the amended policy back for a second reading on Oct. 3 – which was unanimously approved with a 6-0 vote.
In the drafted ordinance, presented on first reading during the Sept. 20 meeting, there were recommendations made by the Compensation Committee that addressed outgoing council members – whether their term is complete or they resign.
Under the policy, the ownership and responsibility are on the individual council members to complete the appropriate forms to submit by the deadline.
Mayor Travis Mitchell thought the draft ordinance was “pretty good” but wanted to discuss a couple of things regarding the way the policy was written.
Mitchell suggested that the council keep the item budget the same but allow the different categories within the budget to be flexible as long as they don’t exceed their budgeted amount.
Council member Ashlee Bradshaw agreed.
“I think we all serve in different ways and that’s a good opportunity for each of us to show up and utilize those funds the best way that we see fit,” Bradshaw said.
Council member Yvonne Flores-Cale’s major concern was whether or not the policy significantly increased the duties of the city secretary.
“I’m thinking, is there anything we can do to do an online system so we can fill out forms and upload receipts, and that way they’re sent to her [Holm] electronically?” Flores-Cale asked.
Perwez said that this policy does have more paperwork and more administrative requirements but whether it goes to the city secretary’s office or directly to the finance department, it would be the same amount of work.
“The ownership and responsibility is on individual council members when you travel,” Moheet said.
Mitchell motioned to remove Section 8, which gave the city secretary the responsibility of placing items on the agenda when a council member returns from traveling.
“I didn’t really like the fact that it was the city secretary’s responsibility to be placing items like that on the agenda,” Mitchell said. “I think it’s our responsibility to be compliant; we control the agenda by the charter, and so it should be us that makes that request per the council policy.”
Flores-Cale said she did not see consequences in the procedure.
“If you want to build in a consequence, and I’d like to see that throughout because these are a lot of procedures that are great, but there’s no repercussions or accountability if we don’t follow through with that,” Flores-Cale said.
Bradshaw said she heard Flores-Cale’s concerns but at the end of the day, they are a judge of one another.
“I think rather than putting it in a credit card policy, we should just be focused more on holding each other accountable,” Bradshaw said.
The motion was seconded by Flores-Cale and unanimously passed.
Flores-Cale also brought up Section 12 which lists unallowable expenses including “Donations and any charitable contributions to individuals, organizations and not-for-profit entities including value of time donated.” Flores-Cale said she understood the donations part, but when it comes to organizations like Homeowners Association gatherings, she donates.
Perwez said as far as he was concerned, donations were a “no-no.”
City attorney Paige Saenz thought it would be difficult to draw the line in a consistent way.
“When you get into the area of gifts for public funds, and when that process comes to the council and the council reviews it and makes a grant of funds that puts some structure around it so that you know you’re getting a public purpose back because that’s the requirement for donating the funds, it serves a public purpose,” Saenz said. “And then I think going even farther from that, at what point does a donation start to look like, potentially, like something else.”
During the council’s Oct. 3 meeting, Moheet discussed changes and clarifications that were requested directly to him by city secretary Jennifer Holm. This included a change to the travel policy – regarding travel, unallowed expenses are flight and/or travel trip insurance. The city does not have a travel agent as city staff books council flights.
Holm also asked for clarification on the loss of personal funds and belongings, maximum tip amount and gratuity and whether paying for in-flight Wi-Fi was acceptable.
