Section 2.03.010

Remuneration and Reimbursement Policy

Members of the Board of Directors are encouraged to attend in participate in professional meetings, educational conferences, or seminars when the purpose of such activities is to improve District operation.  Board Members are also required to complete all local, state, and federal regulatory training. 

 2.03.010.01    Compensable Meetings

 State Law limits Board member compensation to ten (10) compensable meetings per month (Water Code Section 20202).  The RMWD Board shall not be eligible for compensation for more than six (6) compensable days per month.

2.03.010.02    Compensation

 Members of the Board of Directors are eligible to receive compensation of $150 for each day’s attendance at the following:

o     Rainbow Municipal Water District Meetings

o   Up to Two Board Meetings Per Month

o   Standing Committee Meetings as Board Appointed Member or Alternate Member. Alternate members are compensated only when attending in the absence of the regular appointed member.

o   Ad-Hoc Committee Meetings as Board Appointed Member

o   One Monthly In-Person Meeting with General Manager (To qualify for this, the meeting must be scheduled in advance, be related to a specific topic regarding the Board’s oversight of the District and have a duration of at least one hour.)

o   Regularly Scheduled Local Organization Meetings

o   Council of Water Utilities Monthly Meeting

o   San Diego Chapter of CSDA Quarterly Meeting 

o   Eastern Municipal Water District Coordination Meetings

o  Training and Conferences

o   Required Local, State and Federal Regulatory Training

o   ACWA Annual Spring and Fall Conferences

o   CSDA Annual Conference

Members of the Board of Directors will be appointed as the District’s representative for local agencies and organizations. Board Members appointed to the following organizations are eligible to receive compensation of $150 per day of attendance at meetings of the following organizations:

-       Santa Margarita River Watershed Watermaster Steering Committee

-       Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA)

-       California Special Districts Association (CSDA)

Should two compensable meetings occur in a single day, the Board Member(s) in attendance shall be eligible for compensation of only $150 for the entire day. In the event duplicate compensable meetings occur in the same month, the Board Member(s) in attendance shall be eligible, for more than one meeting in the same month without exceeding the number of meeting limitations provided herein under 2.03.010.01.

2.03.010.03     Training, Seminars and Conferences

In the event a Member of the Board of Directors wishes to attend any non-regulatory required training, seminars, and conferences and receive compensation for the event and travel/registration expenses, the Board member must present a written request for attendance in advance of the event start date during a regularly scheduled open session Board meeting for Board consideration during the standing agenda item for this practice included in each Board meeting agenda.   The Board member requesting compensation and travel/registration expenses shall indicate the nature of the event and the benefits their attendance will bring to the District and its ratepayers.   The full Board shall consider this information and take action to approve or disapprove the compensation and travel/registration expenses by a majority vote.   Upon approval, the Board Member will be eligible for compensation of $150 for each day at a non-required training, conference, or seminar after a written or verbal report is provided at the Board meeting immediately following the conclusion of the event.

Advance written requests and/or Board approval is not required for participation in online local, state, or federal regulatory training.  In the event regulatory training is completed as part of a seminar or conference attended by a Board Member, the provisions provided herein under 2.03.010.03 will apply and the Board Member will be required to provide the District with a Certificate of Completion within fifteen (days) of completion. 

 2.03.010.04    Legitimate Expenses

 Members of the Board of Directors shall be eligible for reimbursement for all legitimate expenses incurred in attending any meetings, seminars, conferences, or training as well as in making any trips on official business of the Board, when so authorized in accordance with the provisions provided in 2.03.010.03 and the following:

o         Receipts for all expenses (hotel, food, beverages, parking fees, etc.) are remitted.

o   The following categories are excluded from reimbursement:

1.        Expenses incurred for other persons except those who have a direct bearing on conducting District                   business

2.        Personal Entertainment expenses

3.        Clothing and personal hygiene items

4.        Alcoholic beverages

5.        Items remaining the personal property of the individual

6.        Any expenses not related to District business

·         Expenses to the District for training, education and conferences should be kept to a minimum by:

1.        Utilizing hotel(s) recommended by the event sponsor in order to obtain discount rates.

2.        Hotel accommodations will be made for the night before the event and expire on the day the event ends.

3.        Requesting reservations sufficiently in advance, when possible, to obtain discounted airfares and hotel rates.

If available, refundable airfares will be purchased for District travel so that in the event a trip is cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances, the District will be directly refunded any applicable funds to avoid being issued travel funds assigned to individual travelers for future use.  Should refundable airfares not be available for purchase for District travel for a trip cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances, any travel funds reverted back to an individual traveler that is used by the traveler for non-District travel will be reimbursed to the District in full by the individual traveler no later than thirty (30) days following the use of these funds.

Expenses for meals, including non-alcoholic beverages and tips ordinarily associated with normal eating customs, shall be reimbursable.  The reasonableness of meal expense reimbursement requests shall be based on the published IRS locally calculated meal and incidental guidelines located on the GSA website http://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/100120 and the reimbursable amount shall be limited to the daily Meal and Incidental Expenses Total in the region during the course of travel and while attending the authorized activity.  Exceptions to these limitations shall be made in situations where participation in the authorized activity makes it necessary to eat at a specific place or to attend special meal functions.

Expenses for meals purchased for the purpose of attending a District Board of Directors meeting and unforeseen circumstances prohibit the District from providing such shall be reimbursable.   Reimbursements requested under this section shall comply with meal expense reimbursement requirements outlined above.

Reimbursement for the cost of the use of a Director's vehicle shall be on the basis of total miles driven and at the current rate specified by the Internal Revenue Service.

2.03.010.05    Limitations for Submitting Compensation and Reimbursement Requests

To receive compensation or reimbursement for legitimate expenses Board Members are required to remit requests for compensation or reimbursement no later than sixty (60) days from the conclusion of the event or purchase is made. 

Requests for compensation for completion of required regulatory training must be accompanied with the appropriate Certificate of Completion only if such certificate has not been provided to the District in advance of the request for compensation.

2.03.010.06    Eligibility

Members of the Board of Directors are eligible for compensation and reimbursement for legitimate expenses as provided herein at their sole discretion.