5.2. ERMUSR 11-15-2011 - Laserfiche WebLink

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ELK RIVER MUNICIPAL UTILITIES PUBLIC PURPOSE EXPENDITURE POLICY POLICY Pursuant to the statutes and laws of the State of Minnesota which regulate the expenditure of public funds for public purposes, the Elk River Municipal Utilities believes it is necessary and appropriate to provide assistance and guidance to the officials, employees, and representatives of Elk River to aid in the determination of when public funds maybe spent for a public purpose. To provide that assistance and guidance, the Elk River Municipal Utilities adopted these public purpose guidelines for the establishment of operating policies and procedures and the appropriate expenditures of public funds. Based on these guidelines, the Utility Commission authorizes the Utilities Director, appointed officials and appointed department heads to establish administrative policies and procedures that are consistent with these guidelines and the adopted Utility policies which implement these guidelines. De znition: A public purpose expenditure is one which relates to the purpose for which the Elk River Municipal Utilities exists and the duties and responsibilities of Elk River, appointed officials, employees, and other representatives. PUBLIC PURPOSE GUIDELINES 1. Training and development programs for Elk River Municipal Utilities employees serve a public purpose when those training and development programs are directly related to the performance of the employees' job-related duties and are directly related to the programs/services for which the Utility is responsible. 2. Payment of employee work-related expenses, including travel, lodging and meal expenses, serves a public purpose when those expenses are necessarily incurred by Elk River Municipal Utilities employees in connection with their actual work assignments or official duties and those expenses are directly related to the performance of the governmental functions for which Elk River has responsibility. 3. Appropriate safety and health programs for Elk River Municipal Utilities employees serve a public purpose because they result in healthier and more productive employees and reduce certain costs to the rate payers of Elk River, including various costs associated with workers compensation and disability benefit claims, insurance premiums, and lost time from employee absences. 4. Public expenditures for appropriate Elk River Municipal Utilities employee serve a public purpose because formally recognizing employees who make significant contributions and demonstrate their commitment during the performance of their duties results in higher morale and productivity among all Elk River Municipal Utilities employees, and therefore helps the Utility to fulfill its responsibilities efficiently and more cost effectively.