Norwich — The Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative on Wednesday approved a new travel policy, while delaying action on a proposed new ethics policy to clarify some language.

The CMEEC board of directors voted unanimously to approve the travel policy, the first written policy governing travel by the cooperative’s staff and board members. Previously, the cooperative relied on verbal approvals for business travel expenses, CMEEC CEO Drew Rankin said.

The two-page policy states that all business travel by cooperative employees and staff must be approved in advance, and “must have a business-related purpose with business-related activities, and be held in locations that are reasonable in terms of distance and travel expense.”

The cooperative is owned by six member municipal utilities, including Norwich Public Utilities, Groton Utilities, Bozrah Light & Power, Jewett City Department of Public Utilities and two utilities in Norwalk. The new policies follow public criticism and state law changes put in place in response to CMEEC's practice of hosting lavish trips to the Kentucky Derby for four years from 2013 to 2016 for dozens of top staff, board members, spouses, business vendors, public officials and other invited guests.

All board member travel now must be approved by the board chairman and the cooperative CEO. Expenses covered would include meals, commercial travel, lodging and “reasonable costs incurred.” Language in the policy limits reimbursement for meals to average per diem based on IRS approved averages updated annually and lodging based on reasonable availability. Any deviations would have to be approved in advance.

The policy also mirrors language passed in a state law in 2017 limiting CMEEC strategic retreats or similar activity to locations in Connecticut. The board must approve the retreat at a meeting, including location, purpose, list of planned attendees and any entertainment or gifts involved.

The proposed four-page ethics and conflict-of-interest policy calls for employees to “avoid any activity, investment, or interest that might reflect unfavorably on the reputation of CMEEC,” and asks them to disclose any potential conflicts of interest.

Under the section governing gifts, the policy lists a prohibition of gift exchanges with public officials, federal, state or municipal government officials or any political subdivisions. Groton board member Mark Oefinger questioned why the list did not include members of the public at large. Oefinger, appointed to the CMEEC board as a Groton ratepayer representative, said while he did not attend the Kentucky Derby trips, he understood that some attendees other than spouses would not have been included in the new policy’s list of gift recipients.

The board tabled action to allow the language to be clarified and presented to the board at the June meeting. After the vote, Oefinger said he didn’t intend to delay action and would have approved the new policy as presented.

“It’s better than what we have now,” Oefinger said.

c.bessette@theday.com