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11/01/1989 ~.~ .... ..... Proceedings of the Pension Advisory Committee Meeting of November 1, 1989. Page 1 Present: John Nicholson, Chairman Glenn Perry, Member Tom Pudclski, Member ~/ H. Michael Laursen. Personnel Director Deborah Lally, Personnel Department Nancy Degner, City Nurse Paul Carter, Police Officer Dennis Acker, Police Officer Peter Fire, FOP President Johnny Jones Susan Gryncewicz Albert Orynccwicz J The meeting was called to order at 9:36 A.M. Tom Pudelski moved to approve the minutes of October 18, 1989. The motion was duly seconded by Olenn Perry and carried unanimously. John Nicholson asked that a copy of the new pension ordinance be obtained so a new guide book can be published for employees. The guidelines that arc being established can be inserted in the back of this book. Secretary Laursen will put together a final draft for presentation to the Committee and the Trustees. The Committee considered the request of Donald Ward, Firefighter, Fire Department, for a job-connected disability pension based on back injuries suffered in the line of duty. Mr. Ward had submitted to the Committee letters from two doctors but was requested by the Committee to have an independent medical examination (IME). This 1MB was performed by Dr. Michac:l D. Slomka who submitted a lettcr dated October 23, 1989. Dr. Slomka concurred with the findings of the other doctors that Mr. Ward is permanently disabled as a firefighter and this condition is job rclated. Tom' Pudelski moved that Donald Ward be granted a job-connected disability pension. effective on a date to be determined. based on Mr. Ward's disability that resulted from on-the-job circumstances which is described as degenerative disc disease. said disability making him permanently unable, to perform his job and documented by medical statements of Dr. Martin A. Kornreich, dated April 26. 1989, and Dr. Michael D. Slomka. dated October 23, 1989. The molion was duly seconded by Glenn Perry and carried unanimously. No new infonnation bas been received on Michael Dondaneau, Police Communications Operator, Police Department. Risk Management has not heard from him regarding the 1MB which the Committee' requested he have. The Committee considered the request of Susan Gryncewicz, former" Police', Communications Operator, Pollee Department, for a job-connected disability pension. New letters were received from Dr. Bclsole and Dr. Ishler. Both ,letters. state the injury 10 her wrist is job related. This injury was incurred while training as a Police Recruit. However, the letters. do not indicate whether she is unable to perform the duties, of a Communications Ope'rator. Proceedings of the Pension Advisory Committee Mecting of November 1. 1989. Page 2 l' " ;,\ ~~. Glenn, Perry stated that the Clt)' tenninated Ms. Gryncewicz bccause in its opinion she could not j perform hcr dudes as n Communiclltions Operator. Mr. Laursen stated that the City's view was :} that Ms. Gryncewicz could not perform her duties within lhe medical limitations set for her. ~ Discussion ensued concerning the reosons for Ms. Oryncewicz's termination. Mr. Pudelski suggested they review the City's grounds for termination and review the doctors' recommendatlons before making a decision. Mr. Perry had reviewed the file, as well as the dismissal papers: and it was his opinion that Ms. Oryncewicz is permancntly disabled and cannot perform the duties of a Communications Operator. Mr. Laursen asked Ms. Oryncewicz whether she could get letters from her doctors stating she is disablcd as a Communicalions Operator. Further discussion ensued. At the conclusion. Olenn Perry moved that Susan Gryncewicz be granted a job-connected ,disability pension. effective on a date to be determined. based on Ms. Gryncewicz's disabjJity that resulled from on~lhe-job circumstances which is described as impairment of the right upper extremity, said disability making her permanently unable to perform her job and documented by medical statements of Dr. Robert J. Belsole. dated October 10. 1989, and Dr. Harold L. Ishler. dated October 25, 1989. The motion was duly seconded by Tom Pudelski and carried unanimously, with John Nicholson voicing an objection to the fact the letters do not stale she cannot perform her duties. The Committee considered the request of Johnny Jones, Maintenance Worker I, Public Works/Transportation, for a job-connected disability pension. Letters from two doctors were received. and both stated that Mr. Jones is disabled and cannot perfonn the duties of his job. Tom Pudelski moved that Johnny Jones be granted a job-connected disability pension. effective on a date to be detennincd, based on Mr. Jones' disability that resulted from on-the-job circumstances which is described as spinal stenosis, said disability making him permanently unable to perfonn his job and documented by medical statements of Dr. H. Gerard Siek, dated . June 6. 1989. and Dr. Richard F. Lyster, datcd October 11, 1989. The motion was duly seconded by Glenn Perry and carried unanimously. No new information has been received on Jacqueline Sulek, former Assistant PurchasIng Manager, Purchasing Division. The question was raised as to whether or not Ms. Sulek could receive a non-jab-connected disability pension since she has vested her pension. After some discussion it was determined that vesting a pension should not preclude someone from requesting a disability pension at a later date. It was the consensus of the Committee to send Ms. Sulek a follow-up lctter reminding her shc needs to submit medical documentation as to her disability. The Committee considered the matter of Paul Carter, Pollee Officer, Pollee Department, who was granted a job-connected disability pcnsion at the September 20. 1989. meeting. This was prescnted to the Trustees on October 2. 1989. and "remanded back to the Pension Advisory Committee for funher consideration as to whether or not Officer Carter's Craho's disease is actually job~related. Officer Carter was sent for an IME and he presented to the Committee a letter from Dr. Jay K. Kamath. This lctter states that Officer Carter's condition could be job related. Mr. Nicholson reported that he had attended a pension seminar in October. There were many attorneys there who deal with pensions. The generally opinion was that if the City hires , i j j ! l t ~ ~ ~ ~ .. :] ~ ~ I 1 ~ ~ '. .~ :1 ,( ~ < ~. ; ~ ) ! I . I , l ~ ., ~~ ~ ~ " ,< Proceedings of the Pension Advisory Committee Meeting of November 1. 1989. Page 3 someone with a prc-cdsting condilion and allows them to enter the Pension Pllln the City would be "buyingll the injury. · Tom Pudelski moved that based on the two previous letters received Qnd the letter from Dr. Knmnth Officer Carter should be granted a job-connected disability pension. The motion was duly seconded by Glenn Perry. As a reference to Mr. Nicholson's statement regarding pre-existing conditions, Mr. Laursen asked whether this would also apply to pre-e:dsting illness that may not be known at the tinle of hire. I.e. Officer Carter's Croho's disellse diagnosis which was made five months after he WIlS hired. A lengthy discussion ensued concerning this matter. Mr. Laursen suggested one or all of the members of the Commillee should attend the Trustees' meeting on November 13. 1989. to answer any questions that may arise concerning Officer Cnrter. Mr. Perry expressed his concern that this Hlness is job related when Officer Carter had only worked for five months before it was diagnosed in 1975. Mr. Nicholson stated that if Officer Carter did not have a stressful job, he would not have the disease. A vote was taken on the motion. Tom Pudelski and John Nicholson voted "aye"; Glenn Perry abstained from voting. This will be sent back to the Trustees for their approval. With respect to Albert Gryncewlczt Accounting Clerk II, Purchasing DivIsion. the Trustees have asked that. Mr. Gryncewicz be sent for an IME and the doctor performing the IME be provided with his medical records. Mr. Gryncewicz was sent a letter advising him that he needs to schedule this examination. ~ -~ <" . \:.~< {.., , Ii', ~\>.A. Pete Fire. President of FOP Lodge # 10. asked where the letters from doctors performing IMErs ~;:: ~!"WJJ' should be sent. He was advised they should be sent to the Personnel Director. ~t;,:' ~ ~;:t Dennis Acker. Police Officer, asked how the Trustees could reverse decisions made by the j,;:', Pension Advisory Committee. He was advised that the Trustees did not reverse the Committee in the Carter case but remanded it back for further consideration. According to the court decision in the Krysko case, the Trustees cannot reverse a decision of the Committee. The Commitlec received a memo from Dan Deignan. Assistant Director of Administrative Seryices~ regarding the amount of interest to be charged to Joseph DeSantis, Police Sergeant, Police Department, if he pays back his pension contributions. Discussion ensued. . The meeting recessed at 10:45 A.M. It reconvened at 11 :22 A.M. During the recess. a check was made as to the amount of interest Officer Kettell was required to pay when he was readmitted to the Pension Plan. It was determined that interest was charged at 'the rate of interest Treasury bonds were receiving at the time. The consensus was that the rate of interest should be what the Treasury bonds were receiving during the period of time the money was removed from the fund. Mr. Laursen will ask Mr. Deignan to make n new . computation using this interest rate. The Committee requested that Sgt. DeSantis be sent a copy . of these minutes by certified mail, return receipt requested. " ' Proceedings of the Penslon Advisory Committee Meeting of November It 1989. : w ' ".. c .~. ~. , ," " Page 4 Olenn Perry read the name(s) of the following employee(s) to be accepted into membership in the Pension Plan: Jan Bradley, Librarian II Patrick Plaskett, Trar. Eng. Asst. Steven M. Perry. WWTP Oper. B Stephen C. Sarnoff, Trar. Eng. Asst. Michael' Mitchell, Sanhation Worker Marianne' 'Hall, Staff Asst. II Daniel Anderson, Police Recruit II Robert. Kinchen, Jr., Police Recruit I Helen L. Werling, Staff Asst. II Robert Lockwood, Admin. Sup. Mgr. II Helen Higgins, Data EntryOper. II Suzanne L. Hart,' Office. Asst. II Constance C. Oreen, Legal Staff Assl. Shirley Grimm. Customer Sec. Rep. Dale of Employment Libraries Pub. Works/Trans. Pub. Works/WPC Pub. Works/Trans. Pub. Works/San. Pub. WorkslEng. Police Police Pub. Works/Um. Fire Pub. Works/UtiI. Pub. Worksrrrans. Legal Pub. Worles/Util. 11~13-89 9-14.89 10-30-89 9-11-89 9.5.89 10-9.89 11-3.89 11-3-89 11-16-81 5-3-82 5-26-81 5-18-87 10-14-87 1-19-81 Pension EIi~. Dote 11-13-89 9-14~89 10-30-89 9-11.89 9-5-89 10-24-89 11-3-89 11-3-&9 10-6~89 6.20-89 10-6-89 10-15.89 to-20-89 10-24-89 Glenn Perry moved to accept into membership the fourteen (14) employee(s) listed above. The (': . . motion was duly seconded by Tom Pudelski and carried unanimously. 1/."'''' ' ,,:/" '", .((';':, Tom Pudelski moved that the meeting be adjourned. The motion was duty seconded by ~'\O Glenn :perry and c~rrie~ unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 11 :27 A.M. ~t~/; .:'".R~. espeCm~rUllY SUbml~ted. ~~, ' /:':', ',' . :U..tt; ...... . ." . ~~:~",: ' : H. Michael' Lau en !l!~,:.'; I Personnel Director and ~rJh:~,:, .::'Secrctary.Penslon Advisory Committee ,~~;.~:~': , '.~.',:', ' \11>~ .: ',l.. , I:' ~r. : ~';~~ ~:". . ~ ,". , ll".:!-' " I :.~ :. .~~.I: r. "F.," .>.~.:" \ . r:" I , I . ~ . . ,I \