04/18/2011
TRUSTEES OF THE EMPLOYEES' PENSION FUND MEETING MINUTES
CITY OF CLEARWATER
April 18, 2011
Present: Chair/Trustee Frank Hibbard, Trustee George N. Cretekos, Trustee
John Doran, Trustee Paul Gibson, and Trustee Bill Jonson.
Also Present: William B. Horne II - City Manager, Jill S. Silverboard - Assistant City
Manager, Rod Irwin - Assistant City Manager, Pamela K. Akin - City
Attorney, Rosemarie Call - City Clerk, and Nicole Sprague – Official
Records and Legislative Services Coordinator.
To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not
necessarily discussed in that order.
1. Call to Order – Chair Frank Hibbard
The meeting was called to order at 9:10 a.m. at City Hall.
2. Approval of Minutes
2.1 Approve the minutes of the March 15, 2011 Pension Trustees meeting as
submitted in written summation by the City Clerk.
Trustee Bill Jonson moved to approve the minutes of the March 15, 2011 Pension
Trustees meeting as submitted in written summation by the City Clerk. The motion was
duly seconded and carried unanimously.
3. Pension Trustee Items
3.1 Approve new hires for acceptance in the Pension Plan as listed.
Pension
Name, Job. Class, & Dept./Div Hire Date Elig. Date
David Pritchett, SCBA Maintenance Tech./Fire 2/14/11 2/14/11
Christopher Perrin, SWEquip. Oper/Solid Waste/Gen Ser. 2/14/11 2/14/11
Ricky Taylor, WWTP Operator Trainee/Public Utilities 2/14/11 2/14/11
Jean Louis, Sr. Systems Programmer/Information Tech. 2/14/11 2/14/11
Norton McGiffin, Parking Enforcement Specialist/Eng. 7/17/10 2/14/11 *
Julianne Maran, Parking Enforcement Specialist/Eng. 2/14/11 2/14/11
Pension Trustees 2011-04-18 1
Richard Chapman, Network Analyst/Information Tech. 1/31/11 1/31/11
Amelia Adams, Accounting Clerk/Finance 1/31/11 1/31/11
*originally hired as part-time on 7/17/10; status changed to full-time and pension
eligible as of 2/14/11
Trustee John Doran moved to approve new hires for acceptance in the Pension Plan as
listed. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
3.2 Approve the request of employee Elizabeth Garrett, Parks & Recreation
Department, for a regular pension as provided by Sections 2.397 and 2.398 of
the Employees Pension Plan.
Elizabeth Garrett, Recreation Leader, II, Parks and Recreation Department, was
employed by the City on September 24, 1976, and her pension service credit is
effective on July 2, 1991. Her pension will be effective July 1, 2011.
Based on an average salary of approximately $37,765 per year over the past five
years, the formula for computing regular pensions, and Ms. Garrett's selection of
the Joint and Survivor Annuity, this pension will approximate $20,771 annually.
Section 2.397 provides for normal retirement eligibility when a participant has
completed thirty years of credited service, has reached age 55 and completed
twenty years of credited service, or has reached age 65 and completed ten years
of credited service. Ms. Garrett qualifies under the age 65 and ten years of service
criteria.
Trustee George N. Cretekos moved to approve the request of employee Elizabeth
Garrett, Parks & Recreation Department, for a regular pension as provided by Sections
2.397 and 2.398 of the Employees Pension Plan. The motion was duly seconded and
carried unanimously.
3.3 Review of the Employees Pension Plan investment performance for the year
ended December 31, 2010.
This is the annual presentation on the investment performance of the Employees'
Pension Plan for calendar and plan year ending December 31, 2010.
For the last calendar year, the plan had a return of 17.73% versus a benchmark of
13.96%. This is an excess return of 3.77% over the benchmark and an excess
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return of 5.53% over the median public pension plan, placing the plan in the 3rd
percentile of public pension plans per the Wilshire Public Plan Sponsor Universe.
For the last three calendar years, the plan has a return of 3.79% versus a
benchmark of 1.24%. This is an excess return of 2.55% and placed the plan in the
top 9th percentile of pension plan performance for public plans.
Calendar year 2010 money manager changes included the hiring of Multi
Employer Property Trust (MEPT) as a private real estate manager. Also,
Riverbridge Partners was hired to replace Lee Munder Capital Group as a small
cap equity manager, which terminates the investment vehicle we were utilizing.
All of the current managers in the pension plan have performed as expected.
Only one manager, Wellington Management, an international equity manager,
failed to beat its benchmark and underperformed the midpoint of its peer group.
The financial industry has changed dramatically over the past decade. The
pension plan has adapted and changed accordingly. The average length of
service of our current managers is just over five years. The plan has utilized the
services of one manager, ING, for over twenty-three years. All of the other
managers have been with the plan less than ten years, with most less than five
years.
The recently completed asset allocation study is being implemented. The two
timber managers have been hired and the plan is awaiting the funding notices.
The hedge fund of funds search is underway and should be presented to the
Trustees sometime this summer.
Trustee Paul Gibson moved to accept the Employees Pension Plan investment
performance for the year ended December 31, 2010. The motion was duly seconded
and carried unanimously.
3.4 Approve the recommended administrative expenditures budget for Fiscal Year
2011-12, totaling $335,500.
The Employees' Pension Plan does not have a legal requirement to have a
budget. The Trustees must approve all expenditures. The following are routine
expenditures that staff is requesting approval for the sake of efficiency.
Printing and binding is for the statutorily required annual information distribution to
the members of the pension plan. Postage is required mailings.
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Membership dues are for the annual dues for the Florida Public Pension Trust
Association. Training and travel are for the estimated costs of training required by
state statute. This is a not-to-exceed amount since we do not know which
Trustees and Pension Advisory Committee members will elect to attend
conferences. The total paid for training and travel for Fiscal Year 2010 was $3,136
and for Fiscal Year 2011 year to date (YTD) is $576. Reimbursement to the
General Fund is for the cost of the oversight of the Plan and is recognized as
revenue to the General Fund. This reimbursement covers the services provided
by Human Resources, Payroll, and Finance.
Klausner and Kaufman is the Plan's pension attorney firm. Annual attorney's fees
also include medical bills that are for the medical services authorized by the
Pension Advisory Committee. Total paid in Fiscal Year 2010 was $71,942 and
Fiscal Year 2011 YTD is $60,166.At this time, staff is budgeting for a Referendum
next year. This referendum is for proposed changes to the pension plan.
Money manager, safekeeping, actuary, and pension administration fees are all set
by contracts approved by the Trustees and are not included in this budget.
Trustee Bill Jonson moved to approve the recommended administrative expenditures
budget for Fiscal Year 2011-12, totaling $335,500. The motion was duly seconded and
carried unanimously.
4. Other Business - None.
Ad ourn
The meeting was adjourned at 9:16 a.m.
Attest
City Clerk
Pension Trustees 2011-04-18
Chair
Employee's Pension Plan Trustees
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