12/13/2011
TRUSTEES OF THE EMPLOYEES’ PENSION FUND MEETING MINUTES
CITY OF CLEARWATER
December 13, 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 8:52 a.m. at City Hall.
2. Approval of Minutes
2.1 Approve the minutes of the October 31, 2011 Pension Trustees Meeting as
submitted in written summation by the City Clerk.
Trustee George N. Cretekos moved to approve the minutes of the October 31, 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 the new hires for acceptance into the Pension Plan as listed.
Pension
Name, Job. Class, & Dept./Div . Hire Date Elig. Date
Gordon McTaggart, Police Communication Oper./Police 3/27/10 9/24/11 *
Michael Andrews, Custodial Worker/Library 4/4/11 9/24/11 **
Priscilla Murphy, Accounting Clerk/Marine & Aviation 9/26/11 9/26/11
Thaaer Altalagani, Public Utilities Tech. I/Public Utilities 9/26/11 9/26/11
Raymond Kader, Field Service Rep./Customer Service 9/26/11 9/26/11
Pension Trustees 2011-12-13 1
Elvin Carmona, Solid Waste/Solid Waste/Gen Ser. 9/26/11 9/26/11
Jennifer Shannon, Professional Engineer/Engineering 9/26/11 9/26/11
Carol Anding, WWTP Operator A/Public Utilities 5/31/03 10/10/11***
Annejolina Darsey, Police Aide/Police 2/27/10 10/8/11 ****
Shannon Kasparek, Police Officer/Police 10/10/11 10/10/11
Mercedes Bleattler, Librarian II/Library 10/10/11 10/10/11
Kelly Brinkman, Police Officer/Police 10/10/11 10/10/11
Jarrett Busa, Police Officer/Police 10/10/11 10/10/11
Lee Curtis, Police Officer/Police 10/10/11 10/10/11
Kurt Hentschel, Police Officer/Police 10/10/11 10/10/11
Christopher Kakalow, Police Officer/Police 10/10/11 10/10/11
Guy Tellier, Parks Service Technician I/Parks & Rec. 10/24/11 10/24/11
*resigned 8/15/11; rescinded resignation and pension eligible as of 9/24/11; hire date
adjusted by days gone
**originally hired 4/4/11 as permanent part-time; made full-time and pension eligible as of
9/24/11
***originally employed 5/31/03; resigned 5/26/11; rescinded resignation, rehired, and
pension eligible as of 10/10/11
****originally hired as part-time on 2/27/10; status changed to full-time and pension
eligible as of 10/8/11
Trustee Paul Gibson moved to approve the new hires for acceptance into the Pension
Plan as listed. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
3.2 Approve the request of employee Manuel Pe, Public Utilities Department; Ted
Dorman, Gas Department; Anthony Fanelli, Solid Waste/General Services
Department; John Oswald, Gas Department, and James Stephens, Public
Utilities Department, for a regular pension as provided by Sections 2.397 and
2.398 of the Employees Pension Plan.
Manuel Pe, Senior Utilities Chemist, Public Utilities Department, was employed
by the City on February 25, 1991, and his pension service credit is effective on
that date. His pension will be effective November 1, 2011. Based on an average
salary of approximately $59,084 per year over the past five years, the formula for
computing regular pensions, and Mr. Pe’s selection of the 100% Joint and
Survivor Annuity, this pension will approximate $32,8845 annually.
Ted Dorman, Gas Technician II, Gas Department, was employed by the City on
June 2, 1986, and his pension service credit is effective on that date. His pension
will be effective November 1, 2011. Based on an average salary of approximately
Pension Trustees 2011-12-13 2
$44,681 per year over the past five years, the formula for computing regular
pensions, and Mr. Dorman’s selection of the Joint and Survivor Annuity, this
pension will approximate $31,217 annually.
Anthony Fanelli, Welder, General Services/Solid Waste Department, was
employed by the City on February 11, 1991, and his pension service credit is
effective on that date. His pension will be effective February 1, 2012. Based on
an average salary of approximately $45,594 per year over the past five years, the
formula for computing regular pensions, and Mr. Fanelli’s selection of the Joint
and Survivor Annuity, this pension will approximate $26,296 annually.
John Oswald, Gas Technician III, Gas Department, was employed by the City on
November 11, 1974, and his pension service credit is effective on December 7,
1987. His pension will be effective January 1, 2012. Based on an average salary
of approximately $49,282 per year over the past five years, the formula for
computing regular pensions, and Mr. Oswald’s selection of the 100% Joint and
Survivor Annuity, this pension will approximate $32,363 annually.
James Stephens, Public Services Trainer, Public Utilities Department, was
employed by the City on December 22, 1980, and his pension service credit is
effective on February 8, 1982. His pension will be effective March 1, 2012. Based
on an average salary of approximately $53,004 per year over the past five years,
the formula for computing regular pensions, and Mr. Stephens’ selection of the
100% Joint and Survivor Annuity, this pension will approximate $43,037 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. Mr. Pe, Mr. Dorman, Mr. Fanelli, and Mr. Oswald qualify
under the age 55 and 20 years of service criteria. Mr. Stephens qualifies under
the 30 years of service criteria.
Trustee Bill Jonson moved to approve the request of employee Manuel Pe, Public
Utilities Department; Ted Dorman, Gas Department; Anthony Fanelli, Solid
Waste/General Services Department; John Oswald, Gas Department, and James
Stephens, Public Utilities 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 Approve the termination of Wellington Management as an emerging markets
money manager for the pension plan; approve the transfer of the terminated
manager funds to Eaton Vance, the plans other emerging markets money
manager; and approve a new target range of 5% to 8% for emerging market
securities.
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Approve the termination of Wellington Management as an emerging markets
money manager for the pension plan; approve the transfer of the terminated
manager funds to Eaton Vance, the plan’s other emerging markets money
manager; and approve a new target range of 5% to 8% for emerging market
securities.
The Pension Investment Committee is recommending the termination of
Wellington Management on the basis of poor performance. The emerging market
performance results as of September 30, 2011, are as follows:
9/30/11
9/30/11 YTD 2010 2009
Wellington -24.39% 15.99% 74.44%
Eaton Vance -21.00 23.00 67.01
MSCI Emerging Mkts -21.66 19.19 79.02
The most recent asset allocation study, approved by the Trustees on December
14, 2009, included a target allocation to emerging markets of 3%. This was based
on industry standards and a comprehensive asset allocation study of the
correlation and risk/return characteristics of the various plan asset categories.
The Pension Investment Policy has a range for total international investments
(including emerging markets) of 10% to 25%.
The Pension Investment Committee and Cap Trust, the plan’s performance
measurement consultant, concur that a 3% allocation to emerging markets could
be increased to take advantage of current market conditions, without adding
significant risk to the plan. A target allocation range of 5% to 8% is recommended.
If approved, the plan assets will be reallocated during the normal rebalancing
process so that the pension plan investment portfolio will have no less that 5%, or
more than 8%, exposure to emerging markets.
Cap Trust and staff are available to answer any questions the Trustees have.
In response to questions, Cash and Investments Manager Steve Moskun said the
emerging and regular domestic managers did extremely well in October. The emerging
markets are more volatile but the industry believes the emerging markets will out-
Pension Trustees 2011-12-13 4
perform other asset classes over the years. Mr. Moskun said Eaton Vance is managing
3.98% of the city’s total portfolio.
Staff was directed, in the future, to provide the trustees a more in-depth report regarding
the managers.
Trustee John Doran moved to Approve the termination of Wellington Management as
an emerging markets money manager for the pension plan; approve the transfer of the
terminated manager funds to Eaton Vance, the plans other emerging markets money
manager; and approve a new target range of 5% to 8% for emerging market securities.
The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
3.4 Approve contracts with the law firms of Kessler Topaz Melzer and Cheek, LLP
and Saxena White P.A. to provide monitoring of securities in the pension plan
investment portfolio in connection with claims for damages against such
persons, entities, companies or associations who may be liable for damages
suffered by the pension plan, at no cost to the plan and authorize the appropriate
officials to execute same.
The plan's custodian, Northern Trust, and city staff currently monitor the portfolio
for claims for damages and process related claim forms. The pension plan's
attorneys, Klausner, Kaufman, Jensen and Levinson, have recommended that the
plan hire legal firms that specialize in this area. Cap Trust, the plan's performance
measurement consultant, and the City issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ)
for pension monitoring services. Bases on the responses to the RFQ the following
three firms were chosen for interviews:
Kessler Topaz Melzer and Cheek, LLP
Saxena White P.A.
Pomerantz Haudek Grossman and Gross LLP
The Pension Investment Committee is recommending the plan hire Kessler Topaz
Melzer and Cheek, LLP, to be the primary claims processer as well as provide
portfolio monitoring services. The Pension Investment Committee also
recommends that Saxena White P.A. be hired to provide portfolio monitoring. It is
very common for pension plans to have multiple law firms in this role. Both of the
firms think very highly of each other and believe two firms working on portfolio
monitoring is in the plan's best interests.
Both of the legal firms provide this service at no cost to the plan. During the
course of monitoring the portfolio, if either of the firms decides a situation warrants
legal action they will bring that recommendation to staff. If staff feels a situation
warrants legal action, a separate written retainer will be negotiated with the law
firm based on the particular facts in the case in question. This will then be
Pension Trustees 2011-12-13 5
brought to the Pension Trustees for their approval. The plan will incur no cost
without the prior approval of the Trustees.
Trustee George N. Cretekos moved to approve contracts with the law firms of Kessler
Topaz Melzer and Cheek, LLP and Saxena White P.A. to provide monitoring of
securities in the pension plan investment portfolio in connection with claims for
damages against such persons, entities, companies or associations who may be liable
for damages suffered by the pension plan, at no cost to the plan and authorize the
appropriate officials to execute same. The motion was duly seconded and carried
unanimously.
3.5 Approve changes to the City of Clearwater Employees Pension Plan investment
policy to add real estate as a separate category under Authorized Investments;
to update investment benchmark names; and to make grammatical corrections
and other minor changes to make the policy easier to understand.
The Pension Plan Investment Policy requires an annual review of the policy by
the Pension Investment Committee, with a recommendation to revise or confirm to
the Pension Trustees.
The most significant change to the policy per the annual review is the addition of
Real Estate as a separate asset class under Authorized Investments. Previously
real estate was allowed under alternative Investments. The names of two
performance benchmarks have been updated. The Lehman Brothers Aggregate
Bond Index has been renamed to the Barclay's Capital Aggregate Index. The
Morgan Stanley International EAFE Index has been renamed to the MSCI EAFE
Index.
Additions have been highlighted in yellow and deletions are marked as a strike
through. Grammatical changes and changes to make the document easier to
understand have also been made.
In response to a question, Cash and Investments Manager Steve Moskun said
emerging markets is a sub-class of International Equity. The City does not have any
managers practicing derivatives or short selling, which would require Trustee approval.
It was suggested that staff define the sub-asset classes for International Equity.
Trustee John Doran moved to approve Item 3.5 as amended. The motion was duly
seconded and carried unanimously.
4. Other Business – None.
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5. Adjourn
The meeting was adjourned at 9:11 a.m.
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Pension Trustees 2011-12-13 7