09/11/2014 Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes September 11, 2014
City of Clearwater
City Hall
112 S. Osceola Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33756
e
Meeting Minutes
Thursday, September 11, 2014
9:00 AM
Council Chambers - City Hall
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City of Clearwater
Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes September 11, 2014
Pension Advisory Committee
Present: Chair Nathan Hightower, Vice-Chair Daniel Slaughter, Committee Member Tom Jensen,
Committee Member/Councilmember Doreen Hock-DiPolito, Committee Member/Councilmember
Hoyt Hamilton, Committee Member Laura Damico
Absent: Committee Member/Councilmember Bill Jonson
Also present: Joe Roseto — Human Resources Director, Nicole Sprague — ORLS Coordinator,
1. Call To Order
The Chair called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. at City Hall.
2. Approval of Minutes
2.1 Approve minutes of August 14, 2014 Pension Advisory Committee meeting as
submitted in written summation.
Member Hock-DiPolito moved to approve minutes of the August 14,
2014 Pension Advisory Committee meeting as submitted in written
summation. The motion was duly seconded and carried
unanimously.
3. Citizens to be Heard Regarding Items Not on the Agenda: None.
4. New Business Items
4.1 Approve the new hires for acceptance into the Pension Plan as listed.
Pension Name, Job. Class, & Dept./Div. Elig. Date
Stacie VanNostrand, Devel Review Tech I, Planning and Devel Dept. 07/28/2014
Patrick Shackton, Parks Service Technician I, Parks and Rec Dept 08/04/2014
James Pleasant, Recreation Leader, Parks & Recreation Department 08/09/2014
Kelly Callihan, Communications Operator, Police Department 08/11/2014
Tracy Garcia, Communications Operator Trainee, Police Department 08/11/2014
Gregory Seymour, Communications Operator, Police Department 08/11/2014
Kevin Kerrigan, Industrial Pretreatment Technician, Public Util Dept 08/11/2014
Sharon McAtee-Knight, Accounting Clerk, Finance Department 08/18/2014
Tina Burdo, Customer Service Representative, Customer Service Dept 08/25/2014
Paul Chouinard, Construction Inspector 2, Engineering Department 08/25/2014
Leigh Anne McLain, Service Dispatcher, Gas Department 08/25/2014
Christopher Brown, Gas Technician I, Gas Department 08/25/2014
Jhimmy Vargas-Salinas, Public Utilities Technician I, Public Util Dept 08/25/2014
Seth Eigenmann, Parks Service Technician I, Parks and Rec Dept 08/25/2014
Cedric Foster, Parks Service Technician I, Parks and Recreation Dept 08/25/2014
Member Jensen moved to recommend approval of the new hires for
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City of Clearwater
Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes September 11, 2014
acceptance into the Pension Plan as listed. The motion was duly
seconded and carried unanimously.
4.2 Approve the following request of employees Patricia Cooke, Police Department, Allen
Del Prete, Human Resources Department, Charles Kindred, Solid Waste General
Services Department, Karen Miles, Finance Department, and Tina Wilson, Office of
Management and Budget, for a regular pension as provided by Sections 2.416 and
2.424 of the Employees' Pension Plan.
Patricia Cooke, Police Office Specialist, Police Department, was employed
by the City on July 24, 1995 and her pension service credit is effective on that
date. Her pension will be effective October 1, 2014.
Based on an average salary of approximately $34,929.43 over the past five
years, the formula for computing regular pensions and Ms. Cooke's selection
of the Single Life Annuity, this pension benefit will be approximately $18,418.68
annually.
Allen Del Prete, Human Resources Manager, Human Resources
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 October 1,
2014.
Based on an average salary of approximately $74,987.60 over the past five
years, the formula for computing regular pensions and Mr. Del Prete's
selection of the 10-Year Certain and Life Annuity, this pension benefit will be
approximately $48,160.92 annually.
Charles Kindred, Fleet Mechanic, Solid Waste General Services
Department, was employed by the City on April 28, 1986 and his pension
service credit is effective on that date. His pension will be effective February 1,
2015.
Based on an average salary of approximately $61,922.36 over the past five
years, the formula for computing regular pensions and Mr. Kindred's selection
of the Single Life Annuity with a 10% Partial Lump Sum Distribution, this
pension benefit will be approximately $44,044.68 annually.
Karen Miles, Accounting Manager, Finance Department, was employed by
the City on September 22, 1986 and her pension service credit is effective on
that date. Her pension will be effective October 1, 2014.
Based on an average salary of approximately $81,443.29 over the past five
years, the formula for computing regular pensions and Ms. Miles' selection of
the Single Life Annuity, this pension benefit will be approximately $63,540.60
annually.
Tina Wilson, Budget Director, Office of Management and Budget, was
employed by the City on September 10, 1984 and her pension service credit is
effective on that date. Her pension will be effective October 1, 2014.
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Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes September 11, 2014
Based on an average salary of approximately $108,851.94 over the past five
years, the formula for computing regular pensions and Ms. Wilson's selection
of the Single Life Annuity, this pension benefit will be approximately $89,886
annually.
Section 2.416 provides for normal retirement eligibility for non-hazardous duty
employees hired prior to the effective date of this reinstatement (1/1/13), a
member shall be eligible for retirement following the earlier of the date on
which a participant has reached the age of fifty-five (55) years and completed
twenty (20) years of credited service; the date on which a participant has
reached age sixty-five (65) years and completed ten (10) years of credited
service; or the date on which a member has completed thirty (30) years of
service regardless of age. For non-hazardous duty employees hired on or
after the effective date of this restatement, a member shall be eligible for
retirement following the earlier of the date on which a participant has reached
the age of sixty (60) years and completed twenty-five (25) years of credited
service; or the date on which a participant has reached the age of sixty-five
(65) years and completed ten (10) years of credited service. Ms. Cooke, Mr.
Del Prete, Mr. Kindred, Ms. Miles and Ms. Wilson have met the non-hazardous
duty criteria.
Section 2.416 provides for normal retirement eligibility for hazardous duty
employees, a member shall be eligible for retirement following the earlier of the
date on which the participant has completed twenty (20) years of credited
service regardless of age, or the date on which the participant has reached
fifty-five (55) years and completed ten (10) years of credited service.
Member Slaughter moved to recommend approval of the following
request of employees Patricia Cooke, Police Department, Allen Del
Prete, Human Resources Department, Charles Kindred, Solid
Waste General Services Department, Karen Miles, Finance
Department, and Tina Wilson, Office of Management and Budget,
for a regular pension as provided by Sections 2.416 and 2.424 of
the Employees' Pension Plan.
4.3 Recommend approval of the following request of employees Nancy Oakley, Parks and
Recreation Department, Samuel Taylor, Police Department and David Weitzel, Parks
and Recreation Department, to vest their pensions as provided by Section 2.419 of
the Employees' Pension Plan.
Nancy Oakley, Accountant, Parks and Recreation Department, was
employed by the City on May 3, 2004, and began participating in the Pension
Plan on that date. Ms. Oakley terminated from City employment on August 9,
2014.
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City of Clearwater
Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes September 11, 2014
Samuel Taylor, Senior Communications Operator, Police Department, was
employed by the City on January 12, 2004 and began participating in the
Pension Plan on that date. Mr. Taylor terminated from City employment on
August 23, 2014.
David Weitzel, Recreation Program Support Technician, Parks and
Recreation Department, was employed by the City on January 3, 2000 and
began participating in the Pension Plan on that date. Mr. Weitzel will terminate
from City employment on October 25, 2014.
The Employees' Pension Plan provides that should an employee cease to be
an employee of the City of Clearwater or change status from full-time to
part-time after completing ten or more years of creditable service (pension
participation), such employee shall acquire a vested interest in the retirement
benefits. Vested pension payments commence on the first of the month
following the month in which the employee normally would have been eligible
for retirement.
Section 2.416 provides for normal retirement eligibility for non-hazardous duty
employees hired prior to the effective date of this reinstatement (1/1/13), a
member shall be eligible for retirement following the earlier of the date on
which a participant has reached the age of fifty-five (55) years and completed
twenty (20) years of credited service; the date on which a participant has
reached age sixty-five (65) years and completed ten (10) years of credited
service; or the date on which a member has completed thirty (30) years of
service regardless of age. For non-hazardous duty employees hired on or
after the effective date of this restatement, a member shall be eligible for
retirement following the earlier of the date on which a participant has reached
the age of sixty (60) years and completed twenty-five (25) years of credited
service; or the date on which a participant has reached the age of sixty-five
(65) years and completed ten (10) years of credited service. Ms. Oakley, Mr.
Taylor and Mr. Weitzel will meet the non-hazardous duty criteria and begin
collecting pensions in December 2023, February 2034 and November 2017,
respectively.
Section 2.416 provides for normal retirement eligibility for hazardous duty
employees, a member shall be eligible for retirement following the earlier of the
date on which the participant has completed twenty (20) years of credited
service regardless of age, or the date on which the participant has reached
fifty-five (55) years and completed ten (10) years of credited service.
Member Slaughter moved to recommend approval of the following
request of employees Nancy Oakley, Parks and Recreation
Department, Samuel Taylor, Police Department and David Weitzel,
Parks and Recreation Department, to vest their pensions as
provided by Section 2.419 of the Employees' Pension Plan.
4.4 Set hearing date for Linda Leaghty for non-job-connected disability pension
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City of Clearwater
Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes September 11, 2014
Set date for formal hearing for non-job-connected disability request. Request
for job-connected disability pension not granted during August 14, 2014
meeting.
Human Resources Director Joe Roseto said there was a formal
job-connected disability hearing at the August Pension Advisory
Committee meeting for Linda Leaghty. The Committee determined
that Ms. Leaghty's disability was not job-connected. He said Ms.
Leaghty has reapplied for a non job-connected disability. He
reviewed the Committee's options regarding hearing procedures.
There was consensus to set a formal hearing for the October
meeting. Mr. Roseto said the attorney for the Committee will be
available in October.
Member Hock-DiPolito moved to set a formal hearing. The motion
was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
5. Director's Report
6. Committee Members to be Heard
Member Laura Damico distributed an outline of items she would
like to address with employees. She said she wanted the
committee to be aware of her plan. Included in the handout was a
report of the number of pension eligible participants and the voting
turnout statistics.
Discussion ensued with comment being made that Member Damico
is new to the Committee and should spend at least three to six
months on the Committee to get a better feel for the Committee's
responsibilities before going out and speaking with employees. It
was commented that all members of the Committee represent all
employees, and there were topics in the outline that were outside
the purview of the Committee.
Mr. Roseto explained that if the Committee wanted to change the
make-up of the members, the issue would have to go to
referendum.
Member Damico said her intent was to share knowledge that she
felt was not available to the participants. It was commented that all
documentation related to the Pension Plan are online and easily
accessible for those who want to read it, including the actuary and
investment reports. Each participant receives information during
their employee orientation and they receive an Annual Statement of
Pension Benefits. It was mentioned that the Florida Pubic Pension
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Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
7. Adjourn
Trustees Association was holding training in October.
The meeting adjourned at 9:35 a.
City of Clearwater
September 11, 2014
Chair
Pension Advisory Committee
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