04/13/2006
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PENSION ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
CITY OF CLEARWATER
April 13, 2006
Present:
Chair
Vice-Chair
Committee Member
Committee Member
Committee Member/Councilmember
Committee Member/Councilmember
Committee Member/Councilmember
John Lee
Nathan Hightower
Tom Jensen
John Schmalzbauer
Hoyt P. Hamilton
Carlen Petersen
John Doran
Also Present:
Joe Roseto
Brenda Moses
Human Resources Director
Board Reporter
The Chair called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. at City Hall.
To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not
necessarily discussed in that order.
2 - Approval of Minutes of March 9. 2006
Member Hightower moved to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of March 9,
2006, as corrected: page 3, Item 6a, sentence one to read "Member Hightower.. ."; page 4,
paragraph four, sentence three to read "Members Lee, Schmalzbauer, .. ."; page 4, sentence
four to read "Member Hightower abstained."; and page 4, Item 8, paragraph two, sentence 3, to
read "...benefits the day they vest, ..." The motion was duly seconded and carried
unanimously.
3 - Emplovees to be Heard - None.
4 - Action Items
a. Review & Action on Employee Requests for Regular Pensions
1. Gregory Holding, Fire
2. Andrea Rainey, Police
3. Raymond Jung, Police
Member Schmalzbauer moved to approve the requests for regular pensions for Gregory
Holding, Andrea Rainey, and Raymond Jung. The motion was duly seconded and carried
unanimously.
b. Review & Action on Employee Requests to Vest Pensions - None.
c. Approval of New hires as Plan Members:
As of March 29, 2006, the City had 1823.01 FTEs out of 1899.2 budgeted positions.
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Member Petersen moved to accept the following employees into membership in the
Pension Plan:
Name. Job. Class. & Deot./Div.
Hire Date
Catherine Boyer, Parking Enforcement Specialist/Engineering 3/6/06
Heather Petsch, Senior Staff Assistant/Police 3/6/06
Sean Becker, Fire Medic/Fire 3/6/06
Dana Clayton, Fire Medic/Fire 3/6/06
Justin Dilkes Barnett, Fire Medic/Fire 3/6/06
Adam Mittler, Fire Medic/Fire 3/6/06
Michelle A. Moore, Fire Medic/Fire 3/6/06
Jason Rath, Fire Medic/Fire 3/6/06
Lauren Tarsi, Public Info. Specialist/Public Communications 3/6/06
Nori Basco, Solid Waste Worker/Solid Waste 2/6/06
Jarvis McCree, Courier/Public Communications 3/20/06
Dustin Dean, Solid Waste Worker/Solid Waste 2/6/06
Pension
Elig.
Date
3/6/06
3/6/06
3/6/06
3/6/06
3/6/06
3/6/06
3/6/06
3/6/06
3/6/06
3/6/06
3/20/06
3/20/06
Nori Basco was originally hired as temporary; status changed to permanent and pension
eligible as of March 6, 2006.
Dustin Dean was originally hired as temporary; status changed to permanent and pension
eligible as of March 20, 2006.
The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
5 - Pendinq/New Business
a. Gregory Zinge - Hearing for Job-connected Disability
Human Resources Director Joe Roseto said Gregory Zinge was a firefighter for the City.
The City has determined that Mr. Zinge is totally disabled from performing the duties of a
firefighter and is permanently disabled. None of the exclusionary factorS! applies.
Member Hightower moved to accept into evidence the entire file, inclusive of the
personnel file, interrogatories, medical records, and the IME (Independent Medical Exam). The
motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
Mr. Roseto reported the City is not contesting the application.
Member Jensen moved that Gregory Zinge is disabled due to a job-connected sickness
or injury, such disability is likely to be continuous and permanent from a cause other than those
listed as general disability exclusions, and such disability renders the participant unable to
perform any useful, meaningful, and necessary work for the employee in an available position
for which the participant is reasonably qualified or for which the participant may be reasonably
trained to perform. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
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6 - Director's Reports
Mr. Roseto reported a non-job-connected disability awarded to a former police officer will
come before the PAC (Pension Advisory Committee). He reviewed procedures for disability
benefit recipients who become employed by another municipality in the same position they held
with the City. He will discuss with the PAC attorney costs to streamline and clarify disability
procedures and to rewrite the entire Pension ordinance to make it more understandable and
less ambiguous. He also will present a proposal to the Trustees regarding the costs, as the
rewrite would require their approval. Suggested changes would need to be approved by
bargaining units.
Discussion ensued with a suggestion that the City invest in software that reviews
databases and can determine if disability benefit recipients are employed by other
municipalities. Mr. Roseto reported discussing disability criteria with legal staff to determine if
employees who do more physically challenging work should receive higher disability benefits
than those in professional positions. The City always determines if any useful, meaningful, and
necessary work is available for disabled employees. It was felt it is in the best interests of all
pension members if the system is not abused. Mr. Roseto will provide PAC members with a
copy of form letters sent to disability benefit recipients. Annual physical examinations are not
required for disability benefit recipients. In response to a question, Mr. Roseto will review the
ordinance to see if employees who make false statements regarding their medical status face
legal consequences.
7 - Committee Members to be Heard
Member Petersen wished all Happy Holidays.
Other
Finance Director Margie Simmons said she had received a list of questions from the
City's actuary. Staff plans to bring the final actuary report to the PAC and Trustees in the next
month or two.
Adiournment
The meeting adjourned at 9:28 a.m. 6)
0~hair
Pension Advisory Committee
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