06/08/2006
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PENSION ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
CITY OF CLEARWATER
June 8, 2006
Present:
Nathan Hightower
Tom Jensen
John Schmalzbauer
Hoyt P. Hamilton
Carlen Petersen
John Doran
Vice-Chair
Committee Member
Committee Member
Committee Member/Councilmember
Committee Member/Councilmember
Committee Member/Councilmember
Absent:
John Lee
Chair
Also Present:
Joe Roseto
Patricia O. Sullivan
Human Resources Director
Board Reporter
The Vice-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
Member Petersen moved to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of May 11,
2006, as submitted in written summation to each board member. The motion was duly
seconded and carried unanimously.
3 - Emplovees to be Heard - None.
4 - Action Items:
a. Review and Action on Employee Requests for Regular Pensions:
1. Laurel L. Schultz, Marine & Aviation
2. Gregory R. Olson, Public Utilities
3. Denise A. Wilson, City Manager
Member Schmalzbauer moved to approve the requests for regular pensions for Laurel L.
Schultz, Gregory R. Olson, and Denise A. Wilson. The motion was duly seconded and carried
unanimously.
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b. Review and Action on Employee Requests to Vest Pensions:
1. Jennifer Jo Skipper, Police
Jennifer Jo Skipper, Police, has resigned her position after being employed by the City
for more than 10 years. She will qualify to receive her reduced pension beginning January 1,
2016.
Member Schmalzbauer moved to recommend approval of the request by Jennifer Jo
Skipper to vest her pension. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
c. Review and Action on Employee Requests for Early Retirement Pensions:
1. Elizabeth A. Alvarez, Police
In response to a question, Human Resources Director Joe Roseto reported the monthly
benefit for Elizabeth A. Alvarez's early retirement pension will be several hundred dollars less
than the disability pension benefit previously paid to her.
Elizabeth Alvarez said she had not been notified about today's meeting and requested
that Item 4c1 be continued to July 20, 2006.
Mr. Roseto recommended approval of this routine item. Approval would convert Ms.
Alvarez's disability pension to an early retirement pension, as she had requested. Approval
does not waive other issues previously discussed by the committee. Ms. Alvarez objected to a
hearing today regarding issues related to the monthly difference between the two benefits. It
was stated Ms. Alvarez would be provided sufficient notice should the PAC (Pension Advisory
Committee) schedule a hearing regarding the overpayment.
Ms. Alvarez withdrew her request to continue Item 4c1.
Member Doran moved to approve the request for early retirement pension for Elizabeth
A. Alvarez. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
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d. Approval of New Hires as Plan Members:
As of May 19, 2006, the City had 1,821.76 FTEs out of 1,960.3 budgeted positions.
Member Petersen moved to accept the following employees into membership in the
Pension Plan:
Pension Eligible
Name. Job. Class. & Deot./Div.
Hire Date
Sheri Tully, Police Communications Operator Trainee/Police 05/01/06
Natalye Watts, Police Communications Operator Trne/Police 05/01/06
Gina Hulburt, Accounting Clerk! Finance 05/01/06
Christopher Lawrence, Public Services Tech. I/Public Services 05/01/06
Deborah Voigt, Custodial Worker, Library 05/01/06
EdwardTumber, Librarian I, Library 07/25/05
Sean Sizemore, Field Service Rep. 1/ Customer Service 05/15/06
Brody Burke, Public Services Technician I/Public Services 05/15/06
Evelyn Stevens, Public Utilities Coordinator/Public Utilities 05/15/06
Maria Del Pilar Jones Suarez, Information Technician I/Police 05/15/06
Marianne Gearhart, Building Insp. Tech/Dev & Nbrhd Services 05/15/06
Robert Dutton, Survey Assistant I/Engineering 05/15/06
John Fahey, Building Inspection Tech/Dev & Nbrhd Services 05/15/06
Date
05/01/06
05/01/06
05/01/06
05/01/06
05/01/06
04/29/06
05/15/06
05/15/06
05/15/06
05/15/06
05/15/06
05/15/06
05/15/06
Edward Tumber originally was hired as part-time on July 25, 2005; changed to full-time
and pension eligible as of April 29, 2006.
The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
5 - Pendinq/New Business
a. David Koscielniak, Job-connected Disability Hearing
Mr. Roseto reported that David Koscielniak's attorney had requested the item be
continued to a date uncertain.
Member Doran moved to continue the job-connected disability hearing for David
Koscielniak to a date uncertain. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
b. Edna Lee - Set Hearing Date for Job-connected Disability
Member Hamilton moved to schedule a job-connected disability hearing for Edna Lee on
August 10, 2006. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
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6 - Director's Report
Mr. Roseto reported the Pension Plan's actuary presented his annual report to the
Pension Trustees on May 30, 2006. A copy of the report was forwarded to each PAC member.
Mr. Roseto said scheduled for consideration by the Pension Trustees are the PAC
supported administration rule change requiring an annual verification of pensions and a request
for a sum not to exceed $25,000 for the Pension Plan attorney to rewrite the Pension
Ordinance, without changes, to make it clearer and easier to administer.
7 - Committee Members to be Heard
Member Jensen reminded committee members to submit financial disclosure forms.
Member Schmalzbauer reported an employee staffing concern. Mr. Roseto said more
than one Human Resource employee is trained to handle retirement issues.
Member Hiahtower requested information on City efforts to recoup the overpayment of
pension benefits to Ms. Alvarez. Mr. Roseto said after the Pension Trustees approve the
conversion of the benefit to an early retirement pension, staff will mail to Ms. Alvarez a letter
requesting reimbursement of overpaid benefits, which she did not qualify to receive since she
began working in January 2006 as a Pasco County Sheriff Deputy. Finance Director Margie
Simmons said the City will request Ms. Alvarez to sign a form allowing monthly deductions from
her pension until the overpayment is reimbursed.
Discussion ensued regarding the City's inability to recoup its money by garnishing future
pension payments without providing due process. An estimate was requested regarding the
cost of recouping the overpayment to Ms. Alvarez through the courts, if that should be
necessary. Staff will contact PAC Counsel to determine if the PAC could schedule a forfeiture
hearing on this issue.
It was recommended that the Pension ordinance be amended to include a procedure
that allows the City to recover overpayments.
Member Schmalzbauer reported he may be unable to attend the July PAC meeting due
to family health issues.
8 - Adiournment
The meeting adjourned at 9:25 a.m.
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Pension Advisory Committee
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