04/14/2016 Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes April 14, 2016
City of Clearwater
City Hall
112 S. Osceola Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33756
e
Meeting Minutes
Thursday, April 14, 2016
9:00 AM
Council Chambers - City Hall
Pension Advisory Committee
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City of Clearwater
Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes April 14, 2016
Roll Call
Present 6 - Chair Nathan Hightower, Vice Chair Tom Jensen, Board Member
Bill Jonson, Committee Member Hoyt Hamilton, Committee Member
Laura Damico, and Committee Member Greg Newland
Absent 1 — Committee Member Doreen Caudell
Also Present - Stuart Kaufman —Attorney for the Committee, Joe Roseto —
Human Resources Director, Patricia O. Sullivan — Board Reporter
1. Call To Order
The Chair called the meeting to order at 9:04 a.m. at City Hall.
2. Approval of Minutes
2.1 Approve minutes of March 10, 2016 Pension Advisory Committee meeting as
submitted in written summation.
Member Jonson moved to approve minutes of March 10, 2016 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 Recommend approval of the new hires for acceptance into the Pension Plan as listed.
Name, Job Classification, Department Pension Eligibility Date
Robert Waite *, Solid Waste Worker, Solid Waste 03/05/2016
Candace Tuetken, Police Comm. Operator Trainee, Police Department 03/07/2016
Christopher Damm, Water Distribution Operator Trainee, Public Utilities 03/07/2016
Tyler Jones, Water Distribution Operator Trainee, Public Utilities 03/07/2016
Nicholas Gossard, Customer Service Representative, Customer Service 03/07/2016
Jamie Thomas, Solid Waste Worker, Solid Waste 03/07/2016
Courtney Schultz **, Recreation Leader, Parks and Recreation 03/19/2016
Tonya Sandy, Customer Service Representative, Gas Department 03/21/2016
Valerie McHargue, Paralegal, Legal Department 03/21/2016
Daniel Castellano, Parks Service Technician I, Parks and Recreation 03/21/2016
Gregory Graff, Police Service Technician, Police Department 03/21/2016
Jada Grabis ***, Parking, Facility, and Security Aide, Marine and Aviation 03/19/2016
* Robert Waite was employed in a part-time position from 02/08/2016 to 03/04/2016. He was hired
into a full time full time position on 03/05/2016 and will be eligible for pension as of 03/05/2016.
** Courtney Schultz was a student intern from 07/01/2008 to 08/15/2008. She was hired into a full
time full time position on 03/19/2016 and will be eligible for pension as of 03/19/2016.
*** Jada Grabis was employed in a seasonal part-time position from 07/03/2008 to 11/16/2012,
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City of Clearwater
Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes April 14, 2016
and then a part time position from 03/23/2013 to 03/18/2016. She was hired into a full time
position on 03/19/2016 and will be eligible for pension as of 03/19/2016.
Member Damico moved to recommend approval of the new hires
for acceptance into the Pension Plan as listed. The motion was
duly seconded and carried unanimously.
4.2 Recommend approval of the following request of employee Brent Peters, Information
Technology Department to vest his pension as provided by Section 2.419 of the
Employees' Pension Plan.
Brent Peters, Senior Systems Programmer, Information Technology
Department, was employed by the City on May 20, 2002, and began
participating in the Pension Plan on that date. Mr. Peters terminated from
City employment on January 8, 2016.
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. Mr. Peters will meet the non-hazardous duty criteria and
begin collecting a pension in June 2022.
Member Jensen moved to recommend approval of the following
request of employee Brent Peters, Information Technology
Department to vest his pension as provided by Section 2.419 of the
Employees' Pension Plan. The motion was duly seconded and
carried unanimously.
4.3 Recommend approval of the following request of employees Dale Johnson, Public
Utilities Department, Terry Avery, Solid Waste General Services Department and
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City of Clearwater
Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes April 14, 2016
Russell Shawen, Engineering Department, for a regular pension as provided by
Sections 2.416 and 2.424 of the Employees' Pension Plan.
Dale Johnson, Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator A, Public Utilities
Department, was employed by the City on January 19, 1987, and his
pension service credit is effective on that date. His pension will be effective
May 1, 2016. Based on an average salary of approximately $71,663.09 over
the past five years, the formula for computing regular pensions and Mr.
Johnson's selection of the Life Annuity, this pension benefit will be
approximately $57,704.16 annually.
Terry Avery, Fleet Mechanic Supervisor, Solid Waste General Services
Department, was employed by the City on February 17, 1987, and his
pension service credit is effective on that date. His pension will be effective
May 1, 2016. Based on an average salary of approximately $68,037.87 over
the past five years, the formula for computing regular pensions and Mr.
Avery's selection of the Life Annuity with a 20% Partial Lump Sum payment,
this pension benefit will be approximately $43,711.68 annually.
Russell Shawen, Parking Operations Supervisor, Engineering
Department, was employed by the City on October 27, 1997, and his
pension service credit is effective on that date. His pension will be effective
April 1, 2016. Based on an average salary of approximately $40,635.22 over
the past five years, the formula for computing regular pensions and Mr.
Shawen's selection of the 100% Joint and Survivor Annuity, this pension
benefit will be approximately $17,403.24 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. Mr. Johnson, Mr. Avery and Mr. Shawen have met the
non-hazardous duty criteria.
Member Damico moved to recommend approval of the following
request of employees Dale Johnson, Public Utilities Department,
Terry Avery, Solid Waste General Services Department and Russell
Shawen, Engineering Department, for a regular pension as
provided by Sections 2.416 and 2.424 of the Employees' Pension
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City of Clearwater
Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes April 14, 2016
Plan. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
4.4 Continue Formal hearing for Matthew Anderson for job-connected disability pension
Discussion ensued regarding the item's title, which resulted in at least one
member not reviewing all file records because it seemed the item was
being continued. It was stated members had not been sent notices
of continuance as normally occurred for continued hearings. It was felt it
was important that all members reviewed new documents.
Member Newland moved to accept into evidence all documents
submitted to the file since November 12, 2015. The motion was duly
seconded and carried unanimously.
The Pension Advisory Committee recessed from 9:12 to 9:14 a.m.
Joseph A. Corsmeier, attorney for Matthew Anderson, requested the
formal hearing be continued to May 12, 2016 and that all 7 committee
members be present.
An apology was extended to the applicant and attorneys re confusion
related to the agenda item. It was noted informal hearings also were
scheduled in May.
Member Jonson moved to continue the formal hearing for Matthew
Anderson's request for a job-connected disability pension to May
12, 2016. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
4.5 Election of Officers
Member Jensen moved to reappoint Nathan Hightower as Chair.
The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
Member Newland moved to reappoint Tom Jensen as Vice-Chair.
The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
5. Old Business Item: None.
6. Director's Report: None.
7. Committee Members to be Heard
Member Jensen requested that Committee members be provided iPads
to review the high volume of documents and medical files for hearings.
Attorney for the Board Stuart Kaufman said iPads could access
information on file hosting service Dropbox. Discussion ensued re public
record retention requirements when meeting information was downloaded
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City of Clearwater
Pension Advisory Committee
8. Adjourn
Attest:
oard Rep
Meeting Minutes April 14, 2016
to personal electronic devices.
Finance Director Jay Ravins reviewed purchasing procedures. The
Information Technology Department could adjust employee computer
settings to download larger documents. Human Resources Director Joe
Roseto said Human Resources would provide documents to committee
members in the manner they preferred.
Support was expressed for the Committee adopting technology that
would allow members to review meeting documents without having to
use personal electronic devices. A preference was expressed for reviewing
documents on an iPad rather than searching through stacks of paper.
In response to Member Johnson's concern, it was stated notice of the
updated agenda had been emailed to members.
Member Johnson referenced expanded FRS (Florida Retirement
System) benefits for fallen law enforcement officers and first responders.
Concern was expressed the legislation was an unfunded mandate for
pension plans such as Clearwater's. Mr. Roseto said staff and the Pension
Plan Attorney had discussed options to amend the ordinance or purchase
life insurance. It was commented that every City employee killed in the line
of duty was worthy of receiving the same benefits as hazardous duty
employees.
Member Newland said on several occasions committee members were
not prepared for hearings. While committee members may be unaffected by
continuances, he said disability benefit applicants living without paychecks
faced ongoing financial pressures and uncertainty. He said committee
members owed applicants prompt attention to their requests and delaying
decisions was a grave disservice. Mr. Roseto said only active employees
collect paychecks throughout the disability application process. Committee
members were obligated to do their due diligence before making decisions.
The meeting adjourned at 9:48 a.m.
City of Clearwater
Chair
Pension Advisory Committee
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