04/13/2017 Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes April 13, 2017
City of Clearwater
City Hall
112 S. Osceola Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33756
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Meeting Minutes
Thursday, April 13, 2017
9:00 AM
Council Chambers - City Hall
Pension Advisory Committee
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City of Clearwater
Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes April 13, 2017
Roll Call
Present 7 - Chair Nathan Hightower, Vice Chair Tom Jensen, Committee Member
Bill Jonson, Committee Member Hoyt Hamilton, Committee Member
Greg Newland, Committee Member Bob Cundiff, and Committee
Member Diane Devol
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 March 9, 2017 Pension Advisory Committee meeting as submitted
in written summation.
Member Jensen moved to approve minutes of March 9, 2017
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
Angela Campagna, Accounting Clerk, General Services 02/27/2017
Emily Wallace, Recreation Specialist, Parks and Recreation 03/04/2017
Stephen Dellavolpe, Parking Enforcement Specialist, Engineering 03/06/2017
Jessica Kessler, Engineering Specialist III, Engineering 03/06/2017
Floyd Paul Eggleston, Fleet Mechanic, General Services 03/06/2017
Ernest Benton, Parks Streets & Sidewalks Tech I, Parks and Recreation 03/06/2017
Brenda Fontane-Villamil, Customer Svc Rep, Planning and Development 03/06/2017
Heather Klinefelter, Personnel / Payroll Technician, Public Utilities 03/06/2017
Joseph Haddad, Electronics Technician, Public Utilities 03/20/2017
Scott Holtz, Traffic Sign and Marking Technician, Engineering 03/20/2017
Rafael Castellon, Licensed Electrician, General Services 03/20/2017
Randy Taber, Police Communications Operator Trainee, Police 03/20/2017
Monica Heredia, Police Communications Operator Trainee, Police 03/20/2017
Kerry Martin, Police Communications Operator Trainee, Police 03/20/2017
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City of Clearwater
Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes April 13, 2017
Member Newland 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 Thomas Leonard, Marine
and Aviation Department, to vest his pension as provided by Section 2.419 of the
Employees' Pension Plan.
Thomas Leonard, Marine Facility Operator, Marine and Aviation
Department, was employed by the City on March 31, 2007, and began
participating in the Pension Plan on that date. Mr. Leonard terminated from
City employment on March 31, 2017.
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. Leonard will
meet the non-hazardous duty criteria and begin collecting a pension in
September 2018.
Human Resources Director Joe Roseto said Robert Ackerman withdrew
his resignation.
Member Devol moved to recommend approval of the following
request of employee Thomas Leonard, Marine and Aviation
Department, to vest his pension as provided by Section 2.419 of the
Employees' Pension Plan. The motion was duly seconded and
carried unanimously.
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City of Clearwater
Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes April 13, 2017
4.3 Recommend approval of the following request of employees Cameron Hill, Fire
Department, Benjamin McBride, Police Department, Kelly O'Brien, Engineering
Department and William Wargin, Fire Department for a regular pension as provided by
Sections 2.416 and 2.424 of the Employees' Pension Plan.
Cameron Hill, Firefighter, Fire Department, was employed by the City on
October 14, 1996, and his pension service credit is effective on that date. His
pension will be effective April 1, 2017. Based on an average salary of
approximately $60,084.17 over the past five years, the formula for computing
regular pensions and Mr. Hill's selection of the 100% Joint and Survivor
Annuity, this pension benefit will be approximately $32,880.12 annually.
Benjamin McBride, Police Lieutenant, Police Department, was employed
by the City on August 12, 1985, and his pension service credit is effective on
that date. His pension will be effective April 1, 2017. Based on an average
salary of approximately $111,052.80 over the past five years, the formula for
computing regular pensions and Mr. McBride's selection of the 100% Joint
and Survivor Annuity, this pension benefit will be approximately $94,219.44
annually.
Kelly O'Brien, Engineering Specialist III, Engineering Department, was
employed by the City on September 23, 1985, and his pension service credit
is effective on April 22, 1986. His pension will be effective April 1, 2017.
Based on an average salary of approximately $74,274.82 over the past five
years, the formula for computing regular pensions and Mr. O'Brien's selection
of the Life Annuity, this pension benefit will be approximately $63,200.16
annually.
William Wargin, Fire Lieutenant, Fire Department, was employed by the
City on March 3, 1997, and his pension service credit is effective on that date.
His pension will be effective April 1, 2017. Based on an average salary of
approximately $78,460.55 over the past five years, the formula for computing
regular pensions and Mr. Wargin's selection of the Life Annuity, this pension
benefit will be approximately $43,442.64 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
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City of Clearwater
Pension Advisory Committee
Meeting Minutes April 13, 2017
(65) years and completed ten (10) years of credited service. Mr. O'Brien has
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. Mr. Hill,
Mr. McBride and Mr. Wargin have met the hazardous duty criteria.
Member Hamilton moved to recommend approval of the following
request of employees Cameron Hill, Fire Department, Benjamin
McBride, Police Department, Kelly O'Brien, Engineering
Department and William Wargin, Fire Department for a regular
pension as provided by Sections 2.416 and 2.424 of the Employees'
Pension Plan. The motion was duly seconded and carried
unanimously.
4.4 Election of Officers.
Member Hamilton moved to reappoint Nathan Hightower as Chair
and Tom Jensen as Vice Chair. The motion was duly seconded and
carried unanimously.
5. Old Business Item: None.
6. Director's Report
Mr. Roseto said May's agenda will include a job- connected disability
pension application request.
7. Board Members to be Heard
Discussion ensued re the recent Klausner & Kaufman Annual Client
Conference with comments that the conference provided valuable
information and new laws will present challenges for the Pension Plan.
The City and City Councils were complimented for effective stewardship
of Clearwater's Pension Plan.
8. Adjourn
The meeting adjourned at 9:06 a.m.
City of Clearwater
1
Chair
Pension Advisory Committee
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