05/09/2019 Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes May 9, 2019
City of Clearwater
Main Library- Council Chambers
100 N. Osceola Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33755
Meeting Minutes
Thursday, May 9, 2019
9:00 AM
Main Library - Council Chambers
Pension Advisory Committee
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City of Clearwater
Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes May 9, 2019
Roll Call
Present 5 - Chair Nathan Hightower, Vice Chair Greg Newland, Committee
Member Hoyt Hamilton, Committee Member Bob Cundiff, and
Committee Member April Eversole
Absent 2 - Committee Member Christian Schuele and Committee Member Jay
E. Polglaze
Also Present - Jennifer Poirrier— Human Resources Director, Patricia O. Sullivan —
Board Reporter
1. Call To Order
The Chair called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. at the Main Library.
2. Approval of Minutes
2.1 Approve minutes of April 11, 2019 Pension Advisory Committee meeting as submitted in
written summation.
Member Cundiff moved to approve minutes of April 11, 2019 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
Christopher Shepard, Police Communication Operator, Police 04/15/2019
Adam Jordan, Parks Service Technician I. Parks & Recreation 04/01/2019
Michael Bale, Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator, Public Utilities 04/01/2019
Jessica Caballero-Ashmeade, Gas Program Coordinator, Gas 04/15/2019
Christopher Chester, Parks Service Technician I, Parks & Recreation 04/15/2019
Colton Wetherington, Parks Service Technician I, Parks & Recreation 04/15/2019
Wayne Jones, Parks Service Technician III, Parks & Recreation 04/15/2019
Alfonsa Riley Jr., Water Distribution Operator Trainee, Public Utilities 04/15/2019
Kenneth Cotton, Solid Waste Worker, Solid Waste 04/15/2019
Bernard Wigfals, Solid Waste Worker, Solid Waste 04/15/2019
Shomari Gilbert, Solid Waste Worker, Solid Waste 04/15/2019
Kevin Richendollar, Solid Waste Worker, Solid Waste 04/13/2019
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City of Clearwater
Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes May 9, 2019
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 Bruce Griffin, Gas Department
to vest their pension as provided by Section 2.419 of the Employees' Pension Plan.
Bruce Griffin, Gas Engineering & Planning Manager, Gas Department,
was employed by the City on December 4, 1995, and began participating in
the Pension Plan on September 9, 2005. Mr. Griffin terminated from City
employment on March 30, 2019.
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. Mr. Griffin will meet the
non-hazardous duty criteria and begin collecting a pension in May 2020.
Member Hamilton moved to recommend approval of the following
request of employee Bruce Griffin, Gas 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 Donald Greene, Public
Utilities Department, Judith Kolmer, Engineering Department, Mary Repp, Parks and
Recreation Department, Thomas Tague, Police Department and Dragoljub Vitkovic,
Solid Waste General Services Department, for a regular pension as provided by
Sections 2.416 and 2.424 of the Employees' Pension Plan.
Donald Greene, Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator A, Public
Utilities Department, was employed by the City on February 22, 1990, and
his pension service credit is effective on June 4, 1990. His pension will be
effective May 1, 2019. Based on an average salary of approximately
$62,913.41 over the past five years, the formula for computing regular
pensions and Mr. Greene's selection of the Life Annuity, this pension benefit
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City of Clearwater
Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes May 9, 2019
will be approximately $49,990.92 annually.
Judith Kolmer, Customer Service Representative, Engineering
Department, was employed by the City on April 4, 2005, and her pension
service credit is effective on October 15, 2007. Her pension will be effective
June 1, 2019. Based on an average salary of approximately $34,102.04 over
the past five years, the formula for computing regular pensions and Ms.
Kolmer's selection of the Life Annuity, this pension benefit will be
approximately $8,711.16 annually.
Mary Repp, Recreation Leader II, Parks and Recreation Department,
was employed by the City on February 18, 1997, and her pension service
credit is effective on July 17, 2000. Her pension will be effective May 1,
2019. Based on an average salary of approximately $33,402.25 over the
past five years, the formula for computing regular pensions and Ms. Repp's
selection of the 100% Joint and Survivor Annuity, this pension benefit will be
approximately $15,285.84 annually.
Thomas Tague, Police Officer, Police Department, was employed by the
City on October 7, 1991, and his pension service credit is effective on that
date. His pension will be effective May 1, 2019. Based on an average salary
of approximately $85,527.61 over the past five years, the formula for
computing regular pensions and Mr. Tague's selection of the 100% Joint and
Survivor Annuity with a 30% partial lump sum, this pension benefit will be
approximately $43,944.36 annually.
Dragoljub Vitkovic, Fleet Mechanic, Solid Waste General Services
Department, was employed by the City on November 24, 2008, and his
pension service credit is effective on that date. His pension will be effective
June 1, 2019. Based on an average salary of approximately $42,288.01 over
the past five years, the formula for computing regular pensions and Mr.
Vitkovic's selection of the Life Annuity, this pension benefit will be
approximately $12,233.28 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. Mr. Greene, Ms. Kolmer, Ms.
Repp and Mr. Vitkovic 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
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City of Clearwater
Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes May 9, 2019
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. Tague has met the hazardous duty criteria.
Member Eversole moved to recommend approval of the following
request of employees Donald Greene, Public Utilities Department,
Judith Kolmer, Engineering Department, Mary Repp, Parks and
Recreation Department, Thomas Tague, Police Department and
Dragoljub Vitkovic, Solid Waste General Services 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 Annual Certification of Pension Entitlement Processing
Senior Pension Payroll Analyst Jennifer Moulton said forms were mailed
in January to 1,285 pensioners including 135 disability recipients and
84 surviving spouses. In March, staff sent 54 certified letters to pensioners
who had not responded by the deadline. Staff returned incomplete forms
to pensioners, all forms were returned. Staff verified surviving spouses
continued to qualify for benefits.
In response to questions, Ms. Moulton reviewed form questions for disabled
pensioners. Staff verified that disability recipients were not employed in the
same field of work the PAC had determined they were too disabled to
perform.
Human Resources Director Jennifer Poirrier said the City took pensioners at
their word. The forms were notarized. If the City becomes aware that a
disabled pensioner withheld critical information, the disability recipient would
be subject to the IME (Independent Medical Exam) process as outlined in
the PAC Policies and Procedures Manual.
5. Old Business Item: None
6. Director's Report
In response to a recommendation that the Committee receive PTSD
(Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) education, Ms. Poirrier said Attorney
Stuart Kaufman's firm would provide training on PTSD at its annual
educational conference on June 10— 12, 2019.
Ms. Poirrier said 2 disability cases were being processed. Informal
hearings may be scheduled in July.
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City of Clearwater
Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
7. Board Members to be Heard
Member Newland said he would not be attending the June meeting.
8. Adjourn
Attest:
Board eporter
May 9, 2019
The meeting adjourned at 9:09 a.m.
City of Clea►water
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Chair Pension • dvi ry Committee