01/13/2022 Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes January 13, 2022
City of Clearwater
Main Library- Council Chambers
100 N. Osceola Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33755
Meeting Minutes
Thursday, January 13, 2022
9:00 AM
Main Library - Council Chambers
Pension Advisory Committee
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City of Clearwater
Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes January 13, 2022
Roll Call
Present 4 - Vice Chair Greg Newland, Committee Member April Eversole,
Committee Member Frank Hibbard, and Committee Member
Gregory Record
Absent 3 - Chair Nathan Hightower, Committee Member Hoyt Hamilton, and
Committee Member Mark Bunker
Also Present - Jennifer Poirrier Human Resources Director, Patricia O. Sullivan —
Board Reporter
1. Call To Order
The Vice Chair called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. at the Main Library.
To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not necessarily
discussed in that order.
2. Approval of Minutes
2.1 Approve minutes of November 10, 2021 Pension Advisory Committee meeting as
submitted in written summation.
Member Hibbard moved to approve minutes of November 10, 2021
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
Johnson, Keron, Water Distribution Operator, Public Utilities 10/25/2021
Taraj, Abin, Tree Trimmer, Parks & Recreation 10/25/2021
Pinell Charles, Parking Enforcement Spec, Engr— Parking 10/25/2021
Castleberry,Torey, Solid Waste Worker, Solid Waste & Recycling 10/25/2021
Domanico, Eric, Plumber, GS - Mechanical/Plumbing 10/25/2021
Drelick, Philip, Storeskeeper, Fire Department 10/25/2021
Faison, Tyre, Solid Waste Worker, Solid Waste & Recycling 10/25/2021
Kopke, Mark, Water District Operator Trainee, Public Utilities 10/25/2021
Coyle, Colin, Fire Medic 106hr, Fire Department 11/08/2021
Debose, Marquis, Parks Service Technician, Parks & Recreation 11/08/2021
Deuel, Lindsey, Wastewater Treatment Plant Oper Trainee, Public Utilities 11/08/2021
Feaster, Edward, Industrial Electrician, Public Utilities 11/08/2021
Hiller, Scott, Industrial Pretreatment Inspector, Public Utilities 11/08/2021
Kemry, Brian, Fire Medic 106hr, Fire Department 11/08/2021
Sowers, Kathy, Contracts & Procurement Specialist, Engineering 11/08/2021
Mathews, Paul, Storeskeeper, Fire Department 11/08/2021
Ryan, Austin. Fire Medic 106hr. Fire Department 11/08/2021
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City of Clearwater
Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes January 13, 2022
Skopis. Panagiotis. Fire Medic 106hr. Fire Department 11/08/2021
O'Connell, Kathryn, Library Assistant, Library 11/22/2021
Heine, Thomas, Aquatics Coordinator, Parks & Recreation 11/22/2021
Kramer, Suzanne, Real Estate Services Coordinator, Engineering 11/22/2021
Dowd, Ryan. Solid Waste Technical Operator, Solid Waste & Recycling 12/06/2021
McDowell, Hubert, Building Construction Inspector, Planning & Development 12/06/2021
Perez, Dania, Housing Specialist, Economic Development & Housing 12/06/2021
Ayotte, Shelby, Police Telecom municator. Police Department 12/06/2021
Paradowski, Jordan, Library Assistant, Library Department 10/23/2021
Dressel, Kaitlin, Library Assistant, Library Department 11/20/2021
Avgoustis, Anna, Customer Service Rep, Planning & Development 12/06/2021
Toney, Georgia, Beach Lifeguard, Fire Department 12/06/2021
Steen, Adam. Beach Lifeguard. Fire Department 12/06/2021
Taylor, Donald, Recreation Leader. Parks & Recreation 10/25/2021
Jacobs, Colton, Recreation Leader, Parks & Recreation 10/25/2021
Hutfilz, Emily, Recreation Leader, Parks & Recreation 10/25/2021
Cooper, Ahmad, Solid Waste Worker, Solid Waste & Recycling 12/20/2021
Floyd, Antonio, Wastewater Treatment Plant Op. Trainee, Public Utilities 12/20/2021
Murray, Shaun, Street Sweeper, Engineering Stormwater 12/20/2021
Teuber, Travis, Public Utilities Asst Manager, Public Utilities 12/20/2021
Thomas, Bradley, Gas Technician Apprentice, Gas 12/20/2021
Member Eversole 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 Bennett Elbo, Engineering
Department to vest his pension as provided by Section 2.419 of the Employees' Pension Plan.
Bennett Elbo, Senior Engineering Specialist, Engineering Department,
was employed by the City on February 3, 2003, and began participating in
the Pension Plan on that date. Mr. Elbo terminated from City employment on
December 13, 2021. 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
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City of Clearwater
Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes January 13, 2022
thirty (30) years of service regardless of age. Mr. Elbo will meet the
non-hazardous duty criteria and begin collecting a pension in April 2025.
Member Record moved to recommend approval of the following
request of employee Bennett Elbo, Engineering 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 Paul Bosco, Police Department,
Suzanne Melton, Engineering Department, Denis O'Connor, Fire Department, Fatos Pojani,
Public Utilities Department, and Karen Wiseman, Parks and Recreation Department for a
regular pension as provided by Sections 2.416 and 2.424 of the Employees' Pension Plan.
Paul Bosco, Police Officer, Police Department, was employed by the City
on April 28, 1997, and his pension service credit is effective on that date. His
pension will be effective February 1, 2022. Based on an average salary of
approximately $112,325.13 over the past five years, the formula for computing
regular pensions and Mr. Bosco's selection of the 100% Joint and Survivor
Annuity, this pension benefit will be approximately $74,318.52 annually.
Suzanne Melton, Staff Assistant, Engineering Department, was
employed by the City on November 5, 2001, and her pension service credit
is effective on that date. Her pension will be effective February 1, 2022.
Based on an average salary of approximately $33,219.17 over the past five
years, the formula for computing regular pensions and Ms. Melton's
selection of the Single Life Annuity, this pension benefit will be
approximately $18,483.72 annually.
Denis O'Connor, Firefighter, Fire Department, was employed by the City
on September 24, 2001, and his pension service credit is effective on that
date. His pension will be effective February 1, 2022. Based on an average
salary of approximately $78,118.20 over the past five years, the formula for
computing regular pensions and Mr. O'Connor's selection of the 100% Joint
and Survivor Annuity with a 30% partial lump sum, this pension benefit will
be approximately $29,849.40 annually.
Fatos Pojani, Utilities Electronics Technician, Public Utilities
Department, was employed by the City on June 11, 2007, and his pension
service credit is effective on that date. His pension will be effective February
1, 2022. Based on an average salary of approximately $47,918.66 over the
past five years, the formula for computing regular pensions and Mr. Pojani's
selection of the Single Life Annuity this pension benefit will be approximately
$19,243.08 annually.
Karen Wiseman, Senior Parks Service Technician, Parks and
Recreation Department, was employed by the City on August 18, 1997,
and her pension service credit is effective on that date. Her pension will be
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City of Clearwater
Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes January 13, 2022
effective February 1, 2022. Based on an average salary of approximately
$34,624.55 over the past five years, the formula for computing regular
pensions and Ms. Wiseman's selection of the Single Life Annuity this
pension benefit will be approximately $12,625.80 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. Ms. Melton, Mr. Pojani, and
Ms. Wiseman 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
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. Bosco and Mr. O'Connor have met the hazardous duty criteria.
Member Hibbard moved to recommend approval of the following
request of employees Paul Bosco, Police Department, Suzanne
Melton, Engineering Department, Denis O'Connor, Fire Department,
Fatos Pojani, Public Utilities Department, and Karen Wiseman, Parks
and Recreation Department, for a regular pension as provided by
Sections 2.416 and 2.424 of the Employees' Pension Plan. The motion
was duly seconded.
It was stated that Denis O'Connor, who was on vacation, had contacted the
City to schedule a meeting to complete paperwork to extend the date of his
retirement until the union contract is ratified. It was noted the Pension
Trustees could address this change.
In response to a question, the City Attorney said he would have liked to
review the issue before comment but recommended the Committee defer its
decision re Mr. O'Connor's retirement request.
Senior Pension Payroll Analyst Alyssa Gagliardi said she had spoken to Mr.
O'Connor to schedule a time for him to amend his paperwork to change
his retirement date.
The Pension Advisory Committee meeting recessed from 9:08 to 9:13 p.m.
The City Attorney said based on his conversation with staff and Attorney for
the Committee Stuart Kaufman, he opined the Committee only can act on
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City of Clearwater
Pension Advisory Committee
Meeting Minutes January 13, 2022
Mr. O'Connor's written retirement notice and there is no basis for the
Committee to accept contradictory secondhand information. According to the
City, Mr. O'Connor has retired. Mr. O'Connor can later request the
Committee to reconsider the official date of his retirement.
Vice Chair (Fire District Commander) Newland said during the recess he
spoke with Mr. O'Connor who reiterated his wish to extend his retirement
date.
Human Resources Director Jennifer Poirrier said Mr. O'Connor had not
submitted anything in writing to amend his retirement date. Employment and
retirement are different. Based on submitted paperwork and procedures in
place, the effective date for Mr. O'Connor's retirement is January 4, 2022.
Upon the vote being taken, Members Eversole and Hibbard voted "Aye";
Member Record and Vice Chair Newland voted "Nay." Motion failed.
Member Hibbard moved to recommend approval of the following
request of employees Paul Bosco, Police Department, Suzanne Melton,
Engineering Department, Fatos Pojani, Public Utilities Department, and
Karen Wiseman, Parks and Recreation 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.
In response to a question, Ms. Poirrier reviewed pension processes under
the bi-monthly meeting schedule. Without Committee action, the City was
not authorized to pay pension benefits. She was unaware that Mr. O'Connor
continued working. As far as Human Resources was concerned, Mr.
O'Connor had retired.
5. Old Business Items - None.
6. Director's Report
Ms. Poirrier reported the pension conference had been canceled due to Covid.
City Attorney David Margolis introduced himself.
7. Board Members to be Heard: None.
8. Ad'ourn
meeting adjourned at 9:20 a.m.
oard Re
City of Clearwater
Chair
Pension Advisory Committee
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