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09/11/2025 Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes September 11, 2025 City of Clearwater Main Library- Council Chambers 100 N. Osceola Avenue Clearwater, FL 33755 e Meeting Minutes Thursday, September 11, 2025 9:00 AM Main Library - Council Chambers Pension Advisory Committee Page 1 City of Clearwater Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes September 11, 2025 Roll Call Present 4 - Chair Nathan Hightower, Vice Chair David Sowers, Committee Member Ryan Cotton, and Committee Member Juliet Marvenko Absent 2 - Committee Member Chris Smaha, and Committee Member Corey Lenczden Also Present— David Margolis — City Attorney, Tiffany Makras - Human Resources Director, and Rosemarie Call — City Clerk 1. Call To Order The meeting was called to order at 9:00 a.m. at the Main Library. 2. Approval of Minutes 2.1 Approve minutes of July 10, 2025 Pension Advisory Committee meeting as submitted in written summation. Member Sowers moved to approve the minutes of the July 10, 2025 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. Pension Name Job Classification Department Eligibility Date Gabriel Timberlake Aquatics Coordinator Parks & Recreation 06/14/2025 Aulden Lloyd Risk Management Specialist I Finance & Budget 06/16/2025 Brandon Nault Customer Service Rep I Utility Customer Service 06/16/2025 Celeste Casillas Police Cadet Police Department 06/16/2025 Holden Midkiff Police Cadet !!! epartment 06/16/2025 Samuel Miller Solid Waste Worker I ste & Recycling 06/16/2025 Skyler Belloise Engineering Specialist I tilities 06/16/2025 Thomas Glick Police Cadet epartment 06/16/2025Yan Ramirez-Figueroa Solid Waste Worker I ste & Recycling 06/16/2025Alexandra Vakos Police Officer epartment 06/30/2025 Bryce Miller Police Officer epartment 06/30/2025 Courtney Davis Parks Service Technician I Recreation 06/30/2025 Crystal Flores Network Analyst I Information Technology 06/30/2025 Dehvan Truckenmiller Police Officer Police Department 06/30/2025 Page 1 City of Clearwater Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes September 11, 2025 Jack Donahue Public Info Coordinator I Public Communications 06/30/2025 Joseph Phillips Parks Service Technician I Parks & Recreation 06/30/2025 Kyle Pauze Network Analyst I Information Technology 06/30/2025 Markus Jalaber Water Distribution Operator Trainee Public Utilities 06/30/2025 Regina Bavington Account Collector I Utility Customer Service 06/30/2025 Aaron Head Solid Waste Worker I Solid Waste & Recycling 07/14/2025 Aidan Coyne Parks Service Technician III Parks & Recreation 07/14/2025 Caden Skaggs Gas Tech Apprentice Gas System 07/14/2025 Cage Gregory Gas Technician 11 Gas System 07/14/2025 Cassidy Gordon Customer Service Rep I Utility Customer Service 07/14/2025 Laura Daniels Accounting Tech I Parks & Recreation 07/14/2025 Timothy Huse Solid Waste Worker I Solid Waste & Recycling 07/14/2025 Tyler Hileman Parks Service Technician I Parks & Recreation 07/14/2025 Kristopher Williams Solid Waste Worker I Solid Waste & Recycling 07/26/2025 Adam Singer Parking, Fac& Sec Aide Marine &Aviation 07/28/2025 Anthony Walker-Collins Solid Waste Worker I Solid Waste & Recycling 07/28/2025 David Wells Streets & Sidewalks Tech I Public Works 07/28/2025 Gabriel Greco Gilreath Meter reader I Utility Customer Service 07/28/2025 Jason Mckoy Industrial Electrician Public Utilities 07/28/2025 Marques Alexander Solid Waste Worker I Solid Waste & Recycling 07/28/2025 CRA Coordinator Community Redevelopment 07/28/2025 Ramona Hunter Agency Wade Brockman Streets & Sidewalks Tech I Public Works 07/28/2025 Aaron Cornwell Scada Specialist Public Utilities 08/11/2025 Jayce Ortiz Solid Waste Worker I Solid Waste & Recycling 08/11/2025 Kenyatta Anderson Solid Waste Worker I Solid Waste & Recycling 08/11/2025 Rashad Banks Solid Waste Worker I Solid Waste & Recycling 08/11/2025 Member Sowers 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 Michael Morea, Police Department, to vest his pension as provided by Section 2.419 of the Employees' Pension Plan. Micheal Morea, Police Officer, Police Department, was employed by the City on January 9, 2006, and his pension service credit is effective on that date. Mr. Morea terminated from City employment on June 11, 2025. 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 five or more years (non-hazardous duty) and ten or Pagel City of Clearwater Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes September 11, 2025 more years (hazardous duty) 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 five (5) 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 five (5) years of credited service. 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. Morea will meet the hazardous duty criteria and begin collecting a pension in February of 2026. Member Sowers moved to recommend approval of the following request of employee Michael Morea, Police 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 Steven Baginski, Police Department, Jevon Graham, Fire Department, and Sandra Lear, Information Technology Department for a regular pension as provided by Sections 2.416 and 2.424 of the Employees' Pension Plan. Steven Baginski, Police Lieutenant, Police Department, was employed by the City on February 6, 1995, and his pension service credit is effective on that date. His pension will be effective September 1, 2025. Based on an average salary of approximately $150,847.68 over the past five years, the formula for computing regular pensions and Mr. Baginski's selection of the 100% Joint and Survivor Annuity with the 30% partial lump sum, this pension benefit will be approximately $86,947.32 annually. Jevon Graham, Fire Division Chief, Fire Department, was employed by the City on July 19, 1999, and his pension service credit is effective on that date. His pension will be effective September 1, 2025. Page 1 City of Clearwater Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes September 11, 2025 Based on an average salary of approximately $121,962.86 over the past five years, the formula for computing regular pensions and Mr. Graham's selection of the Single Life Annuity, this pension benefit will be approximately $88,219.08 annually. Sandra Lear, Business System Analyst II, Information Technology Department, was employed by the City on November 10, 1997, and her pension service credit is effective on that date. Her pension will be effective January 1, 2026. Based on an average salary of approximately $97,957.74 over the past five years, the formula for computing regular pensions and Ms. Lear's selection of the Single Life Annuity, this pension benefit will be approximately $75,779.16 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 five (5) 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 five (5) years of credited service. Ms. Lear 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. Baginski and Mr. Graham have met the hazardous duty criteria. Member Sowers moved to recommend approval of the following request of Steven Baginski, Police Department, Jevon Graham, Fire Department, and Sandra Lear, Information Technology Department for a regular pension as provided by Sections 2.16 & 2.424 of the Employees' Pension Plan. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. 4.4 Informal hearing for Maria Pita request for job-connected disability pension The City Attorney said the original Independent Medical Examiner(IME) assessment was performed in the immediate aftermath of surgery and Page 1 City of Clearwater Pension Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes September 11, 2025 the IME concluded that Ms. Pita would not be able to perform the duties of a police officer. At the last PAC meeting, a motion was made to send Ms. Pita to another IME as more time has passed since the surgery. He said the disability pension file has been updated with the most recent IME report. The Committee took a moment of silence in remembrance of September 11. Member Sowers moved to accept the additional IME report into evidence. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. Ms. Maria Pita said in September 2017, she was rear ended while on duty in her detective vehicle and, as a result, has had two surgeries and has damaged discs in the cervical spine. She said she returned to work after her first surgery but the physical demands of the job made it difficult. She said in 2023, the pain got worse and she was sent for an MRI and underwent a second surgery that was not successful. She still is in pain every day. She said the accident stole her career. She thanked the Committee for considering her application. Discussion ensued with comments made that the committee feels more Comfortable having the second IME report and that it is clear Ms. Pita is not improving. Member Sowers moved that Maria Pita met the requirements for a job-related disability pension as she was disabled by reason of an injury suffered or an illness contracted in the line of duty, such disability is likely to be continuous and permanent from a cause other than those listed as general disability exclusions, and she is unable, by reason of a medically determinable physical or mental impairment, to render useful and efficient service as a police officer or firefighter. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. The Chair thanked Ms. Pita for her service. 5. Director's Report: None. 6. Board Members to be Heard Member Cotton said he appreciated the moment of silence. Member Sowers thanked staff for providing him meeting information in an alternative format. In response to a question, Human Resources Director Tiffany Makras said there are no pending disability pension applications for the Page 1 City of Clearwater Pension Advisory Committee 7. Adjourn Attest: Meeting Minutes September 11, 2025 Committee to hear. The City Attorney said a couple applications have been Med under the new system. He said without new applications coming to the Committee, future meetings would be quick but the work is still important. He said he will confer with city officials to discuss if the Pension Advisory Committee will continue meeting as a method to approve or recommend approval of pension related items to Council. The work will still need to get done but it may be done using another method. Chair Hightower said he encourages Council to discuss how this work should proceed. He said as a citizen member, he is not inclined to keep coming to the meeting to approve items. The meeting adjourned at 9:13 a.m. Board ` e • orter City of Clearwater sbisus0- Page 1 Chair, Pension Advisory Committee