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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRetirement Committee - Minutes - 03/06/1997I Us'�. � 'ti,4�:.�,..✓/1 l�'�(ial7_� Re�ement Yla&-U-e+CW-e?—vu� , FORT COLLINS GENERAL EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT COMMITTEE MARCH 6, 1997 MEETING MINUTES City of Fort Collins COUNCIL LIAISON: Mayor Ann Azari COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT: Jerry P. Brown, 221-6350(w), 226-0800(h) Jim Hume, 221-6776 Dave Agee, 221-6770 Alan Krcmarik, Member/Staff Support Kevin Westhuis, 221-6156 OTHERS PRESENT: Sue Wilcox (Staff Support - Secretary) Russ Proctor - Watson Wyatt Worldwide, the City's actuarial firm Greg Tempel (Staff Support - Assistant City Attorney) Laurie Harvey (Staff Support - Human Resources) Bob Eichem (Staff Support - Treasury) CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Jerry P. Brown called the regular meeting to order at 1:18 p.m. in the Council Information Center of City Hall West. ITEMS OF NOTE: Jerry noted that on March 3rd the GERC and Laurie Harvey took part in a training session presented by Joe Lembeck and Colleen Trask, part of the consulting section of Smith Barney, Inc. The topic was the fiduciary responsibilities of the GERC members and investment guidelines. Alan asked for any feedback on the presentation that he could pass on to the presenters. The program showed the GERC as being more of a policy -making group, and the GERC policies should be more formalized. APPROVAL OF MINUTES:. Dave Agee asked whether the minutes should be distributed to the membership before they are approved by the GERC? Greg Tempel read the City Code which states that the minutes must be in the City Clerk's Office before the next regular meeting. It was agreed that the chairmanedited version of the minutes would be distributed electronically to the GERC members, with a hard copy to the City Clerk's Office. After the minutes are approved, they will be distributed electronically and/or in hard copy to the Plan members. Alan Krcmarik moved that the minutes of the February 6, 1997 meeting be approved as distributed. Jim Hume seconded the motion. The minutes were approved unanimously. 300 LaPorte Avenue • P.O. Box 580 • Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580 • (970) 221-6788 • FAX (970) 221-6782 GERC Minutes - March 6, 1997 DISCUSSION TOPICS: 1. GER PLAN MEMBER COMMENTS/C I ZEN PARTICIPATION: There were no member or citizen comments. 2. 1996 FOURTH QUARTER AND YEAR END INVESTMENT REPORT MAIN POINTS: While the report shows it was a good year for the return on stocks (21.41/o), the return on the bond portion of the portfolio was 6.890/c. The report includes charts favorably comparing the Plan's cumulative bond growth with the 5-year Treasury yield (its benchmark) ovdr the past seven years, and a five-year comparison of the GERP domestic mutual fiends and its benchmark, the Standard and Poor's 500 Index. The 1996 overall rate of return was 9.8% for the Plan's total investments, which exceeds the actuarial assumption of 7.5%. The GERP domestic mutual funds earned 21.44% in 1996, almost matching the 22% of its benchmark, Standard and Poor's Index 500. Alan noted that with dollar cost averaging the GER Plan will probably reach its goal of 50% of its investments in equities (with 10% of that in international fiords) by the end of the year. CONCLUSIONS/NEXT STEPS: The GERC accepted the report. After the new member is appointed (Jerry's 2nd term expires June 30th), the GERC will be asked to consider adopting a bond diversification plan and to reconsider the current investment cap. Alan also proposes to present a draft investment policy to the GERC in a couple of months, once it is reviewed by the Council Finance Committee. 3. PRELIMINARY COLA COSTS FOR 1998 BUDGET MAIN POINTS: March 20th is the deadline for submitting 1998 budget requests for Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs). The GERC members and staff debated two possibilities: proposing that current employees be able to contribute a percentage of their income to the GERP to be used for cost of living increases when they retire; and a request for one-time funding of a COLA for current retirees from the General Fund. There has been no COLA for current retirees since 1990. The two previous COLAs were funded from the GER Plan, but there are currently no resources in the Fund to do this. There was extensive debate of the ramifications of such proposals, including amending the Plan. CONCLUSIONS/NEXT STEPS: Dave Agee moved that a memo be sent to the City Manager asking City Council to fund a COLA for current retirees between 1.4% and the CPI rate for 1990-1996, to be funded from the departments where the retirees worked. Jim Hume seconded the motion and the vote was unanimous in favor of the motion. Since Alan will be out of the office next week, Jerry will draft this memo to the City Manager. 4. DISABILITY VERIFICATION REQUEST FROM FORMER EMPLOYEE MAIN POINTS: An attorney for a former employee currently receiving Worker's Compensation and federal Social Security disability payments is requesting written confirmation that the disabled person -2- GERC Minutes - March 6, 1997 would continue to receive credit for service towards his retirement benefit if he was only receiving federal Social Security disability payments. The Plan in effect at the time he became disabled and left City employment, only provided for service credit if the disabled person was receiving disability payments through the City's Long Term Disability insurance program. Because of facts made known to the GERC in prior years, a disabled employee receiving disability was considered to be earning service credits if he or she was receiving Workers' Compensation disability benefits. Up to this point, it does not appear that the GERC has considered whether or not the receipt of only federal Social Security disability benefits has been sufficient to justify the award of service credit. CONCLUSIONS/NEXT STEPS: Jerry Brown will supply Greg Tempel with copies of the plan summary brochures published before 1992, which may clarify the intent of the GERC in regard to the LTD program. This request will be put on the April agenda for finther consideration. 5. LUMP-SUM/ROLLOVER PROCEDURES MAIN POINTS: Sue provided draft copies of the policy and procedures to be used when notifying those eligible for a lump -sum benefit payment of their options, and what the City's action will be if the eligible individuals do not provide directions on how the payment is to be made. Using certified mail with return receipts, the GERC secretarial support will attempt to determine that the information has been received. If no direction is forthcoming from the vested GERC member, a check will be written for the lump -sum amount, less the 20% deduction required by the IRS. The policy also outlines how to proceed if the deferred vested member cannot be located. Greg cited Article 9, Section 2 of the GER Plan, which should be noted in the policy. CONCLUSION/NEXT STEPS: Dave Agee moved that the policy and procedures for lump -sum and rollover payments be approved as revised. Kevin Westhuis seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. Sue will make the revisions and distribute copies to the members and staff. 6. CHANGES TO PERSONAL RETIREMENT PLANNING STATEMENTS (PRPS) MAIN POINTS: Russ distributed copies of a revised sample Personal Retirement Planning Statement (PRPS), which provides each GERC member's vested benefit as of 1/1/97, as well as estimating their projected benefits from Social Security, the Money Purchase Plan (MPP), and the 457 deferred income plan at various ages. The chart is revised this year to show benefits up to 20% greater than the 100% of estimated needs and the percentage of projected retirement income needed, with any projected shortfall. The last page shows the many ICMA investment fiords in a more readable format. The ICMA toll -free number and Internet address will be added. The goal is to distribute these with paychecks in April. CONCLUSION/NEXT STEPS: After a representative sample of forms have been printed and reviewed, the forms will be printed on letterhead and sorted by location code. Sue will arrange for them to be put in envelopes to insure privacy and see that they are distributed. 7. VALUATION ASSUMPTIONS MAIN POINTS: Russ indicated that between 1994 and 1996, a number of changes were made in the -3- GERC Minutes - March 6, 1997 assumptions used in the valuation reports. These included raising the rate of return on investments and reducing the rates of inflation and employee turnover. These changes seem to be sufficient at this time and will be monitored to see that they provide an accurate picture of the Plan. There was discussion of separating the rates of return for bonds and equities in the valuation report. Dave stated that Finance has been working on combining the two in their reporting to better reflect the total rate of return. CONCLUSIONS/NEXT STEPS: The GERC agreed to maintain the existing valuation assumptions. Russ will proceed with the valuation report and bring draft copies to the next meeting. 8. JANUARY CONFERENCE & ICMA PROFILE ANALYSIS UPDATE MAIN POINTS: Because the agenda for this meeting is very full and the information provided by ICMA has some inaccuracies, Alan suggested that this item be deferred to the April meeting. CONCLUSIONS/NEXT STEPS: This topic will be moved to the April meeting. 9. PHILOSOPHY DISCUSSION MAIN POINTS: Laurie Harvey read a letter from a GERP member at the Streets Department which also represented several other members at that site. The letter expressed support for lump -sum payments, possibly allowing earlier vesting, and increasing the amount received at early retirement. Jerry mentioned that after reading the minutes of his first GERC meeting 8 years ago, converting to a defined contribution plan is still being discussed. He suggested that the Committee may be ready to hammer out a proposal to take to the members, provide education, and then poll the members for direction. It was pointed out that the GER Plan's defined benefit (DB) structure makes the GER Committee and City Council appear to be "parental" in controlling most aspects of the Plan. However, in moving to a defined contribution (DC) type of plan where the individual controls most aspects of their funds, the structure essentially changes from a retirement plan to a savings plan. GERC Members and staff made several suggestions, including: allowing the benefits to increase at the actual rate of return on investments rather than the targeted rate of 7.5%; provide a lump -sum payment when employees leave the Plan, but at a lower amount than if it were retained until retirement age; include a cost of living adjustment (COLA); provide lump -sum payments as long as they were not detrimental to the Plan; provide the members with education on investing, and then allowing them to direct their own investments; and explore the viability of providing a DC plan parallel with the current DB plan and allowing a person to choose the plan they want when they achieve full vesting;. Russ pointed out that the newer employees would receive the fiil14.2% GERP contribution, but those who will retire soon will cost the plan about 15%, so if the contribution rate remains the same, it will not work. Russ also said one possibility for someone who wants a lump -sum distribution, is to calculate the benefit at age 65 and discount it at a 7.5% annual rate. Jerry felt that the DC plan is probably too expensive, but if there is some way to do a lump -sum cash -out, it would give the Plan portability. It might also be possible to add to our DB plan a self -funded COLA Russ proposed that -4- 0 GERC Minutes - March 6, 1997 in realm for getting their money early (lump -sum), the penalty could be no earnings. The lump -sums could be paid with discounts at no cost or only small cost to the Plan. CONCLUSION/NEXT STEPS: Russ was asked to provide some numbers showing the costs to fully or partially convert to a DC plan, as well as costs for self -funded COLAs, and options for lump -sum payments. AGENDA & SCHEDULE FOR NEXT MEETING The next meeting will be Thursday, April 3rd at 1:15 p.m. in the Council Information Center (CIC) of City Hall West. The agenda will include: 1. Plan Member Comments/Citizen Participation 2. Draft of Annual Valuation Report 3. Discussion on Restating the GER Plan Document and Creating a Policy Manual 4. Investment Strategies 5. Credit for Part -Time Service Issue 6. Disability Verification Request from Former Employee 7. ICMA Profile Analysis Update & January Conference Overview 8. Philosophy - Details of Design ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 5:00 p.m. FUTURE MEETING SCHEDULE: The General Employees Retirement Committee normally meets at 1:15 p.m. on the 1 st Thursday of each month in the Council Information Center, City Hall West. THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 1997 THURSDAY, MAY 1, 1997 THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 1997 THURSDAY, JULY 10,1997 *Date changed because of holiday* THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 1997 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1997 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1997 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1997 THURSDAY, DECEMBER, 4, 1997 -5-