HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008 - Retirement Committee - Annual ReportGeneral Employees' Retirement Committee
2008 Annual Report
The General Employees' Retirement Plan (GERP) is managed and administered by the General
Employees' Retirement Committee (GERC) in accordance with the terms of the Plan. The 2008 actuarial
report prepared by Milliman Inc. indicates that as of January 1, 2008, there were 525 members in GERP of
whom 235 were active members who continue to accrue benefits under the Plan, 141 retirees and 18
beneficiaries currently receiving benefits; and 131 vested terminated employees.
One way to look at the adequacy of Plan funding is to compare the actuarial value of benefits earned to
date ($47,789,676) under the Plan terms to the actuarial value of Plan assets ($42,339,892) as of the
valuation date January 1, 2008. Utilizing this measure, the Plan has made progress toward becoming fully
funded, since the actuarial value of plan assets covers 88.6% of the actuarial value of benefits as compared
to 85.2% on January 1, 2007.
A longer term measurement of the Plan's funding status is obtained by comparing the present value of
projected benefits ($51,474,316) to the Market Value of Assets is ($45,770,541). The Present Value of
Projected Benefits includes benefits earned to date plus the value of benefits anticipated to be earned for all
expected future service by current participants. It should be noted that while this variance is larger than
the actuarial comparison above, a significant portion of that difference will be funded by ongoing
contributions related to the future payroll of active members.
According to the actuarial report and other information from Milliman, the Plan's funded status is
improving. The period of additional contributions has been reduced by three years from the prior report.
The City of Fort Collins Council Audit & Finance Committee and Millman studied the under funding and
recommended the following funding strategy. The 2008-09 Budget contains a phased -in approach for the
General Employees' Retirement Plan to fund predicted shortfalls including $400,000 in additional
contributions 2008 and 2009 and $700,000 in 2010-2014. After reviewing revenues in other funds the City
also made an additional $743,571 contribution to the GERP at the end of 2008.
In 2008, the Committee was composed of Jim O'Neill, Chair, Purchasing and Risk Management, Rick
Richter, Vice -Chair, Manager of Capital Projects for Engineering; Bill Switzer, Financial Operations,
Utilities; Dennis Freeburg, a retired Plan member; Jim Lathrop, a citizen and, Chuck Seest, Finance
Director.
Staff support for the Committee included Heather Shepherd, Finance Department Administrative Assistant;
Janie Appleton, Human Resources, Greg Tempel, Assistant City Attorney. Tracy Hoffman, Chris Donegon
and Harold Hall, Finance Department provided staff support for investments.
COMMITTEE HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2008:
PERSONAL RETIREMENT PLANNING STATEMENTS (PRPS)
The GERC had the PRPS prepared by the actuary, Milliman, and distributed them to individual members in
April of 2008.
General Employees' Retirement Committee
Annual Report
Page 2 of 2
COUNCIL ACTION:
61h Amendment — Council passed resolution 2008-007 and 71h Amendment — Council passed resolution
2008-130. Both deal with adopting provisions to ensure plan compliance with IRS regulations.
RETIREMENT PHILOSOPHY
The Committee continues to monitor investment returns and to have discussions with Milliman regarding
our retirement philosophy.
The Committee reviewed the 47% GERP death benefit provision and did not recommend any changes.
The Committee, based on advice from our actuarial firm, chose the Entry Age Normal Method for the
preparation of the 2007 actuarial report which provides more precise information for closed defined benefit
plans like the GERP.
MEMBER EDUCATION
Over 23 Plan members attended GERC information seminars put on by HR.
INVESTMENT RESULTS
The Annual Rate of Investment Return was -26.7 % as of December 31, 2008 compared to 13.63% as of
December 31, 2007. The Total Market Value of Assets was $32,769,002 as of January 1, 2009, compared
to $45,770,451 as of January 1, 2008.1 The net loss was $11,984,497 2
' Final results are subject to adjustment of investment balances reconciled to the general ledger which occurs in the
first quarter of each year.
2 The loss is from investments only net of contributions and payments to retirees.