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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008/04/03 Item 2 ~u?- L~~ ~.-...;:.......-::~ ~~~~ CllY OF CHUlA VISTA Human Resources Department Date: April 3,2008 Via: ~ Scott Tulloch, Assistant City Manag r <; J Marcia Raskin, Director of Human Resources tn. ~ To: Honorable Mayor and City Cou Via: David R. Garcia, City Manager From: Subject: Two Years Additional Service Credit: May 5 - August 5, 2008 SUMMARY In an effort to significantly reduce the Fiscal Year 2009 General Fund budget by reducing the number of benefited employees throughout the organization, staff is proposing that Council grant Two Years Additional Service Credit for eligible employees, and provide for a limited medical incentive program for those that retire during the prescribed window period. The proposal is to offer this benefit to all Local Miscellaneous employees, in all departments of the City. In addition, it would be offered to all eligible Police Department and Fire Department Management employees to include the classifications of: Police Chief Police Captain Fire Chief Deputy Fire Chief Fire Battalion Chief To avoid or minimize an impending mandatory transfer, demotion or layoff and to reduce personnel costs in the General Fund, the City Manager is recommending that the City seek a voluntary reduction of the number of benefited employees as a first step. To achieve that goal, it is recommended that the City offer Two Years Additional Service Credit pursuant to Goverument section 20903 for all Local Miscellaneous members, and police department and fire department classifications listed above, who retire during the designated period of May 5,2008, through August 5, 2008. The City is also proposing a medical incentive program, through which the City will cover 2-1 Page 2 of 4 the medical health insurance premium for the employee only, for up to nineteen months, for those who retire during the first 30 days ofthe window. . This information is being presented at a public meeting as required by CaIPERS, during the April 3, 2008 Budget Workshop. A Resolution will be presented to Council for consideration and approval at the April 22, 2008 City Council meeting. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that Council direct staff to bring forward the Resolution to grant a designated period of Two Years Additional Service Credit pursuant to Government Code Section 20903 to all Local Miscellaneous members and the police and fire department classifications listed above. And, recommended that Council support a medical incentive program to further encourage eligible employees to retire within the first 30 days of the retirement window, by June 5, 2008. DISCUSSION On October 16, 2007, the City Council of the City of Chula Vista approved a Resolution of Intention to provide Two Years Additional Califomia Public Employees Retirement System (CaIPERS) Service Credit for Local Miscellaneous members and Local Safety members (police and Fire). An Emergency Ordinance was adopted on November 6, 2007. Sixty-two employees took advantage of this early retirement incentive. Numerous efforts are being implemented to reduce expenditures in fiscal year 2009. It is recommended that the City offer another Two Years Additional Service Credit pursuant to Government Code section 20903 for Local Miscellaneous members and police and fire department management employees in the classifications of Police Chief, Police Captain, Fire Chief, Deputy Fire Chief and Fire Battalion Chief, who retire during the designated period of May 5, 2008, through August 5, 2008. The City is also proposing a limited medical incentive program, offered only for the fust 30 days of the retirement window to further encourage eligible employees to retire by June 5, 2008, to help minimize, prevent pending layoffs and to reduce personnel costs. Government Code section 20903 provides Two Years Additional CalPERS Service Credit to members who retire during a designated period. The City must certify that if any early retirements are granted after receipt of service credits pursuant to Section 20903, it is the City's intention that any vacancies created or at least one vacancy in any position in any department or other organizational unit remain permanently unfilled, thereby resulting in an overall reduction in the workforce of the department or organizational unit. Window Period An eligible employee may apply for the benefit during the designated window period, which cannot be less than ninety days, nor more than 180 days. Staff is proposing a ninety-three-day window period from May 5, 2008, through August 5, 2008. 2-2 Page 3 of 4 Eligibilitv To be eligible, the following criteria must be met: . member must have at least five years of CalPERS service credit; . member must be employed for at least one day during the designated period; . member must retire during the designated period; . member cannot receive credit under this section if member is receiving any unemployment insurance payments; . if a retired member subsequently reenters membership, additional service credit is forfeited. Medical Incentive To further encourage as many eligible employees as possible to retire within the first 30 days of the designated period, so the City may realize the greatest potential salary savings and mitigate layoffs, in addition to the Two Years Additional Service Credit, staff is proposing a medical incentive program, under the City's Retiree Health Plan. Under this program, the City will pay the cost of the medical insurance premium for Employee Only coverage as follows: Retiring between 05/05/08 - 06/05/08 Retiring between 06/06/08 - 08/05/08 Medical Incentive through 12/31/09 No Medical Incentive Provided Upon retirement, employees are required to enroll in Medicare Part A and Part B once they become eligible. Any medical insurance premiums for any eligible dependents will be the employee's responsibility. Non-benefited, unclassified hourly employees are not eligible for the medical incentive program. FISCAL IMPACT Government Code Section 7507 requires that the estimated present value of the additional employer contributions for the proposed contract amendments be made public at a public meeting at least two weeks prior to the adoption of the Resolution. The estimated amount is based on the members' annual reportable compensation, cost factors established by CalPERS actuaries and the fact that the City contracts for a Post-Retirement Survivor allowance. If all 233 eligible employees opt to take the Two Year Additional Service Credit and retire during the designated period, the estimated cost will be: Miscellaneous Plan Additional Employer Contribution: Annual Cost: Rate Increase in Employer Contribution: $11,043,270 (over twenty years) $834,084 0.99% Additionally, if all 233 eligible employees retire under this program, the annual base salary savings would be approximately $24.8 million annually. However, during the previous Two 2-3 Page 4 of 4 Year Service Credit offering, only 20 percent of the eligible employees retired. Assuming only 10 percent acceptance rate, both the employer costs and salary savings would be reduced proportionately. Again, assuming 10 percent of eligible employees retire, the annual net savings to the City's General Fund is estimated at $2.48 million. A final list of employees who applied for retirement pursuant to the offer will be presented to CalPERS after the expiration of the application window. CalPERS will include the cost of the Two Years Additional Service Credit in the City's employer contribution rate commencing with the fiscal year starting two years after the end of the designated period. The increase in employer contribution will be amortized over twenty years. The estimated cost of the medical incentive program is $80,125 over nineteen months, if 10 percent of eligible retirees took the coverage for the full nineteen months. However, the City is saving approximately $163,875 in cafeteria plan flexible benefits for this same group. We will be able to accurately identify the final costs once all eligible employees separate from the City and retire. In addition to the budgetary impacts, there will be an impact to the City's unfunded liability for other post-employment benefits (OPEB). The Finance Department will determine the OPEB unfunded liability in order to comply with the Govemmental Accounting Standards Board Pronouncement 45. CONTRACT AMENDMENT PROCESS A contract amendment between the City of Chula Vista and CalPERS to grant a designated period is not required. The following attachments will be included with the Resolution on April 22, 2008. For signature: 1. Resolution to Grant Another Designated Period for Two Years Additional Service Credit 2. Certification of Governing Body's Action (PERS-CON-12) 3. Certification of Compliance with Government Code Section 7507 (PERS CON-12A) 4. Certification of Compliance with Government Code Section 20903 Signature not required: I. Estimated Present Value of Additional Employer Contribution. 2-4