06-03-2019 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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CITY OF LINO LAKES, MINNESOTA NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS December 31, 2018 Note 7 DEFINED BENEFIT PENSION PLANS – PERA A. PLAN DESCRIPTION The City participates in the following cost-sharing multiple-employer defined benefit pension plans administered by the Public Employees Retirement Association of Minnesota (PERA). PERA’s defined benefit pension plans are established and administered in accordance with Minnesota Statutes, Chapters 353 and 356. PERA’s defined benefit pension plans are tax qualified plans under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code. 1. General Employees Retirement Fund (GERF) All full-time (with the exception of employees covered by PEPFF) and certain part-time employees of the City are covered by the General Employees Retirement Fund (GERF). GERF members belong to the Coordinated Plan. Coordinated Plan members are covered by Social Security. 2. Public Employees Police and Fire Fund (PEPFF) The PEPFF, originally established for police officers and firefighters not covered by a local relief association, now covers all police officers and firefighters hired since 1980. Effective July 1, 1999, the PEPFF also covers police officers and firefighters belonging to local relief associations that elected to merge with and transfer assets and administration to PERA. B. BENEFITS PROVIDED PERA provides retirement, disability, and death benefits. Benefit provisions are established by state statute and can only be modified by the state legislature. Vested, terminated employees who are entitled to benefits but are not receiving them yet are bound by the provisions in effect at the time they last terminated their public service. 1. GERF Benefits Benefits are based on a member’s highest average salary for any five successive years of allowable service, age, and years of credit at termination of service. Two methods are used to compute benefits for PERA’s Coordinated members. Members hired prior to July 1, 1989, receive the higher of Method 1 or Method 2 formulas. Only Method 2 is used for members hired after June 30, 1989. Under Method 1, the accrual rate for Coordinated members is 1.2% for each of the first ten years and 1.7% for each additional year. Under Method 2, the accrual rate for Coordinated Plan members is 1.7% for all years of service. The accrual rates for former Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund (MERF) members is 2.0% for each of the first 10 years of service and 2.5% for each additional year. For members hired prior to July 1, 1989 a full annuity is available when age plus years of service equal 90 and normal retirement age is 65. For members hired on or after July 1, 1989 normal retirement age is the age for unreduced Social Security benefits capped at 66. Beginning January 1, 2019, benefit recipients will receive a future annual increase equal to 50 percent of the Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment, not less than 1.0 percent and not more than 1.5 percent. For retirements on or after January 1, 2024, the first benefit increase is delayed until the retiree reaches Normal Retirement Age (not applicable to Rule of 90 retirees, disability benefit recipients, or survivors). A benefit recipient who has been receiving a benefit for at least 67