February 9, 2016, Meeting Minutes

MINUTES OF THE SPRINGFIELD RETIREMENT BOARD
HELD ON, FEBRUARY 9, 2016 AT 5:00 P.M.

PRESENT: Robert Moynihan, Philip Mantoni, Patrick Burns, Thomas Scanlon, Haskell Kennedy, Attorney Alfredo ViVenzio, Executive Director, Anne Leduc, Judy L. Dziobek, Recording Clerk, Drew Piemonte, William Sepulveda, Attorney Joseph Donnellan, Matthew Cincotta, Christopher Mullen, Attorney Charles Casartello, Attorney Peter Moran, Alejandro Colon, Jose Alves, Rosa Alves, Robert Mulcahey, Frank Arduino

Agenda Item #1-Minutes
Motion by Burns to accept the minutes of the meeting held on, January 6, 2016, seconded by Mantoni and voted unanimously.

Agenda Item #2-Superannuations
Motion by Scanlon to accept the following superannuation retirement applications submitted by: Bette Goulet, SHA Purchasing clerk with 10 years as of 2/17/16, Thomas Kennedy, Police Lieutenant with 35 years and 6 months as of 2/27/16, William Sepulveda, Firefighter with 28 years and 4 months as of 1/20/16, Raymond Ziemba, Water & Sewer Commission with 41 years as of 2/1/16, second by Kennedy and voted unanimously.

Agenda Item #3-Warrants
Motion by Kennedy to approve the payment of the following warrants: Warrant #2 Expenses in the amount of $809,753.11, Warrant #3 Refunds in the amount of $166,523.49, Warrant #4 January Retiree allowances in the amount of $5,870,566.72 with a redemption from the PRIT fund in the amount of $4,400,000.00, second by Scanlon and voted unanimously.

Agenda Item #4-Refunds
Motion by Scanlon to accept the fourteen (14) requests for refunds, seconded by Burns and voted unanimously

Agenda Item #5-Redeposit of Refunds and Makeup of Contributions
Motion by Burns to allow the redeposit of a refund for: Timothy Ferriter, Parks Department refund
from Springfield Retirement System in 1995, Michele Moore, School Paraprofessional refund from Springfield Retirement System in 2014, Adelai Mertilien-Cornet, Fire Dispatcher refund from Springfield Retirement System in 2015, second by Scanlon and voted unanimously.

Agenda Item #6-91A Overearnings
At the request of Retiree, Frank Arduino, to discuss overearnings information from P.E.R.A.C. Mr. Arduino presented documents pertaining to his overpayment. After a brief discussion, Mr. Arduino stated he would like to have his amount due deducted from his monthly pension check beginning February, 2016.

Agenda Item #7-Calendar for Board Election
Motion by Kennedy to adopt the election calendar, second by Burns and voted unanimously. Motion by Mantoni to process the election by mail, second by Kennedy and voted unanimously. Motion by Scanlon to elect Judy Dziobek as Election Officer, second by Kennedy and voted unanimously. Motion by Mantoni to have election ballots counted on July 20, 2016, second by Kennedy and voted unanimously.

Agenda Item #8-Creditable Service
Motion by Scanlon to deny the request from Vincent Penna to accept 4 months of creditable service, second by Kennedy and voted unanimously.

Agenda Item #9-Accidental Death Benefits
Motion by Scanlon to grant section 9 benefits for Sharon McGuire, the surviving spouse of retired Firefighter, James McGuire, second by Kennedy and voted unanimously.

Agenda Item #10-Accidental Disability-William Sepulveda/Fire Department
EXECUTIVE SESSION: Motion made by Mantoni and seconded by Kennedy to enter into Executive Session and then return to Open Session. Burns, yes, Kennedy, yes, Mantoni, yes, Moynihan, yes Scanlon, yes. Motion by Scanlon to accept the responses of the medical panel, the Members application and Treating Physician Statement for accidental disability benefits for Firefighter Sepulveda, seconded by Mantoni, Burns, yes, Moynihan, yes, Kennedy, no.

Agenda Item #11-Accidental Disability-Matthew Cincotta/Fire Department
Motion by Scanlon to accept the application for accidental disability and request that P.E.R.A.C. convene a medical panel, seconded by Kennedy and voted unanimously.

Agenda Item #12-Accidental Disability-Jose Alves/Facilities
Motion by Scanlon to accept the application for accidental disability benefits and request that P.E.R.A.C. convene a medical panel. Motion failed for a second. Motion by Burns to table the application for accidental disability pending receipt of additional medical records, second by Scanlon and voted unanimously.

Agenda Item #13-Accidental Disability-Christopher Mullen/D.P.W.
Motion by Kennedy to accept the application for accidental disability and request that P.E.R.A.C. convene a medical panel pending witness affidavits and updated medical information to be provided by Attorney Charles Casartello, seconded by Scanlon and voted unanimously.

Agenda Item #14- Accidental Disability-Alejandro Colon/D.P.W.
Motion by Scanlon to accept the application for accidental disability and request that P.E.R.A.C. convene a medical panel, seconded by Kennedy and voted unanimously.

Agenda Item #15-Director’s Report
The Director updated the Board on the need for information pertaining to the 1/1/2016 Actuarial Valuation. The director noted that the Tyler software program has many errors in the actuarial file.

The Director also informed the Board that an error was found in a Retiree’s pension amount and that the correction went back over 16 years.

Agenda Item #16-Attorney’s Report
Attorney ViVenzio updated the Board on various settlements involving disability retirees.

Agenda Item #17-Old Business
None

Agenda Item #18-New Business
The Director submitted an application for survivor benefits to Robert L. Pratt, the surviving spouse of Mary Abeid-Pratt. Motion by Kennedy to grant section 12(2)(d) benefits, second by Scanlon and voted unanimously.

The Director informed the Board that an agenda item for the July 2016 COLA is needed. The Director stated that notice would be given to the Units in advance. Motion by Burns to consider a vote for a Cost of Living Increase for the retirees which will be held at the March 2, 2016 meeting, second by Kennedy and voted unanimously.

F. Y. I.
Treasurer’s Reconciliation for December 2016, P.E.R.A.C. memo’s: #1-Schedule 7 Reports, #2-2016 Federal Limitations on Compensation, #3-2016 Limits under section 23, c.131 of the Acts of 2010, #4-COLA notice, #5-Mandatory Board Member Training, #6-Mandatory Ethics Training, #7-2016 Interest Rate set at 0.1%, Recent Retiree Deaths, PRIT fund update, December 2015

Motion made by Mantoni to Adjourn at 6:35 P.M. second by Kennedy.

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Robert P. Moynihan, Chairman

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Thomas M. Scanlon, Elected Member

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Haskell Kennedy, Appointed Member

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Patrick S. Burns, Appointed Member

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Philip J. Mantoni, 5th Member