City Council Meeting: January 23, 2007

Agenda Item: 7-B 

 

To:                   Mayor and City Council 

From:              Karen Bancroft, Director of Human Resources

Subject:          Resolution of Intention to Amend Contract between the California Public Employees’ Retirement System and the City of Santa Monica to Provide Section 21354.5 (2.7% @ 55 Full Formula) for Local Miscellaneous Members; Hold a Public Hearing; and Introduction and First Reading of an Ordinance to Amend Said Contract as Indicated

 

 

Recommended Action

This report recommends that Council

1.      adopt the attached resolution stating its intent to approve an amendment to the contract between the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS)and the City of Santa Monica to provide Section 21354.5 (2.7% @ 55 Full Formula) for local miscellaneous (non-safety) members;

2.      hold a public hearing; and

3.      introduce for first reading an ordinance to amend said contract.

 

Executive Summary

The City of Santa Monica contracts with CalPERS to provide retirement plans for permanent employees.  As a contracting agency, the City may amend its contract(s) to provide various optional benefits offered by CalPERS. 

 

City of Santa Monica active local miscellaneous (non-safety) members of CalPERS are currently covered by a 2% @ 55 full formula.  As a part of contract negotiations with the City’s miscellaneous (non-safety) bargaining units, the bargaining units requested that the City amend its contract with CalPERS to provide Section 21354.5 (2.7% @ 55 Full Formula) for active local miscellaneous members. 

 

At the June 27, 2006 meeting, the City Council adopted a Resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the City’s Miscellaneous (non-safety) bargaining units to amend the City’s contract with CalPERS to provide the 2.7% @ 55 full formula for active local miscellaneous employees under Section 21354.5 of the California Government Code, effective as of June 1, 2007. Under the terms of the MOU, the employees will reimburse the City for the additional cost of this benefit through an after-tax payroll deduction.  The employee reimbursement to the City is being phased in, starting as of July 1, 2006.    

 

Discussion

Based on the valuation prepared by CalPERS, the implementation of the 2.7% @ 55 retirement formula would increase the City’s CalPERS contribution rate by 5.724% and the employees’ contribution rate by 1.0%.

 

The increase in the City’s contribution rate includes the repayment of an unfunded liability that covers retirement costs of employees who retire prior to the increased benefit being fully funded.  The payment of the unfunded liability, which results in an increase to the City’s Accrued Liability (AL), will be amortized over 20 years by CalPERS and accounts for 3.586% of the 5.724% increase to the City’s contribution rate.  At the end of 20 years, the unfunded liability will have been paid by the City, resulting in a corresponding reduction in the City’s Accrued Liability (AL) and the City’s CalPERS contribution rate.

 

Since the City pays the employees’ CalPERS contributions on their behalf, per the terms of the MOU between the City and its miscellaneous bargaining units, miscellaneous employees will reimburse the City for the increase in the City’s CalPERS contribution rate and the employee’s CalPERS contribution rate resulting from the amendment to the City’s contract with CalPERS to provide 2.7% @ 55 retirement formula option for the City’s miscellaneous (non-safety) employees.

 

In order to amend the City’s contract with CalPERS to provide the 2.7% @ 55 retirement formula option for the City’s miscellaneous employees, the City Council must

 

  1. adopt a Resolution of Intention to amend its contract with CalPERS to provide Section 21354.5 (2.7% @ 55 full formula) for local miscellaneous members;

2.      hold a public hearing; and

3.      introduce for first reading an ordinance to amend said contract.

 

Since the effective date of the amendment to the City’s contract with CalPERS providing the new CalPERS retirement formula must coincide with the beginning of a payroll period, the amendment will become effective May 27, 2007 since this is the payroll period that covers June 1, 2007, the effective date set forth in the MOU between the City and its miscellaneous (non-safety) bargaining units. 

 

This report requests that Council adopt the attached resolution stating its intent to approve an amendment to the contract between the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) and the City of Santa Monica to provide the 2.7% @ 55 full formula for active local miscellaneous employees under Section 21354.5 of the California Government Code, effective as of May 27, 2007.  The attached resolution and agreement comply with the procedure required by CalPERS.  This report also requests that Council hold a public hearing and introduce for first reading an ordinance to amend said contract as indicated.  The ordinance is also attached.

 

Budget/Financial Impact

This change to the miscellaneous members’ CalPERS retirement plan increases the present value of benefits (PVB), or total cost of the plan, from $427,719,548 to $480,459,890, which is a net PVB increase of $52,740,342.  This accounts for 2.138% of the 5.724% increase in the City’s contribution rate.  The accrued liability (AL), which includes the unfunded liability for the retirement costs of employees who retire prior to the increased benefit (2.7% @ 55) being fully funded, will increase from $323,085,273 to $355,979,079, for a total net increase in the accrued liability (AL) of $32,893,806.  This net increase of $32,893,806 in the AL will be amortized over 20 years by CalPERS and will account for 3.586% of the 5.724% increase in the City’s CalPERS contribution rate.  At the end of 20 years, the unfunded liability resulting from the contract amendment will have been paid by the City, resulting in a corresponding reduction in the Accrued Liability and a corresponding reduction in the City’s CalPERS contribution rate.    

 

Per the terms of the MOU between the City and its miscellaneous bargaining units, the amendment to the City’s contract with CalPERS to provide Section 21354.5, 2.7% @ 55 full formula for active local miscellaneous (non-safety) members only, will have no net budget or financial impact on the City since the employees will reimburse the City for the total increase in the combined City and employee contributions to CalPERS.

 

Prepared by:           Karen Bancroft, Director of Human Resources

 

RESOLUTION

 

ORDINANCE

 

CONTRACT AMENDMENT

 

 

 

 

Approved:

 

Forwarded to Council:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Karen Bancroft

Director, Human Resources Department

 

P. Lamont Ewell

City Manager