Agenda - Council - 02/08/2021 - Laserfiche WebLink

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not negatively impact the financial health of the pension funds nor result in employer contribution increases. The continued authority of cities to effectively use retirees in reemployment situations. The League supports policy changes which would include an increase in the earnings threshold for such retirees and supports keeping the required break in service at 30 days and opposes suspending payments to retirees. For PERA Police and Fire, any further increases in employer contributions should only be considered by the Legislature after other measures have been considered, including: a) An initial increase in the employee contribution of at least 1.0% of salary with subsequent increases split evenly between employee and employer so that the contribution ratio moves toward a more equitable split between employees and employers; or b) An additional state general fund appropriation to fund the deficiency in police and fire pension aid payments so that the state equalizes the contributions of employers and employees. c) Increasing the minimum and full retirement ages for new PERA Police and Fire plan participants. d) Implementing a contribution -based benefit formula that would align benefits payable with contributions made on behalf of an employee in order to address high -five spiking issues. The League also supports: a) Maintaining the statutory changes made to Minn. Stat. § 353.01 in 2007 that separate injuries resulting from 111 "hazardous duties" from injuries resulting from "non -hazardous duties" for purposes of police and fire disability retirement benefits. b) A thorough study by PERA of the current effects of overtime accumulation and outside employment compensation on individual pension benefits and the overall funding of the plan. The study should also include recommendations on whether the overtime or outside employment should be factored into or excluded from high five average wage calculations. c) Allowing cities, including cities with combination (full-time and paid -on call staff) fire departments, to work with their fire relief associations to determine the best application of fire state aid. For PERA Corrections Plan the League supports: a) Maintaining the current definition of covered employees for the PERA corrections plan, which does not include dispatchers due to the substantial differences between the dispatchers and the existing corrections positions covered by this plan. For all PERA defined benefit plans the League supports: a) Adjustments to the benefits for active members and retirees to reduce the cost of the plans. b) Requiring special legislation for individual employee pension benefit increases be initiated or approved by the city council of the impacted city unless the cost of the benefit increase is fully covered by the individual or