Agenda - Council - 05/24/2022 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

ARTICLE X Application for Benefits Section 1. Forms. Applications for service pension benefits must be made in writing on the forms furnished by the Secretary. Section 2. Applications for Service Pensions. Applications for service pensions must be submitted to the Secretary who shall submit the application to the Fire Chief for verification of length of active service, then to the Board of Trustees at a regular or special meeting of the Board of Trustees on or before the end of the quarter of the requested distribution of funds. An application for service pension shall be considered a valid notice of intent to retire. Upon receipt of the application for service pension or in conjunction therewith, the Secretary shall provide any notices to the applicant as required by state or federal law, including IRS rules and regulations, with respect to pension or benefit payments. Applications must state the following: 1. The age, date-of-birth, and social security number of the applicant. 2. The length of service in the Fire Department, verified by the Fire Chief. 3. Date of retirement, verified by the Fire Chief. 4. The length of time the applicant has been a member of the Association. 5. Any additional information pertinent to retirement that the Board of Trustees may require. Section 3. Application Approval. Applications for service pensions must be submitted to the Secretary prior to June 1 for payouts based on the preceding calendar years annual accounting. Payouts shall be made only once annually. Should a firefighter resign or retire without completing a full quarter, that firefighter shall not be eligible for payment on any interest or portion of the State aid or municipal contributions associated with that quarter. Should an applicant be entitled to funds for the year following the accounting, based on completion of one or more full quarter, the amount owed for the following year shall be paid out after the next annual accounting in accordance with this policy. The Secretary shall submit the application to the Board of Trustees. It shall be the duty of the Board to approve applications for service pensions if the applicant meets all of the eligibility requirements set forth in these bylaws. It shall also be the duty of the Board not to approve the application if any of the eligibility requirements are not met. No service pension, including any deferred service pension, or ancillary benefit will be paid until the Application for Distribution has been approved by a majority vote of the Board. If an application is not approved, the Board shall return the application to the applicant within thirty (30) days, noting thereon, with particularity, which requirements the applicant does not meet. Thereafter, the applicant shall be furnished with the opportunity to be heard by the full Board, pursuant to the procedure for review, in these bylaws. If the application is approved, the service pension shall be paid in the manner requested by the applicant, pursuant to Article XIV, Timing and Modes of Distribution. Should a member want to pursue an earlier payout, they may make application for such but any expenses associated with an additional accounting shall be solely born by the applicant. Exceptions to this provision may be made for special circumstances upon application to the board, each application shall be considered by the board on a case-by-case basis. Any determination on such application shall be at the discretion of the board based on the totality of the circumstances. 14 Effective Date:{DATE}