title
CONSOLIDATED POLICE OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTERS RETIREMENT PLAN AMENDMENTS FOR POLICE OFFICERS (B)
Ordinance No. 120680
An ordinance of the City of Gainesville, Florida, amending Chapter 2, Article VII, Division 8 (Consolidated Police Officers and Firefighters Retirement Plan) of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Gainesville; amending Section 2-596, Definitions; amending the definition of accrued benefit relating to the multiplier for police officers; amending the definition of earnings related to overtime pay and termination vacation pay for police officers; amending the definition of final average earnings related to the computation of such earnings for police officers; adding a definition of police officer; amending the definition of service credit rules related to service credit for sick leave earned by police officers; amending the definition of trust fund to include individual accounts authorized under the Supplemental Retirement Program for Police Officers; amending Section 2-600, Retirement dates and benefits, related to years of service and age required for normal retirement of police officers, withdrawal of contributions by police officers after termination of employment, and sick leave credit and interest rate for police officers entering DROP; amending Section 2-607, Cost of living adjustment of benefits, related to cost of living adjustments for police officers; adding Section 2-608 to provide a supplemental retirement benefit to police officers; providing directions to the codifier; providing a severability clause; providing a repealing clause; and providing an immediate effective date.
recommendation
The City Commission adopt the proposed ordinance.
explanation
The City Commission, at its meeting of Thursday, January 17, 2013, authorized the preparation and advertisement of this Ordinance. The Ordinance amends the Consolidated Police Officers and Firefighters Retirement Plan (Plan) in accord with the collective bargaining process between the City, Gator Lodge 67, Inc. Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), and North Central Florida Police Benevolent Association, Inc. (PBA). The changes negotiated with the FOP and PBA include modifications to the multiplier, the length and components of final average earnings, eligibility for normal retirement, DROP return, and cost of living adjustments, as well as other changes mandated by Florida Statutes, as more specifically described in the title and body of the Ordinance. They also include the establishment of a supplemental retirement benefit for police officers. These changes will apply to members of the Plan to varying degrees depending on whether the member is a new employee, retirement eligible, or a DROP participant. Only police officers, as that term is defined in the Ordinance, will be affected by the changes. The collective bargaining agreements that include these changes were ratified by the members of the FOP and PBA on May 23, 2013 and will be presented to the City Commission for ratification at the same meeting as the Second Reading of this Ordinance.