Created on 12/09/2016

AN ORDINANCE

NO.

An ordinance amending the Columbus, Georgia Pension Plan for General Government Employees, and the Columbus, Georgia Pension Plan for Employees of the Department of Public Safety, and the Deferred Option Retirement Plan to provide that participants may elect to suspend their DROP participation and extend their full time employment with the Consolidated Government for up to five years; and for other purposes.

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THE COUNCIL OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA HEREBY ORDAINS:

SECTION 1.

A new subsection (g) is added at the end of Section 2.13 of the Columbus, Georgia Pension Plan for General Government Employees to read as follows:

(g)

DROP Participation:

No employment service following a Member’s irrevocable election to participate in the DROP or any service during a suspension in DROP participation shall be considered Creditable Service.

SECTION 2.

A new subsection (d) is added at the end of Section 2.19 of the Columbus, Georgia Pension Plan for General Government Employees to read as follows:

(d)

DROP Participation:

No compensation earned following a Member’s irrevocable election to participate in the DROP or during any period of suspension in DROP participation shall be considered Earnings.

SECTION 3.

Section 4.06 of the Columbus, Georgia Pension Plan for General Government Employees is hereby stricken and replaced by a new Section 4.06 to read as follows:

4.06 Pension Benefits Upon Reemployment: If a former Member who is receiving a Pension is reemployed by the Government, the following rules shall apply:

(a)

Full-Time Reemployment and Resumption of Pension:

If such a Member is reemployed as a Full-Time Employee, those Pension payments shall stop, unless he is participating in the DROP as set forth in Section 4.04 above. Pension payments shall also stop during any suspension in DROP participation. During such period of reemployment or suspension in DROP participation no Pension payments shall be made. Upon subsequent Retirement of such a Member, such Pension payments shall again commence as of the first day of the month coincident with or next following such Retirement. The amount and form of such resumed Pension shall be the same as was being paid to such Member prior to reemployment as of his initial Pension commencement date.

(b) Part-Time Reemployment: If such a Member is reemployed as a Part-Time Employee, those Pension payments shall continue uninterrupted.

(c)

Eligibility for and Amount of Additional Pension:

Upon reemployment, if the Employee meets the requirements of Section 2.21 as an Eligible Employee, such Employee shall again become a Member of this Plan on the date of reemployment, shall make Employee Contributions at the rate required of other new employees hired on that date, and shall accrue Credited Service and Vesting Service from the date of reemployment and again be entitled to accrue a benefit in accordance with the provisions of Section 4. However, in the determination of such a Member’s Vesting Service, his prior years of Vesting Service shall be included in addition to his Vesting Service earned after reemployment; provided, however, solely for the purpose of determining the amount of his additional Pension, Credited Service shall accrue only from the date of such reemployment. No member who has participated in the DROP specified in Section 4.04 above shall be eligible for Additional Pension pursuant to this sub-section.

(d) Form of Payment of Additional Pension: Upon subsequent Retirement by

a Member after a period of reemployment, the monthly benefit determined in accordance with the provisions of Section 4 and based on Credited Service from the date of reemployment shall be in addition to the benefit provided for the prior period of employment and the provisions of Section 4.06 (c). The Pension earned by such a Member during the period of reemployment shall be payable in accordance with the provisions of Section 5.

SECTION 4.

A new subsection (f) is added at the end of Section 2.14 of the Columbus, Georgia Pension Plan for Public Safety Employees to read as follows:

(f)

DROP Participation:

No employment service following a Member’s irrevocable election to participate in the DROP or any service during a suspension in DROP participation shall be considered Creditable Service.

SECTION 5.

A new subsection (d) is added at the end of Section 2.20 of the Columbus, Georgia Pension Plan for Public Safety Employees to read as follows:

(d)

DROP Participation:

No compensation earned following a Member’s irrevocable election to participate in the DROP or during any period of suspension in DROP participation shall be considered Earnings.

SECTION 6.

Section 4.06 and of the Columbus, Georgia Pension Plan for Public Safety Employees is hereby stricken replaced by a new section 4.06 that reads as follows:

4.06 Pension Benefits Upon Reemployment: If a former Member who is receiving a Pension is reemployed by the Government, the following rules shall apply:

(a)

Full-Time Reemployment and Resumption of Pension:

(b) Part-Time Reemployment: If such a Member is reemployed as a Part-Time Employee, those Pension payments shall continue uninterrupted.

(c) Eligibility for and Amount of Additional Pension: Upon reemployment, if the Employee meets the requirements of Section 2.22 as an Eligible Employee, such Employee shall again become a Member of this Plan on the date of reemployment, shall make Employee Contributions at the rate required of other new employees hired on that date, and shall accrue Credited Service and Vesting Service from the date of reemployment and again be entitled to accrue a benefit in accordance with the provisions of Section 4. However, in the determination of such a Member’s Vesting Service, his prior years of Vesting Service shall be included in addition to his Vesting Service earned after reemployment; provided, however, solely for the purpose of determining the amount of his additional Pension, Credited Service shall accrue only from the date of such reemployment. No member who has participated in the DROP specified in Section 4.04 above shall be eligible for Additional Pension pursuant to this sub-section.

(d) Form of Payment of Additional Pension: Upon subsequent Retirement by a Member after a period of reemployment, the monthly benefit determined in accordance with the provisions of Section 4 and based on Credited Service from the date of reemployment shall be in addition to the benefit provided for the prior period of employment and the provisions of Section 4.06(c). The Pension earned by such a Member during the period of reemployment shall be payable in accordance with the provisions of Section 5.

SECTION 7.

The Deferred Retirement Option Plan (“the DROP”) adopted to be effective July 1, 2012 is hereby amended and restated in the form shown on the restated plan which is attached as Exhibit A hereto.

SECTION 8.

This ordinance shall be effective and govern all current and future DROP participants as of February 1, 2017.

SECTION 9.

All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict with this ordinance will stand repealed on its effective date.

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Introduced at a regular meeting of the Council of Columbus, Georgia held on the 13th day of December, 2016; introduced a second time at a regular meeting of said Council held on the __ day of , 2017 and adopted at said meeting by the affirmative vote of members of said Council.

Councilor Allen voting______________.
Councilor Baker voting______________.
Councilor Barnes voting_____________.
Councilor Davis voting______________.
Councilor Garrett voting____________.
Councilor Henderson voting__________.
Councilor Huff voting_______________.
Councilor Thomas voting_____________.
Councilor Pugh voting_______________.
Councilor Woodson voting____________.

_____ _____________________________
TINY B. WASHINGTON TERESA PIKE TOMLINSON
CLERK OF COUNCIL MAYOR

Amend to DROP12-13-16 Exhibit A .pdf