In the event that a city employee transfers from another retirement plan sponsored by the city to this plan or from this plan to another retirement plan sponsored by the city, his or her pension status will be subject to the following rules:
(A) DATE OF TRANSFER shall be the date when the change in job status occurs such that he or she is considered an employee pursuant to this plan.
(B) A member's total retirement benefits shall consist of a combination of the following:
(1) Benefits payable by the previous plan. The member's accumulated contributions, if any, shall remain funds of the previous plan. The member's retirement benefit payable from the previous plan shall be calculated by using benefit percentage rates and his or her credited service as of the date of transfer, and the greater of his salary as of the date of his or her termination of employment or as the date of transfer. This benefit shall be payable commencing on the member's normal retirement date pursuant to this plan. The transferred employee shall not be eligible for any other benefits from the previous plan.
(2) Benefits payable by this plan. For purposes of determining eligibility for retirement benefits under this plan, the employee's credited service prior to and after the date of transfer shall be included. For purposes of determining the amount of benefits payable under this plan, excluding death and disability benefits, only service following the date of transfer shall be included. For purposes of determining the amount of any death or disability benefits payable under this plan, credited service both prior to and after the date of transfer shall be included.
(C) In the event that a city employee who is a member of this plan is no longer considered an employee pursuant to this plan, the rules regarding his or her transfer to another retirement plan sponsored by the city shall be as set forth above, provided such other plan has appropriate language to accept transfers on the same basis.
(D) If, prior to the date when this language regarding transferred employees becomes effective, an employee had transferred from one retirement plan sponsored by the city to another and had thereby lost credit under the previous plan for his or her service prior to the date of transfer, his or her credited service under the previous plan shall be restored under the following conditions:
(1) The person must be an employee of the city on the date this language becomes effective.
(2) Upon notification, the employee must repay to the previous plan that amount of his or her contributions that he or she received from the previous plan due to his transfer to another plan within the city. The employee will have 60 days to exercise this option. He or she will be given one year to repurchase every two years of prior service.
(3) All previous contributions must be repaid prior to the employee's retirement to be eligible for any benefit under the previous plan.
(4) Upon satisfaction of these conditions, the employee will be credited with service in each plan as indicated in division (B) above.
(E) If a member of this plan transferred to the Police Officer's Retirement System or the Firefighters’ Pension System and subsequently participates in the DROP plan of the Police Officer's Retirement System or the Firefighters’ Pension System, any DROP benefit being held for the member in this plan may be transferred from this plan to the Police Officer's Retirement System or the Firefighters’ Pension System.
(F) The coordination of benefits provision in this section shall have no application to any city employee who becomes a Police Officer or Firefighter on or after July 15, 2009.
(Ord. O-2010-30, passed 7-21-10; Am. Ord. O-2014-02, passed 3-5- 14; Am. Ord. O-2016-06, passed 5- 18-16)