(A) Police officers and dispatchers and firefighters who are members of the city’s employee’s pension plan at the time of adoption of this retirement system shall be eligible to become members of this system. Any other police officer, dispatcher, or firefighter shall be eligible to become a member if at least 18 years of age provided the following standards are met.
(1) The employee satisfactorily completes all required medical examinations for an employee of his classification.
(2) The employee meets all requirements of the Civil Service Board of the city except the probationary period.
(B) (1) Each employee who is eligible to become a member of this system in accordance with the eligibility provisions above shall, if required by state law, be required to become a member as a condition of continued employment by the city as an employee. Reentry into the system after discontinuance of prior participation shall be permitted on a uniform, nondiscriminatory basis and upon compliance with the provisions of subsection (A)(1) and subsection (A)(2) above. However, any person who was previously a member of the system and who is rehired as a classified employee on or after January 1, 1977, shall be eligible for reentry into the system, notwithstanding the age limitation of subsection (A) above; further provided, however, no credit shall be given for any period of time during the interruption of service. Credit for prior service shall be granted only upon repayment in full of all monies previously refunded to the member, together with such interest at the rate or rates assumed for actuarial purposes as shall be certified by the actuary to be due. If repayment in full is not made as aforesaid, any monies paid pursuant to this section shall be refunded plus interest at the rate set forth in § 34.061(D), and there shall be no further opportunity to obtain credit for prior service.
(2) Effective October 1, 2022, any city employee employed in a full-time position on or after October 1, 2022 who becomes a member of the Police and Firefighters Retirement System in accordance with § 34.050(B) may purchase credit for prior continuous service for all or any portion of their employment with the city as a firefighter. The election to purchase prior service must be made on a form to be supplied by the Board within 90 days of the effective date of this section. Employees may purchase such credit for continuous service by paying the full actuarial cost thereof, plus interest, as determined by the plan actuary. The purchase amount may be paid through a cash payment or a direct trustee-to-trustee transfer or rollover from an eligible plan. In addition, the employee may utilize up to 1,000 hours of accrued vacation and/or sick leave toward the purchase of prior continuous service. An employee who elects to purchase prior continuous service will have four years from their employment reinstatement date to complete the purchase. Only that time purchased by the earlier date that the employee terminates service or retires will be counted toward the vesting or benefit accrual. If repayment in full is not made as aforesaid, any monies paid pursuant to this section shall be refunded, plus interest at the rate set forth in § 34.061(D), and there shall be no further opportunity to obtain credit for prior service.
(3) Effective October 1, 2022, for members who are active firefighters on October 1, 2022, excluding members who are participating in the Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP), and firefighters hired on or after October 1, 2022, the vesting period shall be seven (7) years of continuous service.
(C) All employees in similar circumstances shall be treated alike on a uniform, nondiscriminatory basis.
(D) It is the intention of the City Commission that Ordinance 84-66 have retroactive effect such that any police officer, dispatcher, or firefighter currently employed on the effective date of Ordinance 84-66 who was not more than 46 years of age on his date of employment shall become a member of the Police and Firefighters Retirement System retroactive to said date of employment.
(‘58 Code, § 11.40) (Ord. 72-59, passed 8-15-72; Am. Ord. 85-27, passed 2-5-85; Am. Ord. 86-30, passed 1-7-86; Am. Ord. 86-81, passed 7-29-86; Am. Ord. 95-19, passed 11-22-94; Am. Ord. 2000-73, passed 9-12-00; Am. Ord. 2001-31, passed 1-23-01; Am. Ord. 2003-5, passed 10-8-02; Am. Ord. 2023-11, passed 11-8-22; Am. Ord. 2024-01, passed 10-10-23)