Authorizes the village of Quogue, county of Suffolk to offer certain retirement options to police officer Robert J. Hammel

BILL NUMBER:S5266

Title of bill

An act to authorize the village of Quogue, in the county of Suffolk to offer an optional twenty year retirement plan to police officer Robert J. Hammel

Purpose

This legislation would allow the village of Quogue to reopen the provisions of the optional retirement plan offered under § 384-d of the Retirement and Social Security Law to Police Officer Robert J. Hammel.

Summary of provisions

This bill will allow the village of Quogue, in the county of Suffolk, a participating employer in the New York State and Local Police and Fire Retirement System, to elect to reopen the provisions of Section 384-d of the Retirement and Social Security Law for police officer Robert J. Hammel.

The village may file with the State Comptroller by December 31, 2013 a resolution of its town board together with certification that Robert J. Hammel did not bar himself from participation in the retirement plan as a result of his own negligence. Thereafter, Robert J. Hammel must file a request with the State Comptroller by June 30, 2014 electing coverage under § 384-d of the Retirement and Social Security Law.

All past costs associated with the implementation of these provisions shall be borne by the village of Quogue.

JUSTIFICATION:Police Officer Robert J. Hammel has been employed by the Quogue Village Police Department since March 1, 2009. Prior to his appointment to the Quogue Village PD, he was employed full-time by the Suffolk County Park Police and was enrolled as a member of the New York State and Local Police and Fire Retirement System (P&F) covered by the provisions of Section 375-i of the Retirement and Social Security Law.

At the time of his appointment to the Quogue Village PD, for reasons not ascribable to his own negligence, he failed to make a timely application to participate in the optional retirement plan offered by § 384-d of the Retirement and Social Security Law to which all other police officers employed by the Quogue Village PD are enrolled. As such, he remains enrolled in the P&F § 375-i retirement plan. Enactment of this legislation is necessary to allow the village of Quogue to reopen the provisions of § 384-d to make participation in the proper retirement plan available to Police Officer Robert J. Hammel.

Legislative history

New Legislation, 2013.

Fiscal implications

The Actuary of the New York State and Local Police and Fire Retirement System anticipates an increase of approximately $7,800 in the annual contributions of the village of Quogue for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2014. In addition, there will be an immediate past service cost of approximately $10,300 which would be borne by the village of Quogue as a onetime payment based on the assumption that payment will be made on February 1, 2014. The

village would have the option of amortizing the cost over a five-year period; the cost for the first year would be approximately $2,370.

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately.