Title
An Ordinance to add eligible jailors and emergency telecommunicators as public safety personnel members of the Missouri Local Government Employee Retirement System (LAGERS), pursuant to the provisions of Sections 70.600 through 70.755, RSMo. (F&BC 6/5/23)
Body
Issue/Request:
Pursuant to the change in State of Missouri Law, jailors and public safety communications personnel are now eligible for inclusion in the retirement provisions for other public safety personnel, as per the voluntary option for the local jurisdiction to include those personnel into the public safety retirement program through LAGERS. This request is to adopt those changes and to include jailors and public safety communications personnel into the LAGERS public safety retirement system.
Key Issues:
The most recent collective bargaining agreements stipulated that if this change in Missouri law allowed for the inclusion of jailors and public safety communications personnel that the City of Lee's Summit would adopt this voluntary change locally and include those personnel into the LAGERS public safety retirement program. This request would fulfill that commitment made in the most recent I.A.F.F. collective bargaining agreement.
Proposed City Council Motion:
I recommend approval of an Ordinance to add jailors and emergency telecommunicators as public safety personnel members of the Missouri Local Government Employee Retirement System (LAGERS), pursuant to the provisions of Sections 70.600 through 70.755. RSMo.
Background:
Currently, City of Lee's Summit jailors and communications personnel are under the general retirement provision of LAGERS, which is defined as receiving full retirement benefit at age 60, while the public safety full benefit is at age 55. The State of Missouri changed the eligibility law in the last year which allows for voluntary local inclusion of jailors and public safety communications personnel to the public safety retirement benefit afforded to other public safety employees, being police officers and firefighters. As a result of the most recently approved collective bargaining agreements, the City of Lee's Summit committed to adopt these changes if or when State of Missouri law allowed for this change, which it now does.
Impact/Analysis:
Budget impact for FY24 is roughly $133,000 between Police and Fire departments. These figures have been included in the benefit figures for those employees for FY24 and currently do appear in the City Managers proposed FY24 budget.
Timeline:
Start: July 1 2023 (FY24)
Presenter
Brian Austerman, Deputy Fire Chief
John Boenker, Deputy Police Chief
Recommendation
Recommendation:
Staff recommend approval of this Ordinance
Committee Recommendation
Committee Recommendation:
I recommend to the full City Council approval of an Ordinance to add jailors and emergency telecommunicators as public safety personnel members of the Missouri Local Government Employee Retirement System (LAGERS), pursuant to the provisions of Sections 70.600 through 70.755. RSMo.