Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement

March 14, 2017
Room G-15 State Capitol

MINUTES

Call to order:

Commission Members Present:

Representatives Anderson, Murphy, O'Driscoll, Peterson, Thissen, and Vogel
Senators Jasinski, Pappas, Rosen, Schoen, and Senjem

Commission Members Absent:

Representative Albright, and Senators Dahms, and Limmer

Agenda Items

SF 26 (Sparks); HF 11 (Poppe): Austin Fire Relief Association/PERA-P&F; Permitting an alternative allocation of fire state aid for the City of Austin.

Rep. Jeanne Poppe and Sen. Dan Sparks presented and testified in support of their bill.

Rachel Barth, Deputy Director, Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement, reviewed amendment S0026-1A, creating a work group to study fire state aid related to combination fire plans.

Tom Dankert, Administrative Services Director, City of Austin, testified in support of the bill and in support of amendment S0026-1A.

Sen. Senjem moved amendment S0026-1A. MOTION PREVAILED.

Sen. Pappas moved amendment S0026-2A. MOTION PREVAILED.

Mark Kerr, Investigations Director/Data Practices Official, Office of the State Auditor, testified in support of the amended bill.

Brian Rice, representing the Minnesota Professional Fire Fighters (MPFF), testified that full-time firefighters would be another stakeholder to be involved in the work group.

Sen. Senjem moved SF26/HF11, as amended, be recommended to pass and be incorporated into the 2017 omnibus pension bill. MOTION PREVAILED.

Approval of meeting minutes.

Rep. O'Driscoll moved the March 7, 2017, meeting minutes. MOTION PREVAILED

SF 1945 (Lourey); HF 2092 (Rarick): PERA-SVFRP; Permitting the City of Brook Park to lower the service pension level under the statewide plan.

Rep. Jason Rarick and Sen. Tony Lourey presented and testified in support of their bill, and informed members that both the City and the Brook Park firefighters are in agreement with the change.

Rebecca Conyers, Clerk-Treasurer, City of Brook Park, testified in support of the bill and that the firefighters are comfortable with the change.

Doug Anderson, Executive Director, PERA, testified that PERA does not oppose request, but the bill has raised issues and PERA would like time to talk with Brook Park, specifically, and to have the PERA Statewide Volunteer Firefighter Retirement Plan Advisory Board review the issue.

Sen. Schoen moved SF1945/HF2092 be recommended to pass and be incorporated into the 2017 omnibus pension bill. MOTION PREVAILED.

LCPR17-029: VFRAs; Requiring municipal ratification of benefit increases by volunteer firefighter relief associations (VFRAs) if the municipality makes contributions;
SF 545 (Rosen); HF 565 (O'Driscoll), Art. 7, Sec. 6: VFRAs; Flexible service pension maximums.

Susan Lenczewski, Executive Director, Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement, reviewed LCPR17-029 and referred members to the section of the omnibus bill raising the lump sum maximum.

Robyn Rowen, representing the Eden Prairie Firefighter Relief Association, testified in support of the omnibus bill provision.

Michael G. Lugar, President, Eden Prairie Firefighter Relief Association and Lieutenant, Eden Prairie Fire Department, testified in support of the omnibus bill provision.

Brian Rice, representing the Maplewood Volunteer Firefighters Relief Association, testified in opposition to LCPR17-029.

Luke Fischer, Administrative Services Director, City of Plymouth, testified in support of LCPR170-029.

There was no action on LCPR17-029.

SF 1384 (Rosen); HF 1672 (Murphy): VFRAs; Implementing the recommendations of the Volunteer Fire Relief Association Working Group

SF 1384/HF 1672 was not heard.

Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 6:55 p.m.