Subject:

Regulation:

MEMBERSHIP:

April 27, 2011: Any individual who is permanently employed twenty (20) or more hours per week by the Town of Andover, Andover Public Schools, the Andover Housing Authority or the Andover Retirement Board shall become a member of the Andover Retirement System (“System”).  In addition to the foregoing, an individual or elected official must earn at least $5,000 per year in regular compensation to be eligible for membership.  Elected officials are not required to satisfy the 20 hour per week minimum criteria.

January 5, 2000: - The Board voted to give members who are eligible to purchase active duty military service a choice of when to begin their military buyback, just as regular municipal make-ups are handled.  PERAC’s guidelines require the member to apply for permission to do the makeup within the 180-day window, but nothing in the law requires the member to begin payment at that time. 

October 30, 1996: - Retirement Board voted to accept Veterans buyback – Chapter 71 of the Acts of 1996, with the following stipulations:  the buyback must be completed (paid in full) within 5 years, the minimum payment per week will be $10, and no interest will be charged

September 29,1995: - Retirement Board voted to place emergency fire/police signal operators to Group 2 (dispatchers)

June 28,1991: - Retirement Board voted that effective 09/01/1991 any employee working 20 hours or more per week in a permanent position (except seasonal and substitutes) will have mandatory retirement deductions  taken from day one of their employment; any employee working less than 20 hours per week would
have mandatory OBRA (or social security) deductions taken

October 29, 1970: - Retirement Board voted to grant membership to crossing guards

CREDITABLE SERVICE:

October 14, 2009: FURLOUGH AND/OR SALARY REDUCTION DUE TO BUDGET RESTRICTIONS

• Members in service of the Andover Contributory Retirement System shall receive a full year of creditable service for each calendar year in which the member receives regular compensation as an employee, provided that the employee is not removed from the payroll in excess of thirty (30) days in the aggregate, irrespective of whether those days are consecutive or not.
• Members in service of the Andover Contributory Retirement System who receive a reduction in compensation in lieu of or in addition to being furloughed for not less than 30 days shall have their retirement calculated based on the rate of regular compensation which was in effect immediately preceding the furlough or reduction in compensation.

Members in service of the Andover Contributory Retirement System who have their hours of employment reduced will be considered to be furloughed employees, and thus their regular compensation for the purpose of retirement will be calculated by using the rate of regular compensation in effect prior to the reduction in hours.

October 31, 1972: - Retirement Board voted to grant a full year of creditable service for each year of service performed
by an employee working in a permanent part time position of 20 hours or more per week

July 1, 1937: - The Retirement Board does not accept liability for substitute service of any nature

REGULAR COMPENSATION:

July 18, 2006: - Retirement Board voted not to take retirement deductions from the following payments
(effective dates are noted, if applicable):

Andover Independent Employees Association (AIEA):
Effective immediately:
Tuition Reimbursement
Education Incentive (one time payments – not regular and recurring)
Effective 07/01/2007:
15% longevity increase for 26-week period

American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME):
Effective for contract covering the periods July 1, 2004 through June 30, 2007:
15% longevity increase for 8-week period

Andover Public Safety Emergency Signal Operators/Communicators (Dispatchers):
Effective for contract covering the periods July 1, 2004 through June 30, 2007:
15% longevity increase for 16-week period for members w/ 30 or more years service
15% longevity increase for 8-week period for member w/ less than 30 years service

Town of Andover Department Heads (Dept Heads):
Effective 07/01/2007:
15% longevity increase for 52-week period

International Association of Firefighters, Local 1658, AFL-CIO (Firefighter):
Effective 07/01/2007:
15% longevity increase for 52-week period

July 18, 2006: - Retirement Board voted not to take retirement deductions from the following payments
(effective dates are noted, if applicable) continued from previous page:

Andover Police Patrolmen’s Union (APPO):
Effective 07/01/2007:
15% longevity increase for 52-week period

Andover Police Superior Officers Association (Superior Officers):
Effective 07/01/2007:
15% longevity increase for 52-week period

September 30, 1997: - Retirement Board voted to take retirement deductions from minutes takers salary (as long as it is not paid as overtime and the work is regular and recurring)

April 30, 1996: - Retirement Board voted to take retirement deductions from employees doing fire alarm service

December 29, 1995: - Retirement Board informed via PERA memo to take retirement deductions from car allowance and
clothing allowance

June 29, 1995: - Retirement Board voted not to take retirement deductions on sick days sold back at end of year

MISCELLANEOUS:

August 14, 2009: GROUP CLASSIFICATION
Full-time employees who serve as full-time public safety dispatchers for the Town of Andover are considered by the Retirement Board to be performing updated duties of Fire and Police Signal Operators, as listed in G.L. c. 32, § 3(2) (g) Group 2, provided that no member who attains age sixty-five (65) while classified in Group 1 may thereafter be classified in Group 2.

This Supplemental Local Rule re-affirms the Andover Retirement Board’s prior determination that its public safety dispatchers are classified as members of Group 2 and re-affirms its prior decision and will perform all calculations based upon the timing of the creation of its prior policy.

December 17, 2007: - Any documents held in the retirement office that are scheduled for destruction which contain confidential information (ie, SSN, date of birth, etc) will be shredded before discarding or recycling.

February 22, 2006: - Monthly premiums for a retiree and/or survivor’s health insurance will be deducted from his/her gross
monthly retirement check automatically unless their monthly check does not cover the full premium for their health insurance, in which case, the person will be billed monthly

February 23, 2001: - The spouse of any married employee retiring under Mass General Laws chapter 32 must sign the acknowledgment of his or her retiring spouse’s option choice in the presence of an Andover  Contributory Retirement System staff or Board member