Subject:

Regulation:

MEMBERSHIP:

March 7, 2005
Eligibility:
1. All employees must be considered regular employees to be eligible for membership in the system. Temporary, seasonal or intermittent employees are not eligible for membership with the exception of temporary military substitutes.

2. All temporary military substitutes who are appointed for one year or more to fill a position of a member on military leave are eligible for membership upon appointment. All temporary military substitutes who are (initially) appointed for less than one year shall become a member when employed in that position for one year or more. A temporary military substitute who did not become a member upon appointment shall have the option of buying back their time worked to the original date of appointment.

3. Part-time employees who work a minimum of twenty hours a week must become members of the system.

4. Temporary employees who become permanent employees shall have the option of buying back their time worked as temporary employees with this service prorated based on the actual hours worked (see #B2).

5. BLANK

6. In the case of an individual being appointed to fill the term of a paid elected position, the following shall apply:
• If the individual is currently a member of the Montague Retirement System, the individual shall be credited for full-time service for the duration of the appointment.
• If the individual is not a member of the Montague Retirement System, they shall not be eligible for membership until such time as the individual is elected to the position and selects membership in the Montague Retirement System.

7. A member who takes an additional job within the Montague Retirement System shall have those wages treated as regular compensation [consistent with 840 CMR 15.03], regardless of whether their current position(s) is/are full-time or part-time. March 5, 2002

CREDITABLE SERVICE:

March 7, 2005
1. Full-time and part-time members will receive one full year of creditable service or each year employed.

2. Upon becoming a member, an employee may buy back time worked at less than twenty hours per week, when ineligible membership. Pro-ration of part-time creditable service (less than twenty hours per week) shall be based on full-time equivalency of twenty hours per week.

3. Members on an unpaid leave of absence (who are not receiving workers compensation) will receive up to one month creditable service for the leave of absence. Members will receive full service credit for a fully compensated leave of absence. Those members who are granted partial compensation for a leave of absence will receive partial service credit. This provision is retroactive to January 1, 1997.

4. Former employees who were excluded from membership by rules of the Board at the time of their employment are not eligible to buy back creditable service from the Montague Retirement System. These individuals may purchase this creditable service from their current system under MGL Ch 32 Section 3 (5). This section shall not apply to school employees who are cafeteria workers or teachers aides/paraprofessionals.

5. The Board shall not grant creditable service for time worked on "Outside Details.” However, the Board shall allow a member to buy back pro-rated creditable service for employment as a part-time Police Officer for the Town of Montague, regardless of whether the member was on an approved civil service list. Such service shall not be granted during the period for which a member receives creditable service under #C1. Such creditable service shall be dependent on adequate payroll records of the town, and shall not be granted in the absence of adequate payroll records.

August 14, 2010
6. All buybacks must be completed within 5 years of the first payment.  Payment of buy backs of creditable service may be made one of the following ways:

• Lump sum payment
• Monthly payments with a minimum of $100.00 per month.
• Weekly payments with a minimum on $25.00 per week

Payroll deductions are accepted.
This section is effective for all buyback payments started on or after August 24, 2010.

March 7, 2005
Call Firefighters and Reserve Police Officers:
1. The Board shall credit as full-time service not to exceed five years, that period of time during which a reserve or intermittent police officer or a reserve, permanent intermittent or call firefighter was on his/her respective list and was eligible for assignment to duty subsequent to his/her appointment. Such service as a reserve, permanent intermittent or call firefighter shall be credited only if later appointed as a permanent member of the Fire Department.

March 7, 2005
School Employees:
1. Cafeteria workers and Teacher Aides/Paraprofessionals who are regularly employed working a full school year for a minimum of twenty hours a week and are permanent employees with a stated hourly or weekly rate of compensation must become members of the system. An exception is granted to Teacher Aides/Paraprofessionals hired prior to September 1985.

2. School employees who are continuously employed shall receive 12 months creditable service per calendar year. School employees who terminate/resign shall receive creditable service adjusted to the date of termination/resignation. A school employee who works on the last day of a school year and the first day of the following school year shall receive creditable service for the intervening months.

March 7, 2005
Veterans Buybacks:
1. The buy back amount for eligible members pertaining to purchase of military time shall be paid within five years from the date of application. Payment may be made as provided in above.

2. If a dual service veteran requests a buy back under a provision of Massachusetts General Laws (MGL), and that veteran is a full-time employee within the Montague Retirement System (MRS) or has a majority of his /her hours within our system, the MRS will offer to have the buy back made to the MRS. If the veteran is a full-time employee within another retirement system which has accepted the necessary provisions of the MGL (or has a majority of his /her current hours in that system), the MRS will request that the buy back be made to the other system.

REGULAR COMPENSATION:

MISCELLANEOUS:

March 7, 2005
 Repayments of Erroneous Benefits:
 1. The Board will allow repayment of erroneous benefits either by a lump sum payment or by monthly payments. If monthly payments are chosen, the repayment period may not exceed the length of time over which the erroneous payment was paid.

March 7, 2005
Miscellaneous Provisions:

1. The Board will elect officers annually at the September meeting and within sixty (60) days of a Chairperson leaving the Board.

2. Employees of the Montague Retirement System are eligible for health and life insurance through the carriers offered by the town of Montague. Retirement employees are also eligible to participate in the employee-paid plans for dental, disability, additional life and similar policies offered by the Town of Montague. The Montague Retirement Board shall reimburse the employer's share of health and life insurance to the Town of Montague. The amount paid by the employee shall be included in and negotiated as part of the employment contract.

3. The Montague Retirement System will carry workers' compensation insurance for the board members and employees. In the absence of such a policy, the board will make direct payments for workers' compensation. Such payments will include lost wages and medical bills.

4. The Board shall calculate the monthly benefit for a retiree who dies prior to the last day of the month according to the following formula:
Daily allowance (monthly allowance divided by the days in the month) multiplied by the days of life (including the day of death).

5. Board members who miss more than 3 meetings a year, for reasons other than personal or family illness, shall be requested to resign.