Membership:
July 31, 2003
Contribution rate error policy. When a contribution rate error is found, 1) the payroll deduction will be adjusted immediately (if applicable); 2) the member will be notified in writing about the error and 3) the member will be advised of his/her right to write a letter to the board requesting a waiver (if applicable). The board will act on the request accordingly, utilizing PERAC’s waiver form.
March 10, 2003
All full-time employees (except elected officials) working 20 hours or more each week must join the Amesbury Retirement System, except Call Firefighters or Reserve Police Officers. Call Firefighters and Reserve Police Officers are not eligible for membership.
December 22, 1987
The 5/8/73 ruling that E.E.A. employees are not eligible to join the Amesbury Retirement System is voided. Employees paid through grants who were previously ineligible to join the system and now are eligible, are also granted permission to make- up creditable service.
April 26, 1977
That as of this date, April 26, 1977, no town employee shall be eligible to join the Amesbury Municipal Retirement System unless said employee is employed for a minimum of twenty (20) hours per week, with the exception of call firefighters and provisional police.
Creditable Service:
March 27, 2003
Creditable service policy on buybacks is amended as follows: Any member (excludes prior Hospital member time) requesting to buy back prior service time from time worked in Amesbury will be credited for one full year of service for every 1040 hours worked (or 780 hours for School personnel working a 39 week year) upon payment in full.
November 30, 1993
Full time creditable service will be given to any member working greater than 20 hours per week.
Regular Compensation:
March 20, 2009
That time and pay to employees for work in the Before/After School and Summer Programs will not be counted as regular compensation.
September 27, 2000
Approved the Police Department’s policy of allowing officers who receive money for accrued vacation time in the year of their retirement to have it counted toward their final year’s regular salary, (ex. this could mean that 54 weeks of pay are included in one year).
January 27, 1998
Stipends paid to EMT’s for Advance Life Support certification is regular compensation. (see 7/25/95)
July 25, 1995
Inclusion of any regularly scheduled payment by contract, personnel bylaw or employment agreement to be considered "regular compensation."
Miscellaneous:
June 24, 1997
The following policy will be adhered to for replacement or lost retirement checks:
If a retiree does not receive his/her retirement check within three days of the due date, the Retirement or Treasurer’s office must be contacted and a lost check form must be signed.
Replacement checks will be issued one week after the three day due date.
April 2, 1997
The Amesbury Municipal Council and the Mayor’s office adopted Chapter 32, Section 90A increasing accidental disability retirees’ allowances to one half the rate of regular compensation (effective with allowances payable April 30, 1997) of town employees who hold similar positions to the former employee at his/her time of retirement.
January 30, 1996
The Board established a Public Record Request policy: Public records, and records exempt from release, will be defined in accordance with PERA’s guidelines taken from Chapter 4, Section 7, cl. 26 (examples of public records are retirement allowances paid; active member’s accounts; addresses and birth dates).
All public records requests must be submitted in writing to the Board.
It is this Board’s policy to answer all requests in writing with a copy to the respective retiree or member. Or if a denial is deemed necessary, this too shall be in writing.
Requests shall be answered within 10 days. A court order is necessary to freeze or attach any member’s or retiree’s account.
May 25, 1993
Any refunds issued to a former hospital employee on or after this date, would be deemed as an involuntary layoff and the member would be given a full refund of interest.
October 13, 1964
Accepted Chapter 738 of the Acts of 1964, G.L. c. 32, § 4(2)(b).