Greater Lawrence Sanitary District Retirement Board Supplemental Regulations

Regulations accepted by the board and approved by PERAC

Membership:

January 26 2017:
Any individual who is permanently employed twenty (20) or more hours per week by the Greater Lawrence Sanitary District, or by the Greater Lawrence Sanitary District Employees Retirement Board and who earns at least $5,000 per year in regular compensation as that term is defined in M.G.L. c. 32, § 1 and 840 CMR 15.03 shall become a member of the Greater Lawrence Sanitary District Employees Retirement System (“System”).  

Creditable Service:

Any prior supplemental regulation or policy for Creditable Service will be rescinded upon PERAC's approval of the new Greater Lawrence Sanitary District Employees Retirement Board's Supplemental Creditable Service Regulation, which provides as follows:

November 21, 2017
Members of the Greater Lawrence Sanitary District Employees Retirement System shall receive creditable service, in whole month increments (creditable service is not granted for partial months), consistent with this regulation in the following manner:

For a member in service who is employed in a full-time capacity, he/she will receive one (1) month of creditable service for each full month for which the employee receives regular compensation and remits the appropriate contributions to the Greater Lawrence Sanitary District Employees Retirement System, with said service not to exceed one (1) year of creditable service in any calendar year.

For a member in service who is employed in a part-time capacity throughout his/her entire career, he/she will receive one (1) month of creditable service for each full month for which the employee receives regular compensation and remits the appropriate contributions to the Greater Lawrence Sanitary District Employees Retirement System, with said service not to exceed one (1) year of creditable service in any calendar year.

For a member who has rendered membership service in the Greater Lawrence Sanitary District Employees Retirement System in both a full-time and part-time capacity, the member shall receive full credit for all full-time service and prorated credit for part-time service based on the full-time equivalency of a 40 hours per week with 173.33 hours being the equivalent of one (1) month of service (2080 hours per year).

For a member who is employed in a part-time capacity throughout his/her career but who purchases past refunded service rendered in the Greater Lawrence Sanitary District, the member's part-time service shall be prorated based on the full-time equivalency of a 40 hours per week with 173.33 hours being the equivalent of one (1) month of service (2080 hours per year).

Members of the Greater Lawrence Sanitary District Employees Retirement System may only purchase and receive credit for past non-membership service rendered in the Greater Lawrence Sanitary District consistent with the provisions of M.G.L. c. 32, § 4(2)(c), or if the past service was rendered under the jurisdiction of another retirement system, such service may only be purchased pursuant to Section 3(5) if rendered in a temporary, provisional or substitute capacity, provided that the individual was excluded from membership in the other retirement system.  All prior non-membership service shall be calculated with 173.33 hours being the equivalent of one (1) month of creditable service.

Past non-membership service may be purchased consistent with this supplemental regulation.  In addition, for all service rendered on or after July 1, 2009, no creditable service will be granted unless the individual received at least $5,000 in wages during the calendar year.

Any member of the Greater Lawrence Sanitary District Employees Retirement System who has purchased and received creditable service prior to the effective date of this regulation will not be affected by this regulation.

Regular Compensation:

Miscellaneous:

May 6, 2024

Credit Card Policy

The Greater Lawrence Sanitary District Employees’ Retirement System has established this Credit Card Policy permitting the use of GLSDERS Credit Cards to authorized Board and staff as determined by GLSDERS.  They include: Board Chairman and Retirement Administrator.  The GLSDERS is the administrator of this policy and shall be responsible for the issuance and retrieval of assigned Credit Cards to personnel and for overseeing compliance with this policy.

Illegal or unauthorized use of a GLSDERS Credit Card may subject the user to civil or criminal penalties allowed by the law and/or disciplinary action(s) up to and including termination.

(To receive an assigned Credit Card, please read this Credit Card policy and return the signed Credit Cardholder Agreement (Attachment A) to the Retirement Administrator.  Retain a copy of the Credit Card policy, signed Agreement and any future revisions for your reference.)

Credit Cardholder Responsibilities:

A. As determined by GLSDERS Board and Retirement Administrator, only authorized personnel of GLSDERS may use the assigned Credit Card.

B. The Credit Card is not to be used for normal means of purchase.  It should be used only as a last resort where no other method of payment is acceptable or practicable.  Due diligence in the proper planning of purchasing must still be applied.  If a vendor will invoice the retirement board or if a check can be issued through the normal warrant process; that is the preferred method of purchase.

C. A Credit Card may be used only for the purchase of goods and services for official business of GLSDERS.

D. The employee using the Credit Card shall submit receipts and documentation detailing the goods or services purchased, cost, date of the purchase and the official business explanation thereof.  Food or restaurant receipts must be itemized and detailed with reason for the purchase, along with the signed transaction receipt.  Internet purchases must have the confirmation page from the website detailing the details of the order.  When the good(s) are received the packing slip from the order should be sent to the Retirement Office.  Purchasers who make a purchase over the phone should ask that a detailed receipt be faxed or emailed.  The packing slip from the order should be sent to the Retirement Office when the good(s) are received.  The purchase of alcohol, tobacco or entertainment of any kind is strictly prohibited.

E. Above said receipts and documentation shall be submitted to the Retirement Office within five business daysfollowing the date of purchase to reconcile against the monthly Credit Card Statement.

F. The employee issued the Credit Card is responsible for its protection and custody and shall immediately notify the GLSDERS or Retirement Administrator if the card is lost or stolen.  The card should be kept in an accessible but secure location at all times.  The account number should be guarded carefully and not written down or posted within the office.

G. The employee issued the Credit Card is the only employee allowed to make purchases on the card.  Do not give the credit card or account number to another employee to make purchases on your behalf as this is a violation of this policy.

H. Credit Card users must notify vendors or merchants that the Credit Card transaction shall be exempt from Massachusetts Sales Taxes (a tax-exempt certificate is available by requesting one from the Retirement Office) if it is used for the purchase of goods or services in the State of Massachusetts.

I. The Credit Card may not be used for cash advances or personal use.

J. A signed Attachment A – Credit Cardholder Agreement Form must be filled out for each employee issued a Credit Card and the original must be sent to the Retirement Office to be kept on record.

August 4, 2023

Electronic Signature Policy

The Board of the Greater Lawrence Sanitary District Employees Retirement System will allow electronic signatures in compliance with PERAC regulation 840 CMR 28.00 and as specified for each form or documents listed below.

Electronic Signatures will be solicited and accepted via one of the following programs: Docusign or Adobe Acrobat Pro.

Security measures appropriate to each specified form or document will be described individually and utilized as per description.

The following forms and documents are allowed to be completed with electronic signatures:

Expenditure warrants and payment vouchers – either by electronic signature or by wet signature, as defined by PERAC regulation 840 CMR 28.00, but signatures will not be allowed to be submitted via faxed documents or via scanned document.  Only signatures of board members present for the vote approving the expenditures will be allowed.  Documents to be signed will be sent to the signers’ email addresses on record and signers will be provided with a verification code to ensure receipt by the signer.  The signer will be provided with instructions to opt-out of signing electronically and how to sign manually.  Signers can opt to receive copies of the fully signed documents.  Electronic copies of fully signed documents will be stored and maintained in accordance with prescribed retention rules published by the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Board meeting minutes – either by electronic signature or by wet signature, as defined by PERAC regulation 840 CMR 28.00, but signatures will not be allowed to be submitted via faxed documents or via scanned document.  Only signatures of board members present for the meeting for which the minutes were approved by vote of a majority of the board will be allowed.  Documents to be signed will be sent to the signers’ email addresses on record and signers will be provided with a verification code to ensure receipt by the signer.  The signer will be provided with instructions to opt-out of signing electronically and how to sign manually.  Signers can opt to receive copies of the fully signed documents.  Electronic copies of fully signed documents will be stored and maintained in accordance with prescribed retention rules published by the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

January 18, 2017:
Payment of Interest – Correction of Errors Under M.G.L. c.32 § 20(5)(c)(2)
In all cases of correction of an underpayment or non-payment of a pension or benefit to a member or beneficiary of the Greater Lawrence Sanitary District Employees Retirement System which results in a onetime retroactive payment of benefits, such payment shall include interest for such period of underpayment or non-payment at the rate annually determined for such period by the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission pursuant to M.G.L. c. 32 § 22(6)(b).

In all cases of correction of an overpayment of a pension or benefit to a member or beneficiary of the Greater Lawrence Sanitary District Employees Retirement System, the amount of the overpayment shall be due from the member or beneficiary, along with interest for said period of overpayment at the rate annually determined by the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission pursuant to M.G.L. c.32 § 22(6)(b).

Pursuant to the judgment of the Supreme Judicial Court in Herrick v. Essex Regional Retirement Board, 465 Mass. 801 (2013) and PERAC Memorandum #32/2013, said interest shall be deemed the actuarial equivalent of the adjustment to the pension or benefit as required by M.G.L. c 32 § 20(5)(c).

The Board will prospectively correct all such errors so that the member or beneficiary receives the corrected monthly benefit. Additionally, in a circumstance in which the Board is owed funds by a member or beneficiary to correct an error, the Board shall in its sole discretion withhold an amount it deems appropriate from the member's or beneficiary's monthly benefit until such time as the debt plus applicable interest is fully recovered.  In a circumstance in which the Board is owed funds by a member or beneficiary to correct an error, and the member or beneficiary is no longer entitled to receive a monthly benefit, the Board will seek to recover any amount owed in the most prudent and practical manner possible, and reserves all remedies including but not limited to the right to maintain an action in contract, to recover any amount due from the member, beneficiary or the member's or beneficiary's estate.

The Greater Lawrence Sanitary District Employees Retirement Board's Supplemental Interest Rate Regulation shall be effective on the date of PERAC's approval.

July 25, 2012:
Adopted the provisions for remote participation in future retirement board meetings for proper cause.