Membership:
September 3, 2019:
Regularly employed individuals are those that work full time and part time (not temporary or seasonal employees).
Regularly employed employees working twenty (20) or more hours per week in a single position must join the retirement system upon first date of employment.
The threshold of twenty (20) or more hours per week CANNOT be met by combining multiple, less than twenty hours per week positions; such employees are NOT eligible for initial membership in the Somerville Retirement System.
November 29, 1994:
To allow full-time, including provisional and temporary, employees to join the Somerville Retirement System immediately upon employment.
March 28, 1988:
Persons who were employed by the City of Somerville prior to January 1, 1984 and are being paid out of Federal Funds will become members of the Somerville Retirement System at an annual contribution rate of 7% due to the fact that they had been denied membership prior to that date.
December 26, 1984:
Regularly employed part-time employees working a minimum of twenty (20) hours per week must join the retirement system upon first date of employment;
Provisional or temporary part-time employees working a minimum of twenty (20) hours per week must join the retirement system after working for six (6) consecutive months;
No employees may join the retirement system unless they work a minimum of twenty (20) hours per week;
All non-elected board members must join the retirement system upon the first date of employment;
Election department employees paid by name for census are not eligible for membership in the retirement system;
All new employees shall be examined by a physician and a written report shall be filed in the retirement system prior to their acceptance in the retirement system;
Board members shall receive one (1) year of service for each year of service;
Part-time employees who work at least twenty (20) hours per week shall receive one (1) year of service for each year of service;
Seasonal part-time employees who work at least twenty hours per week for seven (7) months or for the full season whichever is larger shall receive one (1) year of service of each year of service;
The following formula shall be used for all hourly persons working for less than twenty (20) hours per week and for those seasonal employees who do not work for at least seven (7) months or the full season whichever is longer:
- number of hours worked per year divided by twenty (20)
- divided the normal working period of the position
- multiplied 12 months = creditable service granted. (Amended November 29, 1994).
Creditable Service:
March 26, 2015:
A current Member of another MA governmental unit may formally request to Make-up or purchase Non-Member creditable service while he or she was employed in Somerville. The Somerville Retirement Board will not accept any liability for any former Non-Member creditable service (who did not qualify for Membership or was not erroneously excluded from Membership) while employed in Somerville.
May 19, 1998:
1). That persons employed by the Election Department for working on the “census” may not pay a makeup for this time.
2). That draftsman (interns) hired by the Department of Public Works on a temporary basis will not join the Somerville Retirement System.
August 19, 1994:
All members of the Somerville Retirement System whether they be full-time or part-time shall be granted 12 months creditable service for each full year of membership.
Regular Compensation:
August 16, 1995:
Hazardous Duty Material monies paid to Somerville Fire Department employees shall be considered regular compensation.
Miscellaneous:
January 23, 2024:
Correction of Errors
In all cases in which a benefit calculation error occurs that results in an underpayment or non-payment of a pension or benefit to a member or beneficiary, or in the event of any overpayment as the result of an error to a member or beneficiary, the Board shall, consistent with the provisions of M.G.L. c. 32, §20(5)(c)(2) pay to or collect from themember or beneficiary as the case may be, the actuarial equivalent of the benefit paid or received in error.Pursuant to the Supreme Judicial Court decision in Herrick v. Essex Regional Retirement Board, 465 Mass. 801(2013) and PERAC Memorandum #32/2013, the Board has determined that the actuarial equivalent requires that the interest to be applied will be calculated for each calendar year at three percent (3%).
February 14. 2017:
Notice of Election
The Somerville Retirement Board will electronically post the formal Notice of Election on the Somerville Retirement Board website at least 90 days prior to the date of the election. The Notice of Election will remain on the website through the date of the election.
The Somerville Retirement Board will also mail the formal Notice of Election to each active, inactive and retired member of the Somerville Retirement System and post it in at least three (3) appropriate public locations (City Hall, Libraries, Department of Public Works Headquarters and Police and Fire Stations) at least 90 days prior to the date of the election.
October 24, 2014:
Credit Card Policy
The Somerville Retirement Board authorizes the issuing and usage of a credit card issued to the Somerville Retirement Board, consistent with the provisions of MA General Law Chapter 32 and PERAC 840 CMR Regulation 2.11. (copy attached)
The credit card will be issued to the Somerville Retirement Board and will only be used for Somerville Retirement Board travel related expenditures (i.e. conference expenses). Personal use of the credit card is strictly prohibited.
All original receipts for all credit card expenditures will be maintained with the monthly billing statement. If receipts are not provided, the user of the credit card will immediately reimburse the Board for those expenditures. The monthly billing statement will be paid promptly on a monthly basis by the Somerville Retirement Board approved vendor Warrant.
April 1, 2014:
5 and 2 Schedule, Buyback of Days of the Police Associations' Contracts states: "Employees assigned to a Monday -Friday schedule may, at their option, annually elect to buy back up to five (5) of the 17 1/3 additional days off each receives, at their applicable daily rate of pay, by notice to the Police Department, in which event the number of additional days off each receives shall be reduced by the number of buyback days elected and paid for. The annual election and payment for such buyback days shall be made in January of each year for the prior calendar year".
The 17 1/3 "additional days off'' per the Police contract for the 5-2 scheduled Police Officers are not considered regular compensation based on "payment for services performed" or character of the work.
The "additional days off'' are lost if not used (balance cannot be carried forward at year end), not paid out if they leave and these days are above and beyond vacation days. Unlike vacation days, they do not get paid for them when they leave, which is an important component of vacation days being qualified in Memo 39-2012. Therefore, the 17 1/3 "additional days off'' do not possess the characteristics of vacation days and are not applicable to Memo 39-2012 and are not regular compensation. Retirement deductions will NOT be deducted from these 5 paid out days.
April 24, 1985:
To classify licensed electricians employed by the Somerville Housing Authority in Group 2 as of March 14, 1985.