Membership:
March 4, 2010:
The purpose is to define membership eligibility requirements.
The following regulations cover the membership of the City of Springfield, Springfield Water & Sewer Commission and the Springfield Housing Authority (further known as Units of the Springfield Retirement System). The employees of these Unit’s, full-time and part-time hours, vary from each Employer. The supplemental regulations will be considered for each specific employer based on their specific hours of employment.
Definitions: unless a different meaning is defined by statute, an advisory opinion or 840: CMR Regulations of PERAC or by a ruling of a court of competent jurisdiction, the following definitions will apply:
“Employee” is any person hired, employed, elected or appointed to a position within the City of Springfield, Springfield Water & Sewer Commission and the Springfield Housing Authority, who is regularly employed with a regular work schedule with a commensurate salary or wages.
“Full-time employee” is an employee who regularly works the required hours as designated by each Unit of the Springfield Retirement System.
“Part-time Employee” is an employee who regularly works the required hours as designated by each Unit of the Springfield Retirement System.
5. Membership eligibility requires that all employees must work a minimum of 20 hours per week.
November 3, 1992:
To accept Springfield Police Cadets employed by the City of Springfield on a full-time basis into the Retirement System as Group 1 members, beginning on the first day of employment or if presently employed by the city, effective on the date of the Commissioner of Public Employee Retirement Administration’s approval.
Creditable Service:
March 4, 2010:
The purpose is to define creditable service
- A member whose entire service is in a part-time position shall receive one year of creditable service for each year worked, provided the member works the number of hours required by the position.
- A member employed on a part-time basis who becomes full-time, shall receive credit for his part-time service, on a pro-rated basis as it relates to a full-time position.
- A member employed on a full-time basis who becomes part-time shall receive credit for his part-time service on a pro-rated basis as it relates to a full-time position.
- Creditable service for all part-time, provisional, temporary, temporary provisional, per diem, seasonal or intermittent employment and/or service shall be computed to credit the member for that proportion of a normal year which the number of days actually worked during that year bears to the normal working year from the department under which the employee works.
You have indicated that the intent of #1 is to recognize that full-time employment is 37.5 to 40 hours per week, but if the employer budgets for a 32 hour position the Board will consider that to be full-time for purposes of granting creditable service.
Regular Compensation:
August 8, 2002:
Educational Incentive Compensation provided in the contract between the City of Springfield and the International Association of Firefighters AFL-CIO, Local 648 are regular compensation for retirement purposes. Pursuant to 840 CMR 15.03(1)(e), any amounts paid as educational incentives are regular compensation.
Miscellaneous:
July 30, 2024:
USE OF ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES
The Springfield Retirement Board, pursuant to 840 CMR 28.00, at its regular meeting on January 10, 2024, voted to approve the use and acceptance of electronic signatures (the use of any electronic signature created, generated, sent, communicated, received, or stored including the use of signatures on scanned or faxed documents received in the course of a retirement system’s operations governed and constituted under Chapter 32 of the Massachusetts General Laws) for the execution of the forms which follow:
- New Member Enrollment Form
- Beneficiary Selection Form for Refund of Accumulated Deductions (If Member Dies Before Retirement) Pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 32, Section 11(2)(c)
- The Board will only allow an electronic signature on this form when it is completed at the time of enrollment with the Springfield Retirement System.
- Beneficiary Selection Form – Option D (If Member Dies Before Retirement) Pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 32, Section 12(2)(d)
- The Board will only allow an electronic signature on this form when it is completed at the time of enrollment with the Springfield Retirement System.
- Statement Concerning Your Employment in a Job Not Covered by Social Security Form
- Notice of Potential Veterans’ Benefits – Pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 32, Section 4(1)(h)
In accordance with the provisions of 840 CMR 28.00, the Board will institute and maintain appropriate security procedures for the execution of the foregoing forms by way of electronic signatures as authorized herein to verify that an electronic signature, digital signature, record or performance is that of the specific person executing the forms or for detecting changes or errors in the information in an electronic or digital record. In particular, the Board allows for electronic signature through DocuSign, Adobe, and PowerSchool which implements such procedures, including software containing identity verification protocols as a component of the electronic signature services provided.
The Board reserves the right to add additional forms and/or documents (subject to PERAC approval) it may deem appropriate for the efficient operation of the retirement system.
May 1, 2017:
Correction of Errors
The Springfield Retirement Board voted to adopt the interest rate annually determined by the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission pursuant to Chapter 32, Section 22(6) to be applied on adjustments/corrections when Chapter 32, Section 20(5)(c)(2) is utilized.
February 28, 2000:
ELECTION REGULATIONS
1. Call of the Election and Notice of Election
Not less than 120 days prior to expiration of the term of office an elected member of the Retirement Board, the Director shall notify the Retirement Board of a duly called meeting of the Retirement Board of the need to conduct an election. At this meeting of the Retirement Board, the Board shall designate an Election Officer who maybe a member of the Board or a staff member. The Election Officer shall have the duties and be governed by the procedures set forth in 840 CMR 7.03.
At this meeting of the Retirement Board, the Board shall provide a notice of election which notice shall provide for an election date at least ninety days after date of the mailing of the notice of election to all retired members and posting of the notice pursuant to 840 CMR 7.03(2).
The notice of election shall state the time, date, place and manner of election and shall describe nomination and election procedures, including if the election is conducted at a polling place, procedures for voting by absentee ballot.
2. Nomination Procedure
Any member of the retirement system may qualify as a candidate by filing with the Retirement Board a nomination paper or papers, containing the signatures and addresses of at least twenty (20) members of the retirement system. Nomination papers, in blank, shall be made available to candidates at least ninety (90) days prior to the date of the election. The nomination paper or papers, containing the necessary number of qualified signatures and addresses shall be filed no later than forty five (45) days prior to the date of the election. If the Retirement Board determines that a candidate has filed nomination papers containing less than the required number of qualified signatures, the Retirement Board shall declare the nomination papers invalid and shall notify the candidate of its determination.
3. Election by Declaration
If the Retirement Board determines that only one candidate has been nominated, the Retirement Board shall declare said candidate to be the elected member of the Board, no election shall be held, and said candidate shall take office and serve in all respects as though he or she had been chosen by election.
4. Official Election Ballot
If the Retirement Board determines that more than one candidate has been nominated, the Board shall immediately prepare an official election ballot. Qualified candidates shall be listed on the official ballot in an order determined by a random drawing of the names of the candidates by the Retirement Board or Election Officer. If the incumbent elected member is nominated, he or she shall be identified as the incumbent on the official ballot.
5. Elections Conducted by Mail or at a Polling Place
Elections shall be conducted either entirely by mail or at one polling place open for not less than ten hours, the time and place to be determined by the Retirement Board. In elections conducted at a polling place, members shall cast their votes on the official ballot in person at the polling place except as provided in Section 6 below.
6. Absentee Ballots
In elections conducted at a polling place members retired from service may vote by absentee ballot and an absentee ballot shall be mailed to each retired member. A member in service may, upon timely request, vote by absentee ballot only if he or she:
(a) will be absent from the City of Springfield during the hours that the polling place will be opened:
(b) will be unable to cast his or her vote in person on the day of the election for reasons of religious belief, or
(c) will be unable to cast his or her vote in person at the polling place by reason of temporary physical disability.
Requests for absentee ballots shall be in writing and shall be filed no later than the business day prior to the election. Absentee ballots shall be counted only if received by the Retirement Board no later than the time fixed for the closing of the polls on the day of the election.
7. Tabulation of Ballots
Ballots shall be tabulated by persons designated by Election Officer and may include Retirement Board staff members and/or Election Department employees. The Election Officer shall notify each candidate of the time and location of the tabulation of the ballots and shall permit all candidates, or their representatives, to be present at the tabulation.
8. Election Results
The Retirement Board shall notify each candidate, in writing, and shall give public notice of the results of the election within seven days after the election.
9. Preservation of Ballots
ll ballots received by the Retirement Board, including those determined to be invalid, shall be preserved by the Retirement Board for ninety days following the date of the election.