6.1. ERMUSR 05-11-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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ELK RIVER MUNICIPAL UTILITIES ELK RIVER, MINNESOTA NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS DECEMBER 31,2003 AND 2002 Note 3: DEFINED BENEFIT PENSION PLANS-STATEWIDE A. Plan Description All full-time and certain part-time employees of the Utilities are covered by defined benefit plans administered by the Public Employees Retirement Association of Minnesota(PERA). PERA administers the Public Employees Retirement Fund(PERF),which is a cost-sharing,multiple-employer retirement plan. This plan is established and administered in accordance with Minnesota Statutes,Chapters 353 and 356. PERF members belong to either the Coordinated Plan or the Basic Plan. Coordinated Plan members are covered by Social Security and Basic Plan members are not. All new members must participate in the Coordinated Plan. PERA provides retirement benefits as well as disability benefits to members,and benefits to survivors upon death of eligible members. Benefits are established by State Statute,and vest after three years of credited service. The defined retirement benefits are based on a member's highest average salary for any five successive years of allowable service,age and years of credit at termination of service. Two methods are used to compute benefits for PERF's Coordinated and Basic Plan members. The retiring member receives the higher of a step-rate benefit accrual formula(Method 1)or a level accrual formula (Method 2). Under Method I,the annuity accrual rate for a Basic Plan member is 2.2 percent of average salary for each of the first 10 years of service and 2.7 percent for each remaining year. The annuity accrual rate for a Coordinated Plan member is 1.2 percent of average salary for each of the first 10 years and 1.7 percent for each remaining year. Under Method 2,the annuity accrual rate is 2.7 percent of average salary for Basic Plan members and 1.7 percent for Coordinated Plan members for each year of service. For all PERF members whose annuity is calculated using Method 1,a full annuity is available when age plus years of service equal 90. A reduced retirement annuity is also available to eligible members seeking early retirement. There are different types of annuities available to members upon retirement. A normal annuity is a lifetime annuity that ceases upon the death of the retiree and no survivor annuity is payable. There are also various types ofjoint and survivor annuity options available which will reduce the monthly normal annuity amount, because the annuity is payable over joint lives. Members may also leave their contributions in the fund upon termination of public service in order to qualify for a deferred annuity at retirement age. Refunds of contributions are available at any time to members who leave public service,but before retirement benefits begin. The benefit provisions stated in the previous paragraphs of this section are current provisions and apply to active plan participants. Vested, terminated employees who are entitled to benefits but are not receiving them yet are bound by the provisions in effect at the time they last terminated their public service. PERA issues a publicly available financial report that includes financial statements and required supplementary information for PERE. That report may be obtained on the web at www.mnpera.com,by writing to PERA, 60 Empire Drive,Suite 200, St. Paul,Minnesota 55103-1855 or by calling 651-296-7460 or 1-800-652-9026. -20-