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Elk River Municipal Utilities <br />Elk River, Minnesota <br />Notes to the Financial Statements <br />December 31, 2022 <br />Note 1: Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued) <br />Sick Leave: Sick leave can accumulate to a maximum of 960 hours from year to year. Upon termination or retirement, <br />employees will have 50 percent of unused sick leave, up to a maximum of 960 hours, converted to cash and deposited <br />into their Post Health Care Savings account. <br />The liability for vacation and sick pay is reported as a liability in the respective funds at year end. <br />Postemployment Benefits other than Pensions <br />Under Minnesota statute 471.61, subdivision 2b., public employers must allow retirees and their dependents to continue <br />coverage indefinitely in an employer -sponsored health care plan, under the following conditions:1) Retirees must be <br />receiving (or eligible to receive) an annuity from a Minnesota public pension plan, 2) Coverage must continue in group <br />plan until age 65, and retirees must pay no more than the group premium, and 3) Retirees may obtain dependent coverage <br />immediately before retirement. Elk River Utilities has switched to age -based medical premiums and no longer has an <br />Other Post -Employment Benefits liability. Since medical premiums are age -based, the premiums are equal to the expected <br />true cost of retiree coverage. As a result, there is no implicit subsidy for these benefits. There is also no explicit subsidy, <br />since retirees must pay the full premium to remain covered during retirement. <br />Pensions <br />For purposes of measuring the net pension liability, deferred outflows/inflows of resources, and pension expense, <br />information about the fiduciary net position of the Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) and additions <br />to/deductions from PERA's fiduciary net position have been determined on the same basis as they are reported by PERA <br />except that PERA's fiscal year end is June 30. For this purpose, plan contributions are recognized as of employer payroll <br />paid dates and benefit payments and refunds are recognized when due and payable in accordance with the benefit terms. <br />Investments are reported at fair value. <br />The total pension expense for all plans recognized by the Utilities for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $708,795. <br />The components of pension expense are noted in the plan summaries in Note 3. <br />Long-term Obligations <br />Long-term debt is reflected as a liability in the fund issuing the obligation. Bond premiums and discounts are amortized <br />over the life of the bonds using the straight-line method. Bond issuance costs are reported as an expense in the period <br />incurred. <br />Performance Metrics and Incentive Compensation <br />Through the Utilities Performance Metric -based Incentive Compensation system (UPMIC) the Utilities employees will have <br />an opportunity, as a group, to each earn a maximum of 2 percent of their total gross wage paid during the Measurement <br />Period. The percentage of UMPIC is calculated using a Score Card. The Score Card has three categories: Safety, Reliability <br />and Quality of Utility Services which are divided into various weighted factors. This incentive was created to help the <br />Utilities to become more efficient and successful in meeting strategic goals and mission and deliver improved value to <br />the Utilities customers. The liability at year end is recorded as part of accrued wages. <br />Deferred Inflows of Resources <br />In addition to liabilities, the statement of net position and fund financial statements will sometimes report a separate <br />section for deferred inflows of resources. This separate financial statement element, deferred inflows of resources, <br />represents an acquisition of net position that applies to a future period(s) and so will not be recognized as an inflow of <br />resources (revenue) until that time. The Utilities has two types of items which qualify for reporting in this category. The <br />items, deferred pension resources and deferred lease resources, are reported only in the statement of net position and <br />results from actuarial calculations and future lease receipts. <br />33 <br />116 <br />