Columbus, Georgia

Agenda Item #





Columbus Consolidated Government

Council Meeting



December 20, 2005



Agenda Report #







TO: Mayor and Council



SUBJECT: Airport Public Safety Employees Transfer to Public Safety

Pension Plan



INITIATED: Human Resources



_________________________________________________________________________



Recommendation: Approve an Ordinance authorizing transfer of full time Airport

Public Safety officers from the General Government to the Public Safety Pension

Plan.



Background: In April 2005, at the request of the Columbus Airport Commission,

Mercer HR Consulting evaluated the cost of transferring Airport Public Safety

employees from the General Government to the Public Safety Pension Plan. The

transfer request was discussed at the Board of Trustees meeting of the Columbus

Georgia Employees? Pension Plan on May 4, 2005, at which time the issue was

tabled with a request for additional information. At the June 1, 2005 meeting,

the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to recommend the transfer of personnel

between the two plans with the following conditions: 1) The Airport Commission

must make up-front payment necessary to cover the additional incurred

pre-transfer liabilities of the pension fund; and 2) Mr. Oropeza as Safety

Director was not approved for inclusion in the transfer.



The conditions for transfer set forth by the Board of Trustees was accepted by

the Airport Commission at its meeting of June 22, 2005 and a formal request was

made by letter from Don Cook, Airport Commission Chairman on August 16, 2005.



Analysis: The airport public safety personnel are Georgia certified law

enforcement officers and firefighters and have duties similar to those of other

members of the Public Safety Pension Plan. The Airport Commission desires to

transfer their public safety officers into the Public Safety Pension Plan and

is willing to pay the past and future financial costs associated with the

transfer. Plan actuary Mercer Human Resources Consulting estimates the total

back payment to be $43,400, subject to a final determination. The transfer

under these conditions is recommended by the pension plan Board of Trustees.



Legal: Approval of the Columbus Council is required.



Financial Considerations: Because the Airport Commission will assume all

additional financial liability there is no anticipated cost to the City.



Recommendation/Actions: Recommended by the pension plan Board of Trustees.