Columbus, Georgia

Georgia's First Consolidated Government

Post Office Box 1340
Columbus, Georgia, 31902-1340
(706) 653-4013
fax (706) 653-4016

Council Members

AN ORDINANCE

NO.



An ordinance amending the Columbus, Georgia Pension Plan for General

Government Employees, and the Columbus, Georgia Pension Plan for Employees of

the Department of Public Safety, and the Deferred Option Retirement Plan to

provide that participants may elect to suspend their DROP participation and

extend their full time employment with the Consolidated Government for up to

five years; and for other purposes.



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THE COUNCIL OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA HEREBY ORDAINS:



SECTION 1.



A new subsection (g) is added at the end of Section 2.13 of the

Columbus, Georgia Pension Plan for General Government Employees to read as

follows:

(g) DROP Participation: No employment service following a Member?s irrevocable

election to participate in the DROP or any service during a suspension in DROP

participation shall be considered Creditable Service.



SECTION 2.



A new subsection (d) is added at the end of Section 2.19 of the

Columbus, Georgia Pension Plan for General Government Employees to read as

follows:

(d) DROP Participation: No compensation earned following a Member?s irrevocable

election to participate in the DROP or during any period of suspension in DROP

participation shall be considered Earnings.



SECTION 3.



Section 4.06 of the Columbus, Georgia Pension Plan for General

Government Employees is hereby stricken and replaced by a new Section 4.06 to

read as follows:

4.06 Pension Benefits Upon Reemployment: If a former Member who is receiving a

Pension is reemployed by the Government, the following rules shall apply:

(a) Full-Time Reemployment and Resumption of Pension: If such a Member is

reemployed as a Full-Time Employee, those Pension payments shall stop, unless

he is participating in the DROP as set forth in Section 4.04 above. Pension

payments shall also stop during any suspension in DROP participation. During

such period of reemployment or suspension in DROP participation no Pension

payments shall be made. Upon subsequent Retirement of such a Member, such

Pension payments shall again commence as of the first day of the month

coincident with or next following such Retirement. The amount and form of such

resumed Pension shall be the same as was being paid to such Member prior to

reemployment as of his initial Pension commencement date.

(b) Part-Time Reemployment: If such a Member is reemployed as a Part-Time

Employee, those Pension payments shall continue uninterrupted.



(c) Eligibility for and Amount of Additional Pension: Upon reemployment, if the

Employee meets the requirements of Section 2.21 as an Eligible Employee, such

Employee shall again become a Member of this Plan on the date of reemployment,

shall make Employee Contributions at the rate required of other new employees

hired on that date, and shall accrue Credited Service and Vesting Service from

the date of reemployment and again be entitled to accrue a benefit in

accordance with the provisions of Section 4. However, in the determination of

such a Member?s Vesting Service, his prior years of Vesting Service shall be

included in addition to his Vesting Service earned after reemployment;

provided, however, solely for the purpose of determining the amount of his

additional Pension, Credited Service shall accrue only from the date of such

reemployment. No member who has participated in the DROP specified in Section

4.04 above shall be eligible for Additional Pension pursuant to this

sub-section.

(d) Form of Payment of Additional Pension: Upon subsequent Retirement by

a Member after a period of reemployment, the monthly benefit determined in

accordance with the provisions of Section 4 and based on Credited Service from

the date of reemployment shall be in addition to the benefit provided for the

prior period of employment and the provisions of Section 4.06 (c). The Pension

earned by such a Member during the period of reemployment shall be payable in

accordance with the provisions of Section 5.



SECTION 4.



A new subsection (f) is added at the end of Section 2.14 of the

Columbus, Georgia Pension Plan for Public Safety Employees to read as follows:

(f) DROP Participation: No employment service following a Member?s irrevocable

election to participate in the DROP or any service during a suspension in DROP

participation shall be considered Creditable Service.



SECTION 5.



A new subsection (d) is added at the end of Section 2.20 of the

Columbus, Georgia Pension Plan for Public Safety Employees to read as follows:

(d) DROP Participation: No compensation earned following a Member?s irrevocable

election to participate in the DROP or during any period of suspension in DROP

participation shall be considered Earnings.



SECTION 6.



Section 4.06 and of the Columbus, Georgia Pension Plan for Public

Safety Employees is hereby stricken replaced by a new section 4.06 that reads

as follows:

4.06 Pension Benefits Upon Reemployment: If a former Member who is receiving a

Pension is reemployed by the Government, the following rules shall apply:

(a) Full-Time Reemployment and Resumption of Pension: If such a Member is

reemployed as a Full-Time Employee, those Pension payments shall stop, unless

he is participating in the DROP as set forth in Section 4.04 above. Pension

payments shall also stop during any suspension in DROP participation. During

such period of reemployment or suspension in DROP participation no Pension

payments shall be made. Upon subsequent Retirement of such a Member, such

Pension payments shall again commence as of the first day of the month

coincident with or next following such Retirement. The amount and form of such

resumed Pension shall be the same as was being paid to such Member prior to

reemployment as of his initial Pension commencement date.

(b) Part-Time Reemployment: If such a Member is reemployed as a Part-Time

Employee, those Pension payments shall continue uninterrupted.

(c) Eligibility for and Amount of Additional Pension: Upon reemployment, if the

Employee meets the requirements of Section 2.22 as an Eligible Employee, such

Employee shall again become a Member of this Plan on the date of reemployment,

shall make Employee Contributions at the rate required of other new employees

hired on that date, and shall accrue Credited Service and Vesting Service from

the date of reemployment and again be entitled to accrue a benefit in

accordance with the provisions of Section 4. However, in the determination of

such a Member?s Vesting Service, his prior years of Vesting Service shall be

included in addition to his Vesting Service earned after reemployment;

provided, however, solely for the purpose of determining the amount of his

additional Pension, Credited Service shall accrue only from the date of such

reemployment. No member who has participated in the DROP specified in Section

4.04 above shall be eligible for Additional Pension pursuant to this

sub-section.

(d) Form of Payment of Additional Pension: Upon subsequent Retirement by a

Member after a period of reemployment, the monthly benefit determined in

accordance with the provisions of Section 4 and based on Credited Service from

the date of reemployment shall be in addition to the benefit provided for the

prior period of employment and the provisions of Section 4.06(c). The Pension

earned by such a Member during the period of reemployment shall be payable in

accordance with the provisions of Section 5.



SECTION 7.



The Deferred Retirement Option Plan (?the DROP?) adopted to be effective July

1, 2012 is hereby amended and restated in the form shown on the restated plan

which is attached as Exhibit A hereto.



SECTION 8.



This ordinance shall be effective and govern all current and future

DROP participants as of February 1, 2017.



SECTION 9.



All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict with this ordinance will

stand repealed on its effective date.



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Introduced at a regular meeting of the Council of Columbus, Georgia

held on the 13th day of December, 2016; introduced a second time at a regular

meeting of said Council held on the __ day of , 2017 and

adopted at said meeting by the affirmative vote of members of said

Council.



Councilor Allen voting______________.

Councilor Baker voting______________.

Councilor Barnes voting_____________.

Councilor Davis voting______________.

Councilor Garrett voting____________.

Councilor Henderson voting__________.

Councilor Huff voting_______________.

Councilor Thomas voting_____________.

Councilor Pugh voting_______________.

Councilor Woodson voting____________.





_____ _____________________________

TINY B. WASHINGTON TERESA PIKE TOMLINSON

CLERK OF COUNCIL MAYOR



















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