CITY OF SAN DIEGO RETIRED EMPLOYEE ASSOCIATION
BOARD MEETING MINUTES                 May 8, 2007

Present: Nancy Acevedo, Ruth Ann Hageman, Terry Flynn, Carmen Lutes, Virginia Silverman, John Tsiknas, Alan Hardtarfer, Maggie Smith, Lynn Swanson, Patricia Karnes.
Past Board Members: Joe Flynn and Bob West
Guest: Dick Wilken.

Meeting called to order at 9:30a.m.
Minutes for CSDREA Board 4/10/07, unanimously approved with correction to the section titled "RETIREE ISSUES TASK FORCE". Regarding the idea of alternating the Task Force Chair, between CSDREA and the Fire/Police retiree group, Nancy requested the word "suggested" be inserted before "alternate".

COMMUNICATIONS: Nancy Acevedo

RF&P Invite re Health Insurance Changes:
Bob West and Carmen Lutes will attend the RF&P meeting on May 31, 2007 regarding healthcare inside and outside California.
The Mayor has sent a letter to the "unrepresented" employees that they are being lumped with the Fire/Police healthcare choices.

Letter to Parks & Recreation for 2008 Room Reservations:
Nancy reserved rooms at our usual site in Balboa Park for calendar year 2008.

Ross McCollum Email:
Ross will return to the CSDREA Board in August.

TREASURER'S REPORT- Sylvia Tatum

Grand Total Reserve-Operating Balance on 4/1/07  $29,052.16
Receipts $2,049.25
Expenditures/Transfers $1,723.75
Operating Fund Ending Balance 4/30/07  $3,935.48
Grand Total Reserve-Operating fund 4/30/07  $30,318.07
Legal Fund Money Market ending balance $21,319.73

ACTION ITEMS: Nancy Acevedo
SUPPORT LETTER REGARDING McGUIGAN CASE-Ruth Ann Hageman:
Ruth Ann presented the situation of Judge Richard  Strauss offering Michael Conger $1 for attorney's fees after he won the McGuigan case. Joe pointed out the Gleason settlement stopped the underfunding and McGuigan put funds into SDCERS.
Virginia/Terry moved and seconded, to send Nancy's letter to Judge Strauss from CSDREA asking for a "correction" of the $1 payment to Attorney Mike Conger for his contingency basis, on the McGuigan Case. Unanimously approved.

INFORMATION-DISCUSSION ITEMS:

INFORMATION DISTRIBUTION AD HOC COMMITTEE - Nancy Acevedo
Due to current restrictions for sending 50 emails-an-hour/250-emails-a-day, Tsiknas worked seven hours to notify 300 members of pension news via email in April.
Lynn presented information on an email distribution company, CONSTANT CONTRACT.COM, to handle member-wide emails for CSDREA. There would be no "dialogue" messages (replies) with this service.
Estimated cost of $126 a year for fewer than 500 email members. No limit on number of messages sent. Moved and seconded by Alan/Carmen to start service today. Later in the meeting Lynn moved/seconded, and the motion was unanimously approved for $75 to start the service. Alan and Sylvia will work on an application letter stating our IRS tax-status for CONSTANT CONTRACT.COM
Snail mail to be retained.
Nancy appointed Virginia and Lynn to be on the Ad Hoc Committee, along with Tsiknas and Alan as technical advisors.

DISCUSSION OF MEA/LOCAL 127 INDIVIDUAL AFFILIATE MEMBERSHIPS FOR RETIREES -Lynn Swanson
Lynn requested a "superstructure"(plan), before going to Local 127 with the idea of affiliate memberships. The question was raised: What would be the advantage of affiliate memberships if Unions cannot represent retirees?

Terry said it was important to keep Unions aware that their negotiations impacted retirees. Dick Wilken reported on MEA's Judi Italiano's ideas on this. "Someday you will be a retiree, think of your future," Lynn tells the Unions. Carmen reported that MEA representatives on meet-and-confer were surprised to learn that what you give up today, you will lose for the future. Carmen advised them that eventually families grow up, children leave home, so what Unions and the City negotiate now, may result in a future without retiree medical coverage for current employees and retirees.

STATUS OF PROPOSED "WATERFALL" REVISION-Virginia Silverman
Retirees are urged to go to the May 14th Council meeting on the "Waterfall". The City Council continued the item for the third time (April 10, April 17, and May 1). (NOTE: The May 14th  Council meeting was also continued. See the CSDREA web site for more information.))
Council President Peters' aide told CSDREA that Andre Tevlin would ask for independent legal council to review the situation if there was no progress on new instructions to pay retirees Corbett, 13th check, plus Supplemental Cola for retirees prior to 1980. Virginia noted that there has been no formal notice to retirees, as "stakeholders" in the situation. (Explanation Note: The IRS did not approve the City's past payment method for Corbett and the 13th check, and they could disqualify the non-tax-status of SDCERS without this correction.)
Lynn reported MEA's attorney, Ann Smith, is following this issue as it would affect current employees.
Virginia noted it would be a long and painful process for retirees to sue the City.

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AVAILABLE TO RETIREES AND THEIR IMMEDIATE FAMILIES-Nancy Acevedo
This City service is free! Call 619-533-3460 for more information.
Joe will write information for CSDREA's newsletter on this service for individual and family problems.

RETIREE ISSUES TASK FORCE: Joe Flynn and Nancy Acevedo
There were no formal meetings this last month.
Joe Flynn reported-
1) Cost is not neutral, so a new wife/husband cannot receive the benefits of a dead spouse.
2)  DROP: Yes, you may take out lump sums, but only thbe total amount which ends the annuity payments.
3)  Joe is working on a letter, in conjunction with Roxanne at SDCERS, regarding medical reimbursement for pre-1980s' retirees.

RETIREMENT BOARD MEETINGS: Carmen Lutes
Carmen encouraged attendance at SDCERS committee meetings to better understand what happens at SDCERS Board meetings.
Business & Governance, Thursday, May 17th at 8:30a.m.;
Investment, Thursday, May 17th at 1:30p.m.
Full Board, Friday, May 18th at 8:30a.m.
(NOTE: Verify meeting days and times before leaving home.)

COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Program Committee- Ruth Ann Hageman
June 12 - Health benefits for FY 2008-2009
July 10 - Invitation Extended to Ronne Froman, City CAO, Will she come?
August 14 Ruth Ann will offer the incentives of two copies of "2young2retire"at Al Paton's presentation.

Advocacy Committee- Ty Rogers, Virginia Silverman, John Casey, Patti Karnes, Ruth Ann Hageman
Efforts directed to attending the "Waterfall" issue at the City Council.

Newsletter Editor- Lynn Swanson
No news.  (See INFORMATION DISTRIBUTION AD HOC COMMITTEE)

Membership Committee- John Casey/Ross McCollum
Announcement of Pre-retirement seminars 5/14-15, 6/7-8
John and Ross are not available. Ruth Ann will notify the Sunshine Committee to send a card to Casey. (Additional Note: After the General meeting, Charles Buchanan agreed to do a CSDREA membership benefits presentation at the May seminar for retiring general employees).

AUE- Dick Wilken (Association of Unrepresented Employees)
Dick had no news of AUE activity.

Web Site- John Tsiknas and Alan Hardtarfer
Look on CSDREA's web site for comments of SDCERS' new Board President, Tom Hebrank. On May 7th, he was guest editor on "Café" which is on the web site for VoiceofSanDiego.org .
Alan will be asking CSDREA's Board what kind of general data the Board would like to see on retirees.

Treasurer /Membership Services Reorganization- Sylvia Tatum, John Tsiknas, Maggie Smith, John Mattis and Karen Anderson
Karen Anderson is taking over the membership list from John Mattis.

SDCERS Fund Balance , closing on May 7, 2007, was $4.922 Billion (+$99 million) since April 9th.

Meeting adjourned at 10:55p.m.

Submitted by P.Karnes May 30, 2007