1st Reading - Jersey City

Cit Clerk File No.Agenda No.Agenda No.Ord. 11-0073.G 1st Reading2nd Reading & Final PasageORDINANCEOFJERSEY CITY, N.J.,COUNCIL AS A WHOLEoffered and moved adoption of the following ordinance:CITY ORDINANCE 11-007TITLE:ORDINANCE AMNDING AN SUPPLEMENTING CHATER 53 (PERSONNL) OF THEJERSEY CITY MUCIPAL CODE, IMLEMENTING ARTICLE xi(RTIRE HEALTH ANMEDICAL BENEFITS) CONFIRG TH PROVISION OF MEDICAL AN HEALTHINSURCE BENEFIS TO CERTAI ACTIV EMPLOYEES AN RETIRES WITH 25 YEAROF SERVICE CREDIT IN A STATE OR LOCALLY ADMISTERED RETIRMENT SYSTEM,PURUANT TO N.J.S.A. 40A:I0-23, BUT LIMING TH BENEFITS IN THE FUTUR TO ONLYTHOSEEMPLOYEES WHO ALSO RETIR wim AT LEAST 20 YEAR OF SERVICE WITHTH CITY OF JERSEY CITTHE MUCIPAL COUNCIL OF TH CITY OF JERSEY CITY DOES ORDAI:WHREAS, New Jersey law authorizes local governments such as the City of Jersey City, to pay the costof medical and health insurance coverage, inCluding premiums for Par B of the Federal Medicare Program,for certin eligible retired employees, including their spouses and dependents, as defined therein; andWHREAS, the statutory authorization to pay for such coverage extends both to municipalities which aremembers of the New Jersey State Health Benefits Commission, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 52:14-17.38 and tothose municipalities which are not members, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A: 10-23; andWHREAS, in 1973 pursuantto N.J.S.A. 52:14-17.38, the City ofJersey City adopted a resolution, as athen member of the New Jersey State Health Benefits Commission, and committed itself to paying the costof such coverage for eligible retirees, their spouses and dependents; andWHREAS, in 1973, N.J.S.A. 52:14-17.38 stated that retiree health benefits were available upon"retirement from a State or locally administered retirement sysrem . . .based on 25 or more years of servicecredited in such retirement system"; andWHREAS, in 1999, N .J.S.A. 52: 14- i 7.3 8 was amended to allow a municipality to provide such benefitsto employees who had 25 years of service credit in one or more State or locally administered retirementsystems, and a period of service of "up to" 25 years, unless the municipality adopted a resolution requiringthat all or a portion of 25 years of actual service, to be with it; andWHREAS, the City ofJersey City did not adopt a resolution or ordinance restricting actual service to theCity of Jersey City, and appears to have provided medical and health benefits for retirees with less than 25years of actual service to the City, so long as they had at least 25 years of service credit, in one or more Stateor locally administered retirement systems; andWHREAS, pursuantto N.J.S.A. 40A: 10-23, the City ofJersey City is authorized to pay the cost ofmedicaland health insurance coverage for employees, including their dependents and the premium charges under ParB of the Federal Medicare Program, who have "retired afer 25 or more years of service... and a period of 'up to 25 year with the (City J at the time of retirement, such period of service to be determined by the (City J,and set fort in an ordinance, or resolution, as appropriate"; andWHREAS, the City Council needs to reaffrm its commitment to pay the cost of providing medical andhealth insurance coverage for its eligible employees, including the premium charges under Par B oftheFederal Medicare Program, including their spouses and dependents, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:IO-23; and