1st Reading - Jersey City

City Clerk File No,Agenda No.Agenda No.Ord. 11-0083.H 1st Reading2nd Reading & Final PassageORDINANCEOFJERSEY CITY, N.J.COUNCIL AS A WHOLEoffered and moved adoption of the following ordinance:CLLY ORDINANCE 11-008 'THE MUCIPAL COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF JERSEY CIT 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 authonzation to pay for such coverage extends both to municipalities which aremembers õf the New Jersey State Health Benefits Commission, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 52: 14- 1 7.38 and tothose municipalities which are not members, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A: 10-23; andWHREAS, in 1973 pursuant to N.J.S.A. 52:14-17.38, the City of Jersey 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 thatretiree health benefits were available upon"retirement from a State or locally administered retirement system. . .based on 25 or more years of servicecredited in such retirement system"; andWHREAS, in 1999,N.J.S.A. 52: 14-17.38 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 of25 years of actual service, to be with it; and ~WHEREAS, the City of Jersey City did not adopt a resolution or ordinance restricting actul service to the. City 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, pursuant to 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 after 25 or more years of service... and a penod ofup to 25 years with the (City) at the time of retirement, such period of service to be determined by the (City),and set forth in an ordinance, or resolution, as appropnate"; 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 of theFederal Medicare Program, including their spouses and dependents, pursuant to N.J.S.Á. 40A: 10-23; and