STATE OF CONNECTICUT
STATE EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT COMMISSION

A regular meeting of the State Employees Retirement Commission (the ?Commission?) was held on June 16, 2016, in 7th Floor Conference Room at 55 Elm Street, Hartford Connecticut. The meeting convened at 9:00 a.m. and the following members of the Commission were present:

• Peter Adomeit, Chairman
• Michael Carey, Trustee
• Charles Casella, Trustee
• Richard M. Cosgrove, Trustee
• Lisa Grasso Egan, Trustee
• Paul Fortier, Trustee
• Sal Luciano, Trustee
• Laila Mandour, Trustee
• Ronald McLellan, Trustee
• Claude Poulin, Trustee
• Angel Quiros, Trustee
• Martha Carlson, Deputy Comptroller, Ex Officio Member
• Richard Grey, Deputy Treasurer filling in for Deborah Spalding, CIO, Office of the State Treasurer, Ex Officio Member
• Thomas Landry, Municipal Liaison

The following members of the Commission were absent:

• Sandra Fae Brown Brewton, Trustee
• Robert D. Coffey, Trustee
• Steven Greatorex, Trustee

Also present were:

• Brenda Halpin, Director, Retirement Services Division
• Cindy Cieslak, Ford Harrison
• Michael Rose, General Counsel to the Commission
• Natalie Braswell, General Counsel to the Comptroller
• Michael Moschetti, Office of the State Comptroller
• Karen Nolan, Office of Policy Management
• Marshall Segar, Marshall Law, LLC
• Gary Soracchi, SERS Member
• Bruce Barth, Robinson and Cole
• Colin Newman, Office of the State Comptroller
• Ralph Efrid, Post Reporting
• Amanda Alfonso, Executive Assistant, Retirement Services Division

A. Call to Order

Chairman Adomeit called the meeting to order at 9:12 am

B. Chairman's Report:

Chairman Adomeit informed the Board that Attorney Bruce Barth was going to present to the Board on a memo he wrote regarding section 415 and section 401(a)(17) actions to date and the Commission needed to go into executive session. He asked for a motion to go into executive session and then to go back into the regular agenda items.

1. Mr. Luciano moved, seconded by Ms. Mandour to go into executive session. Ms. Halpin, Mr. Newman, Attorney Braswell, Attorney Rose, Attorney Cieslak and Attorney Barth were invited by the Commission to stay for executive session. The Commission went into executive session at 9:13 a.m. for the purpose of discussing section 415 and section 401(a)(17) actions to date.

The Commission came out of executive session at 9:24 a.m. and returned to the regular agenda items.

Chairman Adomeit also informed the Board that there was one due process hearing and the recommendations from the legal and personnel subcommittee were being brought forth to the Commission to find out how to proceed.

C. Division Director's Report

The Division has not closed the June retirement payroll as of yet however there are approximately 360 regular retirements and 23 Hybrid retirements. A final report will be provided next month as well as any finalizations that were completed.

The Division is expecting a large volume of retirements for July 1st as well currently we have 100 retirement applications on file.

On the ARP to Hybrid transfers there are 383 retirees, 1,488 transfers, 9 waivers and 4 prospective for a total of 1,884. We were able to process 9 transfers this month and the outstanding number to be audited and processed is 632.

Update on the 2015 MERS Re-employment survey ? the Division has seven members that have not contacted our office. The Division investigator was able to locate new addresses for the members and our Office has sent a communication.

On the 2016 MERS Re-employment Survey 112 May checks were held due to no response from the survey. At this point in time we have received in the survey and released the checks of 55 members.

The Division has received a request from the Norwalk Fire and Norwalk Police for information on membership in the Municipal Employees Retirement System.

Deputy Comptroller Martha Carlson gave an update on the pension module. She informed the Commission that the benefit calculator will be up and running at the middle of June. On Monday, the soft launch and the audits will run through the benefit calculator while running parallel with the manual calculations.

D. New Matters

1. Request Commission Approval of May 19, 2016 Minutes.
i. Mr. Luciano moved, seconded by Mr. Poulin to approve the May 19, 2016 minutes.
ii. Chairman asked if there was any discussion. There was no discussion.
iii. The Commission voted unanimously to approve the May 19, 2016 Minutes.

2. Request Commission Approval of the State Employees Retirement Commission Chairman's Per Diem Expenses.
i. Mr. Luciano moved, seconded by Ms. Mandour to approve the State Employees Retirement Commission Chairman's Per Diem Expenses.
ii. Chairman asked if there was any discussion. There being no discussion he called for a vote.
iii. The Commission voted unanimously to approve the State Employees Retirement Commission Chairman's Per Diem Expenses.

3. Request Commission Approval of the State Employees Retirement Commission Union Trustee's Per Diem and Travel Expenses.
i. Mr. Luciano moved, seconded by Ms. Mandour to approve the State Employees Retirement Commission Union Trustee's Per Diem and Travel Expense.
ii. Mr. Poulin abstained.
iii. Chairman asked if there was any discussion. There being no discussion he called for a vote.
iv. The Commission voted unanimously to approve the State Employees Retirement Commission Union Trustee's Per Diem and Travel Expenses.

4. Request Commission Review of the May 2016 Billing from Robinson & Cole.
i. Mr. Luciano moved, seconded by Ms. Mandour to approve the billing from Robinson & Cole.
ii. Chairman asked if there was any discussion. There being no discussion he called for a vote.
iii. The Commission voted unanimously to approve the State Employees Retirement Commission May 2016 billing from Robinson & Cole.

5. Request Commission Approval of the Connecticut State Employees Retirement System Service Retirements for the Month of May 2016
i. Mr. Luciano moved, seconded by Ms. Mandour to approve the Connecticut State Employees Retirement System Service Retirements.
ii. Chairman asked if there was any discussion. There being no discussion he called for a vote.
iii. The Commission voted unanimously to approve the Connecticut State Employees Retirement System Service Retirements for the Month of May 2016.

6. Request Commission Approval of the Connecticut State Employees System Disability Retirements for the Month of May 2016.
i. Mr. Luciano moved, seconded by Ms. Mandour to approve the Connecticut State Employees System Disability Retirements for the Month of May 2016.
ii. Chairman asked if there was any discussion. There being no discussion he called for a vote.
iii. The Commission voted unanimously to approve the Connecticut State Employees System Disability Retirements for the Month of May 2016

7. Request Commission Approval of the Connecticut State Employees System Voluntary Pending Retirements for the Month of May 2016.
i. Mr. Luciano moved, seconded by Ms. Mandour to approve Connecticut State Employees System Voluntary Pending Retirements for the Month of May 2016.
ii. Chairman asked if there was any discussion. There being no discussion he called for a vote.
iii. The Commission voted unanimously to approve Connecticut State Employees System Voluntary Pending Retirements for the Month of May 2016.

8. Request Commission Approval of the Connecticut State Employees System Retroactive Retirements for the Month of May 2016.
i. Mr. Luciano moved, seconded by Ms. Mandour to approve Connecticut State Employees System Retroactive Retirements for the Month of May 2016.
ii. Chairman asked if there was any discussion. There being no discussion he called for a vote.
iii. The Commission voted unanimously to approve Connecticut State Employees System Retroactive Retirements for the Month of May 2016.

9. Request Commission Approval of the Municipal Retirement System Retirements
i. Mr. Luciano moved, seconded by Ms. Mandour to approve the Municipal Retirement System Retirements.
ii. Chairman asked if there was any discussion. There being no discussion he called for a vote.
iii. The Commission voted unanimously to approve the Municipal Retirement System Retirements.

10. Request Commission Approval of the Judges, Family Support Magistrates and Compensation Commissioners Retirement System Retirements for the month of June 2016.
i. Mr. Luciano moved, seconded by Ms. Mandour to approve the Probate Judges and Employees Retirement System Retirements for June 2016.
ii. Chairman asked if there was any discussion. There being no discussion he called for a vote.
iii. The Commission voted unanimously to approve the Judges, Family Support Magistrates and Compensation Commissioners Retirement System Retirements for the month of June 2016.

11. Request Commission Approval of the Probate Judges and Employees Retirement System Retirements for the month of June 2016.
i. Mr. Luciano moved, seconded by Ms. Mandour to approve the Probate Judges and Employees Retirement System Retirements for June 2016.
ii. Chairman asked if there was any discussion. There being no discussion he called for a vote.
iii. The Commission voted unanimously to approve the Probate Judges and Employees Retirement System Retirements for June 2016.

12. Request Commission Approval of the Probate Judges and Employees Retirement Fund Personnel Expenses for the Pay Period April 15, 2016 Through May 12, 2016.
i. Mr. Luciano moved, seconded by Ms. Mandour to approve the Probate Judges and Employees Retirement Fund Personnel Expenses for the Pay Period April 15, 2016 Through May 12, 2016.
ii. Chairman asked if there was any discussion. There being no discussion he called for a vote.
iii. The Commission voted unanimously to approve the Probate Judges and Employees Retirement Fund Personnel Expenses for the Pay Period April 15, 2016 Through May 12, 2016.

13. Request from Gary Soracchi for Commission approval of his request to purchase his state time from Florida. (Appearance is scheduled at 9:30 a.m.)
i. Mr. Luciano moved, seconded by Ms. Mandour to hear from Mr. Soracchi regarding his request to purchase state time from Florida.
ii. At 9:38 a.m., Attorney Segar presented to the Commission on behalf of his client Gary Soracchi. Mr. Soracchi is looking to purchase his time as a correction officer in the state of Florida. Mr. Soracchi was hired on March 9, 2001 with the Judicial Branch and he is in the Tier IIA contributory plan. The Comptrollers' office has sent forms to Florida to inquire about the Florida plan to see if it would be compatible. However, the forms have come back showing that Florida has a non-contributory plan.
iii. There was some discussion. The Commission decided to table the matter until the original document could be reviewed.
iv. Ms. Mandour moved, seconded by Ms. Grasso-Eagan to table Mr. Soracchi's matter until the next meeting.
v. The Commission voted unanimously to table Mr. Soracchi's matter until after reviewing the original document.

14. Request Commission acceptance and approval of the recommendation of the regulation and overpayment subcommittee regarding c. Dingwell (attached)
i. Mr. Luciano moved, seconded by Mr. Casella to accept and approve the recommendation of the regulation and overpayment subcommittee regarding C. Dingwell
ii. Chairman asked if there was any discussion. Ms. Halpin explained that Mr. Dingwell's matter was not resolved in prior meetings.
iii. The Commission voted unanimously to accept and approve the recommendation of the regulation and overpayment subcommittee regarding C. Dingwell.

15. Actuarial subcommittee- GASB 67 & 68 (electronic copies to be provided)
i. Mr. Poulin moved, seconded by Ms. Mandour to accept and approve the Actuarial subcommittee GASB 67 & 68 reports.
ii. Chairman asked if there was any discussion. There being no discussion he called for a vote.
iii. The Commission voted unanimously to accept and approve the Actuarial subcommittee GASB 67 & 68 reports.

16. Crespo MERS recommendation from legal and personnel subcommittee. Discussion and possible action.
i. Attorney Rose asked if the Commission wanted to do what they had done in the past in regards to the statue and pull Ms. Crespo's pension check effective this date.
17. Update regulation review
i. Attorney Rose told the Commission that he is working on updating the regulations to make them current.

Executive Session

2. Mr. Luciano moved, seconded by Ms. Mandour to go into executive session. Ms. Halpin, Mr. Newman, Attorney Braswell, Attorney Rose and Attorney Cieslak were invited by the Commission to stay for executive session. The Commission went into executive session at 10:13 a.m. for the purpose of discussing the Conn. Gen. Stat. ?7-438(b) interpretation inquiry. The Commission came out of executive session at 10:13 a.m. There were no motions made.

3. Mr. Luciano moved, seconded by Ms. Mandour to go into executive session. Ms. Halpin, Mr. Newman, Attorney Braswell, Attorney Rose and Attorney Cieslak were invited by the Commission to stay for executive session. The Commission went into executive session at 10:13 a.m. for the purpose of discussing the Brown case pending litigation. The Commission came out of executive session at 10:21 a.m. No motions were made.

4. Mr. Luciano moved, seconded by Ms. Mandour to go into executive session. Ms. Halpin, Mr. Newman, Attorney Braswell, Attorney Rose and Attorney Cieslak were invited by the Commission to stay for executive session. The Commission went into executive session at 10:21 a.m. for the purpose of discussing the Maturo case pending litigation. The Commission came out of executive session at 10:33 a.m. No motions were made.

5. Mr. Luciano moved, seconded by Ms. Mandour to go into executive session. Ms. Halpin, Mr. Newman, Attorney Braswell, Attorney Rose and Attorney Cieslak were invited by the Commission to stay for executive session. The Commission went into executive session at 10:33 a.m. for the purpose of discussing the Whitman case pending litigation. The Commission came out of executive session at 10:36 a.m. No motions were made.

6. Mr. Luciano moved, seconded by Mr. Carey to go into executive session. Ms. Halpin, Mr. Newman, Attorney Braswell, Attorney Rose and Attorney Cieslak were invited by the Commission to stay for executive session. The Commission went into executive session at 10:36 a.m. for the purpose of discussing the Cradle request for a hearing. The Commission came out of executive session at 10:39 a.m. No motions were made.

7. Mr. Luciano moved, seconded by Ms. Mandour to go into executive session. Ms. Halpin, Mr. Newman, Attorney Braswell, Attorney Rose and Attorney Cieslak were invited by the Commission to stay for executive session. The Commission went into executive session at 10:39 a.m. for the purpose of discussing the lifetime only spousal waiver inquiry. The Commission came out of executive session at 10:54 a.m. No motions were made.

Adjournment

With no further business before the Commission, Mr. Luciano moved, seconded by Ms. Mandour to adjourn at 10:54 a.m. The Commission voted unanimously to adjourn.

Respectfully Submitted by:

__________________________________
Peter Adomeit, Chairman

___________________________________
Prepared by Brenda K. Halpin
Director Retirement Service Division

Return to Meetings, Agendas and Minutes Home Page
Return to Comptroller's Home Page