Personnel Committee Meeting – HR Benefits and Pension Overview – April 20, 2026

The Personnel Committee of the Board of Representatives met on April 20, 2026, at 7:03 PM to receive presentations on the city's employee benefits and retirement/pension programs. The meeting was informational only, with no votes taken. Dr. Paul Russell, Director of HR, introduced two key staff members: Angie Murphy, Employee Benefits Administrator, and John Gazino, Retirement and Pension Benefits Specialist, who delivered the third in a series of HR presentations begun in February 2026.

Discussion Items

• Employee Benefits Overview (Angie Murphy): Ms. Murphy presented an overview of the city's employee benefits orientation materials used for new hires. She detailed the health care premiums that vary across the city's 10 unions due to collective bargaining agreements. The medical plan is part of the Connecticut State Partnership Plan (SPP) with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, which includes a Health Enhancement Program (HEP) that waives deductibles and coinsurance for compliant employees; non-compliance results in a $100/month additional premium. Dental coverage is with Delta Dental of New Jersey, vision with IMED (with a higher frame allowance for one union), and flexible spending accounts (health care, dependent care, commuter) are offered. The city also provides an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) through Cigna EAP, offering five free counseling sessions per issue, with confidentiality protocols: the city only receives aggregated anonymous data unless the referral is mandated by a manager. Additional offerings include pet insurance (direct billing) and annual health fairs (next on May 7, 2026). For retirement, only three unions (Police, Fire, and UAW) still offer defined benefit (DB) pension plans for new hires; other unions and pay plan employees are eligible for defined contribution (DC) plans (457 and 401A) with varying employer matches (ranging from 3% to 10%, and a mandatory 4% employee/9% city contribution for custodians). Employees may waive medical coverage and receive a stipend (range $3,350 to $1,750 payable in January and July) after a six-month wait.
• Pension and Retirement Benefits (John Gazino): Mr. Gazino described his role in ensuring accurate, complete, and timely pension payments. He presented the scope of the city's four pension funds: SERF (open to UAW, but closed to other unions since 2016 as a soft freeze – existing members continue accruing, but new hires are not eligible), Custodian (closed to new entrants), Fire, and Police (both open). The Police pension fund is administered separately by the Stanford Police Pension Office; the Fire fund by the Fire Pension Board with HR handling retiree medical; the Custodian fund entirely by HR; and the SERF fund is administered by a third party, Milliman Inc., since 2022. Mr. Gazino walked through the pension calculation process: three key components – salary (defined per union contract, e.g., final average pay or final salary), years of creditable service, and a multiplier (e.g., 2% for UAW and MAA). Additional factors include the ability to exchange vacation/sick days for pension credit and the use of mortality tables for joint and survivor annuity elections. He explained the importance of a definitive retirement date to avoid unnecessary actuarial charges. The board approval process for pension applications occurs monthly (except August) for the SERF and Custodian boards.
• Q&A and Clarifications: Committee members posed questions on several topics:
  • Representative Gross asked about the role of the state partnership plan and whether the city negotiates rates directly. Ms. Murphy clarified that the city uses a broker (Lockton) to compare SPP rates with other carriers and can go to market if needed. Dental and vision are procured separately through Lockton.
  • Representative Weinberg inquired about the financial advantage of SPP (broader risk pool), the selection criteria for Anthem's "Providers of Distinction" (Anthem’s decision based on cost and specialization, not fully known), and confidentiality of EAP (confirmed that only aggregated data is shared, except for mandated referrals where HR tracks attendance but not content). He also asked about the status of DB plans for new hires – confirmed that only Police, Fire, and UAW are open to new entrants.
  • Representative Walston asked about cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) for retirees. Dr. Russell noted that the SERF board is currently evaluating a COLA request, having commissioned Milliman to model the financial impact. A COLA provision exists in the plan document but requires meeting specific metrics; additionally, the board can approve a discretionary COLA after analysis and a vote.
  • Representative Weinberg confirmed the three basic inputs to pension calculations (salary, years of service, multiplier). Mr. Gazino added nuances such as service eligibility dates and the role of mortality tables.

Key Outcomes

• No formal actions or votes were taken. The meeting was entirely informational, providing committee members with a detailed understanding of the city's employee benefits structure and pension administration.
• The meeting adjourned at 8:18 PM on April 20, 2026.
• Follow-up: Dr. Russell offered to provide additional information on Anthem's Provider of Distinction criteria and to correct the actuary names on the vendor slide (Milliman for SERF and Custodian).