City of San Diego Retired Employees Association

February 10,  2020

Board Meeting Minutes

NOTE: All votes were unanimous unless otherwise noted

Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by President Jim Baross at 9:30am.

Board Members Present: Jim Baross, Mike Bresnahan, Karen Butler, Shirley Hall, Joan Hernandez, Charlie Hogquist, Brad Jacobsen, Joan McNamara, Ty Rogers, Mary Ann Stepnowsky, John Tsiknas, Dave Twomey, Dick Wilken, and Janet Wood

Guests Present:  Joe Flynn

AGENDA: There were no additions or changes to the agenda.

PRESIDENT’S REMARKS:  Dick announced that now-Past President Jim Baross will also serve our liaison to MEA. We will be looking into shared opportunities with the County retired employees association.

RETIREMENT BOARD REPRESENTATIVE’S REPORT
Charlie reported that the actuarial report will be discussed this week, as will lowering the discount rate. There are now more retired employees than active employees, and that the 401k plan is costing the City money.

MINUTES: The minutes of the January 2020 Board meeting were approved.

COMMUNICATIONS: Deneice Tefft received word from the City that she will get paid for her misguided section of an invalid health plan; we will celebrate once the check is in hand.

TREASURER’S REPORT: The amount budgeted for Advocacy and Marketing was reduced to balance the budget, as we can revise the amount as needed later in the year.

M/S/C to approve the Year-End 2019 Report.

M/S/C to accept the January Treasurer’s Report.

M/S/C to approve the 2020 Budget.

John reported that our investments had another good month. However, our funding ratio is now 4% out of balance. We will adjust this when the funding ratio 5% out of balance.

M/S/C to accept the Investment Committee Report.

PROGRAMS: Charlie is graciously filling in for our February speaker, who totally flaked on us. We still have program vacancies for July and August.

DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS

1) Dave and Mike updated the Board on our Image Awareness Initiative. Trudy Sopp and Denise Price helped the Advocacy Committee refine goals and objectives and the various means to attain them. A big question was whether REA wants to link our participation in events/programs that have direct ties to the City, or just good causes in general (ie, walks/runs, beach cleanups). T-shirts with the REA logo would be an eye-catching way of emphasizing our members’ participation at events.

Dave is working on programs/events for 2021, and will be using 2020 as a pilot year. For 2020, Dave proposed participation in Carl Luna’s Restoring Respect event [see below]. Luna is also planning discussions in September with the two finalists for Mayor; the first would be with middle schoolers, and the second with first-time voters.

One possible 2021 program is Feed San Diego, Vince Hall’s program that provides hot lunches to schoolchildren during summer break; there are some complicated
logistics.

2) Carl Luna’s Restoring Respect will be April 8 at USD’s Joan Kroc Center. Dave proposed that we expend $600 to support the event: $300 would be used to offset parking costs, and the other $300 would host the coffee station. He has a volunteer list for the latter.

M/S/C to expend $600 in support of the Restoring Respect event

3) The Audit Committee has been formed: Dick Wilken, Karen Butler, Clay Bingham, and Mike Bresnahan.

 

INFORMATION ITEMS:

1) Brad reported that 32 people had signed up for the Symphony rehearsal.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Advocacy: Mike reported that the meetings with City Council members have been completed. He and others will next schedule meetings with Mayor Faulconer and with members of the County Board of Supervisors, the State Legislature, and the House. The next Advocacy Committee meeting will be February 27 at the Mission Valley Library.

Membership: Membership is 1621.

Newsletter: Deadline for the next issue is February 18.

Website: No report.

OTHER RETIREE/ACTIVE EMPLOYEE ASSOCIATION REPORTS

Retiree Issues Task Force (RITF): Dick reported that the SDCERS Health Open Enrollment Kickoff event is June 1 with the Health Help Day on June 15; REA will have a presence at both events. The deadline for submitting REA’s materials for the SDCERS mailout is April 15. Risk Management and SDCERS agreed to allow REA to review text in the healthcare booklets to avoid issues that have happened to members in the past.

Retirement Security Roundtable: No report.

MEA: The Prop B appeal by its supporters will be heard in Superior Court in March. Mike Zucchet is confident that the courts will not be sympathetic to the appellants. Zucchet stated that contract negotiations between MEA and the City could be rocky this year because of pay issues.

Other Retired Public Employee Associations: No report.

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting was adjourned at 10:40 am.

Respectfully submitted,

Brad Jacobsen
Secretary