We wish Doug Anderson the best of luck on his retirement. He was always available and helpful to MNCORA and will be missed. We look forward to working with Amy Strenge and hope the good relationship with the PERA Executive continues.

I attended the August 13 PERA Board meeting remotely today. There are several important things that came from todays meeting. Executive Director Doug Anderson's replacement has been chosen it's Amy Strenge who has been their Legislative policy coordinator. Doug will be gradually phased out departing this coming November. MNCORA had a very good working relationship with Doug and we hope that continues with the new Executive Director. Of concern - A $4.4 million error was made in PERA's annual financial report. They failed to count $4.4 million in employee fringe benefits! On page 1 of the PERA Administrative Expense History it states:  This is in addition to the $16 million dollar discrepancy  found by the Office of the Legislative Auditor earlier this year. Also the PERA Board decided to create an Assistant Executive Director position. This will pay $160,734 a year, Beginning tomorrow that role will be filled by Amy Strenge until she assumes Doug's position in Novem...

 This is the Workgroup that will make recommendations to the LCPR regarding adding or not adding  911 Telecommunicators to the PERA Correctional Pension. Here's the link  https://www.lcpr.mn.gov/documents/911WorkGroup/911_Telecommunicator_Working_Group_Contact_List.pdf Let's break it down. Before we do let's point out upfront NOT ONE member of this group with voting powers is a PERA or MSRS Correctional retiree! We will concentrate on those who are actual Workgroup Members with the ability to vote. The Chair is Darlene Pankonie . She is listed as the  MN APCO or NENA of MN representative. These are 911 Dispatch organizations.  Darlene is the 911 Communications Division Mananger Washington County Sheriff's Office for the last 13 years. Prior to that she dispatched for the City of Minneapolis for 4 years. As far as we can ascertain she has not dispatched a 911 call for 13 years. During workgroup meetings she has frequently referred to inmates or offenders a...

Part 1 will explore how the current threat  to the PERA Correctional Plan began. Who? What? On March 1st 2021 Minnesota State Senator Bigham introduced SF 2198 described as  " 911 telecommunicators transfer from the general employees retirement plan to the local government correctional plan; transferring eligible service credit " This was quickly co-authored by Senators Housley and Pappas and joined by a companion bill in the House HF 2585 authored by Representative Berg. When the PERA Correctional Plan was formed in 1999 the initial  Correctional Officers   did not transfer any service credit from their previous PERA pension and initially had to wait 3 years to be vested! SF 2198 and HF 2585 did not proceed as written, but on May 3rd 2021 Senator Bigham introduced SF 2485 . The Bill description is, " 911 telecommunicator pension benefits working group establishment."  What is this working group studying?  Bill 2485 reads ...

 MNCORA has been monitoring the 911 Telecommunicators Pension Benefits Working Group established by the Minnesota State Senate. Among considerations is adding 911 Dispatchers to the PERA Correctional Retirement Plan. They seem to be leaning very heavily towards this. Talk at the last meeting has working group members comparing the stress of 911 dispatching to the very real physical dangers Correctional Officers face on the job! Sources tell us at the last meeting PERA Executive Director Doug Anderson said it could cost as much as $79 million to add dispatchers to the Correctional Plan! This was only a ballpark because NO ACTUARIAL STUDY has been done or even approved by the legislature! If dispatchers are added the up to 2.5% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) would probably end. With the current high inflation even the 2.5% COLA is a shrinking benefit! It's quite possible this work group could recommend adding people to a high risk plan, that don't meet the criteria, destroying...