[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Commissioners of the Township of Nether Providence as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Former Ch. 53, Art. I, Police Pension Fund, adopted 2-10-1983 by Ord. No. 520, as amended, was superseded 8-10-2006 by Ord. No. 713, which ordinance established a Police Pension Plan, effective 1-1-2006. Said plan is on file in the Township offices.]
[Adopted 3-8-1984 as Ord. No. 527]
Unless otherwise expressly stated, the following terms shall have, for purposes of interpreting this article, the meanings as set forth below:
ACCRUED BENEFIT
A participant's accrued pension benefit shall be equal to the expected normal retirement benefit multiplied by a fraction. The expected normal retirement benefit shall be based upon the participant's average annual compensation as of the termination and the social security laws in effect as of such termination date. The fraction shall be equal to the participant's credited service as of the termination date, divided by the participant's total expected credited years of service as of the normal retirement date.
ACTUARIAL EQUIVALENT
A benefit determined by the plan administrator, or any actuary, to be equal to another benefit or to a dollar amount in accordance with the 1971 Group Annuity Mortality Table and the rate of interest assumed in the most recent State Actuarial Investigation Report.
ACTUARY
A person skilled in calculating the value of life interests, annuities and insurances, who shall be retained by the Commissioners to advise them upon the establishment, regulation and maintenance of the Pension Fund.
AGE
The age an employee attained on the nearest birthday.
ANNIVERSARY DATE
The anniversary date will be one year following the date of employment.
[Amended 4-9-2009 by Ord. No. 741]
ANNUAL COMPENSATION
The basic compensation paid and accrued to a participant during the plan year, excluding overtime and all other compensation.
AVERAGE ANNUAL COMPENSATION
The average annual compensation earned by a participant during the last 36 months of employment prior to retirement or termination.
AVERAGE MONTHLY COMPENSATION
The average monthly compensation during the last 36 months.
CREDITED SERVICE
A participant shall be credited with a year of service for any plan year in which the participant completes at least 1,000 hours of service with the employer. Any year in which the participant has waived participation shall be excluded for purposes of determining "credited service."
DEATH BENEFIT
Upon death while in the employ of the Township and while a participant in the plan, the participant shall be vested in the accrued normal retirement benefit, and the beneficiary shall be entitled to received the actuarial equivalent of the accrued normal retirement benefit as of the day immediately preceding death. If the sum of the participant's contributions with interest exceeds the actuarial equivalent of the accrued benefit, such sum shall be paid in lieu of the actuarial equivalent. In the event of death following retirement, benefits shall be paid in accordance with the form of benefit elected at retirement. In the event of the death of the participant and the contingent annuitant after retirement, the beneficiary shall be entitled to receive an amount, if any, equal to the sum of the participant's contributions, with interest, less the payments made to both the participant and the contingent annuitant.
DISABILITY BENEFIT
If a participant retires from active employment with the Township because of a permanent and total disability for a non-service-related reason, the participant shall be vested in the accrued normal retirement benefit and shall be entitled to receive a disability retirement benefit. If the participant has suffered a service-related disability which is permanent and total, the benefit shall be offset by 100% of any amounts received under workmen's compensation or any similar payment compensation plan to which the Township has contributed. Any amounts received under the Federal Social Security Program shall reduce the disability retirement benefit by 50% of such social security benefits actually received by the participant. Disability shall be determined by the Commissioners of the Township. If, after disability, the participant becomes eligible for a normal retirement benefit, the disability retirement benefit shall cease, and the normal retirement benefit shall commence as of such date. If, after disability, the participant dies, the beneficiary shall be entitled to receive an amount, if any, equal to the sum of the participant's contributions, with interest, less the payments made to the participant.
EARLY RETIREMENT
A participant may retire early if the participant has attained age 65 and completed 10 years of service. The early retirement benefit shall be computed in the same manner as the normal retirement benefit and shall be based upon average annual compensation at the early retirement date. Said benefit shall be reduced by 1/15 for each year between the early retirement date and the normal retirement date. The participant's early retirement benefit shall commence at "early retirement."
EFFECTIVE DATE
The "effective date" of the Pension Plan shall be January 1, 1958. The "effective date" of the amended and restated Pension Plan shall be January 1, 1984.
EMPLOYER
The Township of Nether Providence.
ENTRY DATE
December 31.
FUND
The Municipal Employees' Pension Fund of the Township of Nether Providence.
NORMAL RETIREMENT DATE
The "normal retirement date" for each participant shall be the first of the month coincident with or next following the 65th birthday. If the participant has not completed 15 years of credited service upon attainment of age 65, the "normal retirement date" shall be the date upon which the participant completes 15 years of service.
PARTICIPANT
Each employee who has fulfilled the requirements of § 53-7 hereof and has not waived participation.
TRUST AGREEMENT
A contract between the Township and the trustee stipulating the terms by which the fund is held, invested, distributed, accounted for and to be terminated.
TRUSTEE
A fiduciary appointed by the Commissioners of the Township of Nether Providence to hold in trust the Municipal Employee's Pension Fund.
[Amended 12-10-1992 as Ord. No. 581]
Each employee who is not a participant of the police force and not a Commissioner or Tax Collector may be a participant of this Pension Plan upon completion of the eligibility requirements. Any employee shall be eligible to enter the plan on the anniversary date next following the completion of one year of service. For purposes of computing years of service, credit will be given from the date of permanent appointment, provided that participation hereunder has not been waived.
A. 
If a participant who entered the plan after January 1, 1984, terminates employment prior to the normal or early retirement date, the participant shall be entitled to a nonforfeitable percentage of the accrued benefit according to the following schedule:
Years of Service
Vested Percentage
Less than 1 year
0%
1 year but less than 2
10%
2 years but less than 3
20%
3 years but less than 4
30%
4 years but less than 5
40%
5 years but less than 6
50%
6 years but less than 7
60%
7 years but less than 8
70%
8 years but less than 9
80%
9 years but less than 10
90%
10 or more years
100%
B. 
Any participant who entered the plan prior to January 1, 1984, shall be vested in accordance with the following schedule:
Years of Service
Vested Percentage
Less than 1 year
0%
1 year but less than 2
20%
2 years but less than 3
40%
3 years but less than 4
60%
4 years but less than 5
80%
5 years or more
100%
C. 
The participant shall commence to receive the vested accrued pension benefit on the first of the month coincident with or next following the normal retirement date, unless application is made to the Commissioners for another form of benefit payment. If the actuarial equivalent of the participant's deferred vested benefit is less than the accumulated contributions with interest, the participant shall be entitled to receive a return of the employee contributions plus interest, as determined under § 53-11 and shall receive no further benefit from the plan.
[Amended 12-10-1992 as Ord. No. 581]
The monthly pension at normal retirement date shall be based on 50% of the average monthly compensation during the last 36 months.
Each participant shall contribute 3% of the base earnings to the plan. Such employee contributions shall be credited with interest at the rate of 3% compounded annually. Effective January 1, 1984, such credited interest rate shall be 5 1/2%. Any balance of contributions determined by the plan actuary to be necessary for the funding of the fund shall be made by the Township.
A participant may elect to receive the benefit in any manner acceptable to the Commissioners. The following forms of benefit payment may be considered acceptable to the Commissioners and shall be the actuarially determined equivalent of any annuity payable for the life of a participant:
A. 
A life annuity with no certain period.
B. 
A life annuity with a certain period of five or 10 years guaranteed.
C. 
A joint and survivor annuity with survivor benefit equal to 50%, 75% or 100% of the joint annuity.
D. 
Payments in equal quarterly, semiannual or annual installments not exceeding 10 years.
E. 
A lump sum payment not in excess of $1,750, unless such lump sum payment is a return of the participant's employee contributions with credited interest.
Each participant who has not elected an option as offered above shall receive a monthly pension benefit payable for life, with the first payment commencing upon the retirement date, and thereafter payments will be made in like amount on the first day of each subsequent month, continuing to and terminating with the month in which the death of the former participant takes place. After such series of payments shall be completed, no further payments of any kind will be made to the beneficiary or the estate of the deceased participant unless the accumulated employee contributions with interest exceed the total payments made.
This Pension Plan shall be financed by annual payments made by the Township, by employee contributions and other payments to the Nether Providence Township Municipal Employees' Pension Trust and shall be subject to the requirements of the separate trust agreement with the trustee.
[Added 7-13-1989 by resolution]
Effective January 1, 1989, the monthly benefit payable to each retired participant and to each beneficiary of a deceased retired participant who were receiving benefits under the plan as of December 1989 shall be increased by a percentage equal to the amount in Sub§ A or B, whichever is applicable, as follows:
A. 
In the case of a retired participant, 5%, plus 1/4 of 1% for each month that the participant was retired as of January 1, 1989.
B. 
In the case of a beneficiary of a deceased retired participant, 5%), plus 1/4 of 1% for each month that the participant would have been retired as of January 1, 1989.
Any amendments and revisions may be made by resolution of the Commissioners.