532.93
RESOLUTION REGARDING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A
SERVICE AWARD PROGRAM FOR VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE WORKERS
OF THE TOWN OF QUEENSBURY
RESOLUTION NO. 532, 93
INTRODUCED BY: Mr. Michel Brandt
WHO MOVED ITS ADOPTION
SECONDED BY: Mr. Nick Caimano
WHEREAS, a proposal has been made to establish a Service Award
Program for volunteer ambulance workers of the Town of Queensbury,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury
directs that there shall be a public referendum of eligible voters
within the Town of Queensbury to determine whether a Service Award
Program as provided for in Article 11-AA of the New York State
General Municipal Law for volunteer ambulance workers who are
members of any volunteer ambulance company contracting with the
Town of Queensbury to provide ambulance services to Town residents,
shall be established effective January 1, 1994.
The type of program shall be a defined contribution plan as
defined in §219-c of Article 11-AA of the General Municipal Law.
For each qualified year of ambulance service not in excess of 40
years and including up to five consecutive years before 1994 but
after 1988, a contribution of $400 shall be credited to a
participating volunteer ambulance worker's Service Award Program
account balance. Investment income earned on the Service Award
Program trust fund assets plus interest owed on participant account
less necessary administrative costs shall be annually allocated to
each participant's Service Award Program account balance. The
participant's Service Award Program account balance at any time
shall be the participant's "Accrued Service Award" earned as of
that time. Pension-like and pre-entitlement age death and
disability benefits shall be provided to participants under the
Program. The pension-like benefit shall be a lump-sum payment at
age 62, the "entitlement age," equal to the participant's Accrued
Service Award at the entitlement age. (No accrued service award
shall be paid to any person until after they earn credit for one
qualifying year of service after 1993 and meet all other payment
entitlement requirements of Article 11-AA). The pre-entitlement
age death benefit shall be a lump-sum payable to a fully vested
participant's designated beneficiary equal to the participant's
Accrued Service Award in accordance with General Municipal Law §11-
AA. A participant who is awarded benefit payments due to a total
and permanent disability by a competent authority (including the
Social Security Administration and the Worker's Compensation Board)
approved by the Town Board, shall qualify for pre-entitlement age
disability payments from the Service Award Program. The disability
benefit shall be a lump-sum payment equal to the participant's
Accrued Service Award in accordance with General Municipal Law §11-
AA.
To obtain credit under the Service Award Program for service
before 1994 but after 1988, a volunteer ambulance worker must be a
member during 1994 of any volunteer ambulance company contracting
with the Town of Queensbury to provide ambulance services to Town
residents and must earn one year of qualifying ambulance service
credit before January 1, 1998.
Unless they waive participation, all volunteer ambulance
workers at least 18 years old who are members of any volunteer
ambulance company contracting with the Town of Queensbury to
provide ambulance services to Town residents shall become a
participant in the Service Award Program on December 31 of the
calendar year after 1993, during which they first earn a year of
qualifying ambulance service credit.
A participant shall have a non-forfeitable right (i.e., an
ambulance worker "vests") after he or she has five years of
qualifying ambulance service.
A year of qualifying ambulance service credit shall be granted
to a participant for each calendar year after 1993 during which the
participant earns at least 50 "points" for participating in the
volunteer ambulance worker activities set forth by the Town Board
of the Town of Queensbury Volunteer Ambulance Worker Service Award
Program Point System as authorized by §219-e of Article 11-AA of
the General Municipal Law. The Town Board may include within such
Point System additional non-discriminatory, uniform restrictions or
requirements for a volunteer ambulance worker to obtain a year of
qualifying service credit. The Point System must be set forth in
writing and copies of the written explanation of Point System must
be distributed to eligible volunteer ambulance workers. The Town
Board may amend the point system from time to time provided such
amendments are allowable under all applicable statutes, rules, and
regulations. In the event the Point System is amended by the Town
Board, a written explanation of the changes must be distributed to
eligible volunteer ambulance workers within 30 days of the date
such changes are adopted by the Town Board.
No credit shall be earned under this Volunteer Ambulance
Worker Service Award Program for service already credited to a
participant under any Volunteer Firefighter Service Award Program.
$400 shall be contributed to the account of any eligible
participant for each consecutive calendar year of Town of
Queensbury ambulance service before 1994 and after 1988 during
which the ambulance worker would have earned 50 or more points
under the point system had such point system been in effect then.
Under the General Municipal Law, the Town Board of the Town of
Queensbury is the Service Award Program "Sponsor" and the New York
State Comptroller, unless he or she selects an administrative
service agency, shall be the program "Administrator."
The total 1994 annual cost to local taxpayers of funding the
Town of Queensbury Volunteer Ambulance Workers Service Award
Program benefits payable in 1995 and assuming the maximum possible
number of eligible volunteer ambulance workers shall become
eligible for the maximum years of service each could earn is
estimated to be $60,000 or $600 per volunteer ambulance worker,
including the cost of administration. The estimated total annual
funding cost for current eligible volunteer ambulance workers is
estimated to be $60,000 or $600 per volunteer ambulance worker, for
the first ten years of the program, and shall thereafter decrease
to $400 per volunteer ambulance worker when the cost of crediting
$400 with interest accruing thereon to volunteer ambulance worker
accounts for each year of qualified volunteer ambulance service
credit earned for service before 1994 and after 1988 shall be fully
paid.
Service Award Program pension, death and disability benefits
shall commence to participants after December 31, 1994 when they
and/or their beneficiaries qualify for payment.
All other provisions of the Service Award Program shall be in
accordance with Article 11-AA of the General Municipal Law as
amended from time to time, and
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, that the Town Clerk working with the Town Attorney
is hereby authorized to draft a proposition for placing the
proposal to establish a Service Award Program consistent with the
terms and provisions of this resolution on the ballot for the
November Election and also sending it to the Board of Elections for
placement on the ballot.
Duly adopted this 20th day of September, 1993, by the
following vote:
AYES: Mr. Caimano, Mr. Tucker, Mrs. Monahan, Mrs. Goetz,
Mr. Brandt
NOES: None
ABSENT: None