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260.2022 Amend Volunteer Firefighter Service Award Program and Plan Document RESOLUTION TO AMEND THE TOWN OF QUEENSBURY'S VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER SERVICE AWARD PROGRAM AND PLAN DOCUMENT RESOLUTION NO.: 260, 2022 INTRODUCED BY: Mr. Anthony Metivier WHO MOVED ITS ADOPTION SECONDED BY: Mr. George Ferone WHEREAS, the Queensbury Town Board previously adopted a defined contribution Volunteer Firefighter Service Awards Program which is administered by the Town, and WHEREAS, on November 8, 2019, former Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed into law a bill increasing the maximum Service Awards able to be paid to Volunteer Firefighters and Volunteer Ambulance Workers, and WHEREAS, The Town's current defined contribution plan provides for an annual contribution of$700 per year per participant, and WHEREAS, under a defined contribution plan, under the new bill, the Service Award Program contribution for a participating volunteer can now be increased to as much as $1,200 per year per participant, and WHEREAS, the Town Board would like to increase the annual contribution per participating volunteer but do so in a staggered manner in the following way: January 1, 2023 increase to $900 January 1, 2024 increase to $1,000 January 1, 2025 increase to $1,100 January 1, 2026 increase to $1,200, and WHEREAS, an increase in the annual contribution under an existing Service Award Program in the manner described above up to the maximum $1200 is subject to an affirmative vote of at least sixty percent (60%) of the Town Board and a mandatory referendum where the residents of the Town served by these organizations must approve a Proposition authorizing the increase in payments by a majority vote by placement of such Proposition on the ballot of the November 8 h, 2022 General Election, and WHEREAS, the existing annual cost of the Service Award Program for 2022 will be approximately $94,500, and WHEREAS,the estimated annual cost of the Service Award Program to the Town including the annual administration fee per covered participant will be approximately: 2023 increase to $900—annual cost to the Town$121,500 2024 increase to $1,000 - annual cost to the Town$135,000 2025 increase to $1,100 - annual cost to the Town$148,500 2026 increase to $1,200 - annual cost to the Town$162,000 and WHEREAS, the increase in the estimated cost of the Service Award Program compared to 2022 would range from $27,000 in 2023 to a total increase of$67,500 in 2026, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Queensbury Town Board hereby increases the annual contribution to the Volunteer Firefighter Service Award Program Plan Document (the "Plan") from $700 to a maximum of$1,200 staggered in the manner described above, subject to an affirmative vote of at 2 least sixty percent(60%) of the Town Board and a mandatory referendum at the November 8, 2022 General Election, and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED,the Plan be amended as follows: D. Section 11 of the Plan, entitled "Annual Service Award", is amended as follows: (i) Subparagraph(a) and (b) shall be replaced entirely with: (a) $400 for each year of Service Credit earned during Program Years beginning before January 1, 2007, including Prior Service Credit. (b) $700 for each year of Service Credit earned during the Program Years beginning January 1, 2007 to January 1, 2022. (c) $900 for each year of Service Credit earned during the Program Year beginning on or after January 1, 2023. (d) $1000 for each year of Service Credit earned during the Program Year beginning on or after January 1, 2024 (e) $1,100 for each year of Service Credit earned during the Program Year beginning on or after January 1, 2025; and (f) $1,200 for each year of Service Credit earned during a Program Year beginning on or after January 1, 2026. and BE IT FURTHER, RESOLVED, that the Town Board hereby authorizes and directs the Town Clerk and Town Counsel to prepare a Proposition relating to this Resolution to be placed on the November 8, 2022 3 election ballot for the voters' approval or disapproval and the Town Clerk, with the advice of Town Counsel,to prepare an Abstract of the Proposition, and BE IT FURTHER, RESOLVED, that the Town Board hereby approves and authorizes a Proposition substantially in the form of the following Proposition pertaining to the increase in the annual Service Award contribution for the Town of Queensbury's Volunteer Firefighters: INCREASE IN MAXIMUM SERVICE AWARD CONTRIBUTION The Town of Queensbury proposes to increase the annual Service Award contribution for a participating Volunteer Firefighter from $700 per year per participant to the maximum of $1,200 per year per participant, in accordance with the bill signed into law on November 8, 2019 by former Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, to be effective prospectively if approved by a majority of the residents of the Town of Queensbury as follows: January 1, 2023 increase to $900 January 1, 2024 increase to $1,000 January 1, 2025 increase to $1,100 January 1, 2026 increase to $1,200 The current annual estimated cost to the Town of this Program at its current contribution is $94,500. The annual estimated cost to the Town is as follows: 2023 increase to $900—annual cost to the Town$121,500 2024 increase to $1,000-annual cost to the Town $135,000 2025 increase to $1,100-annual cost to the Town $148,500 4 2026 increase to $1,200-annual cost to the Town $162,000; and BE IT FURTHER, RESOLVED, that the Town Board further authorizes and directs the Queensbury Town Clerk to transmit a certified copy of this Resolution along with the Propositions and Abstracts to the Warren County Board of Elections or other appropriate officials so that the Propositions will be placed on the November 8, 2022 election ballot in all the voting locations in the Town of Queensbury. Duly adopted this 27 h day of June, 2022, by the following vote: AYES Mr. McNulty, Mr. Strough, Mr. Metivier, Mr. Freer, Mr. Ferone NOES None ABSENT: None 5