Section 1700.10  Contributions by Participants

 

a)         Basis and Rate.  Each participant shall make contributions for retirement annuity purposes, covering service as a member on and after November 1, 1947.  Such contributions shall be made as a deduction from salary and shall accrue in the case of any participant beginning as of November 1, 1947.  Each male participant shall also make contributions for widows' annuity purposes, covering service as a member on and after August 2, 1949, which contributions shall be made as a deduction from any salary to be received by such participant.  Widows' annuity contributions shall accrue as of that date in the case of any male participant.

 

b)         Advance Payments of Salary.  Any participant who shall receive an advance payment of salary shall contribute to the System the prescribed percentage of the total amount of such payment of salary at the time such salary is received.  All contributions by members shall, where possible, be made as a deduction from salary at the time the same is paid to the member.

 

Section 1700.20  Basic Records and Accounts

 

a)         Membership Record.  Every participant shall be required to execute a Membership Record and other documents with respect to his date and place of birth, age, periods of creditable service, beneficiary, and any other such information as may be necessary for the effective operation of the System.

 

b)         Claims Record.  Claims received by the Board for annuities, benefits and refunds shall be properly recorded with respect to type of claim, dates approved or disapproved by the Board, amounts paid, and other essential facts.

 

c)         Individual Accounts.  A separate account shall be established and maintained for each individual participant, showing the amounts of contributions and other pertinent data in such form as shall be specified by the Actuary as being necessary for a complete accounting of such contributions and for required calculations and valuations.

 

d)         General Books of Account.  Proper books of account that will reflect accurately the income of the System from various sources, and its disbursements for the different purposes, and investments made by the Board, shall be established and maintained in accordance with recognized and modern accounting standards and techniques.

 

e)         Statistics.  Such other records as will provide the statistical data required for the annual actuarial valuations and make available information for periodic analyses of the operating results of the System shall be created and maintained.

 

f)         Confidential Nature of Records.  The information contained in the records and accounts established for the proper administration of the System, as herein provided, shall be considered of a trust and confidential nature and shall be used by any officer, trustee or employee of the System for the sole and exclusive purposes of the System, and for no other purposes whatsoever.

 

Section 1700.30  Filing of Claims

 

a)         Superannuation Retirement.  Any participant claiming an annuity from the System, for superannuation retirement, shall file an application therefor in the form prescribed by the Board of Trustees.  This application, together with the Membership Record showing age, service and salary data, a verified report on all creditable service claimed by the applicant, and such other information as may have been compiled by the System during the membership of the participant, shall constitute the complete record on the applicant, forming the basis for the allowance of the annuity.  No such annuity shall be allowed in any case in which the applicant shall be indebted to the System for contributions required to be made by him as provided in the Act and under the Rules and Regulations of the Board, and any action on any such application, and the commencement of annuity payments shall be deferred until such indebtedness shall have been fully discharged.

 

b)         Disability Retirement.  The same requirements as prescribed for superannuation retirement shall apply to and govern an application for a disability retirement annuity.  In addition, every applicant for disability retirement shall file with the Secretary proof of his claim, on forms prescribed by the Board.  The application of the participant shall also show the nature and extent of the disability, and the name and names and addresses of attending physicians.  Such application shall be accompanied by a report or reports of the attending physicians showing, among other things, the date and place of the first examination, the cause and nature of disability, information regarding surgical work or laboratory tests, and a prognosis of the disability.  An applicant shall be examined by a physician or physicians designated by the Board, as promptly as possible following the filing of an application, to determine if the applicant is totally and permanently disabled to render service as a member.  Medical examinations shall be made thereafter, at least once each year, during the continuance of disability prior to age 60, by one or more licensed physicians designated by the Board.  No further examinations shall be made after the retirant has attained the age of 60 years.

 

c)         Refunds.  Any participant eligible to receive a refund of his contributions shall, if he so elects, make a written request therefor upon a form prescribed by the Board.  A request for a refund shall not be considered valid unless the participant has ceased to be a member.

 

d)         Death Benefits.  A participant may designate a beneficiary to receive this death benefit, consisting of all contributions made by the participant, provided no widow's annuity is payable.  If no special designation is made, the widow of the participant, if one survives who is not eligible for a widow's annuity, shall receive such benefit, but if there be no such widow surviving, the contributions shall be paid to the estate of the participant.  Any person claiming a benefit on account of the death of a participant shall file with the Board a written application for such benefit, on a form prescribed by the Board.  In all such cases, the application shall be accompanied by a certified copy of the Death Certificate or other public record of such death, or a physician's certificate.  Where an inquest is held, the Board shall be furnished with a certified copy of the record of such inquest.  Any person or persons applying for a death benefit shall, when requested by the Board, furnish such proof of identification as the Board may direct.

 

Section 1700.40  Amendments

 

a)         Changes or amendments to the Rules may be proposed by any trustee, shall be submitted to the Secretary of the Board in writing, and shall be acted upon in the following manner:

 

b)         Upon receipt of a proposal for an amendment, the Secretary of the Board shall mail to each trustee a notice setting forth in full the proposed change or amendment to the Rules, at least ten (10) days prior to the date of any regular or special meeting at which the proposed change or amendment shall be submitted for consideration.

 

c)         At the next regular or special meeting following the mailing of such notice, or at any meeting thereafter to which consideration of such change or amendment has been postponed by the Board, such change or amendment may be adopted by a vote of at least five trustees voting in favor of its adoption.  At such meeting the proposed change or amendment may be altered or modified before being acted upon, without the necessity of any further notice to the trustees, provided, however, that the said change or amendment as modified or altered shall be applicable only to those portions of the Rules to which the notice specifically referred, and provided further that any such change shall be approved by at least five trustees of the Board.