bserver O Remember our bravest
LONGBOAT
You. Your neighbors. Your neighborhood.
BUDGET
Town staff prepares for projected shortfall for the next fiscal year. PAGE 3A
OUR TOWN + ‘Ciao!’ baby Sharapova wins Maria Sharapova, who was defending her title, topped Li Na in the Italian Open Sunday, May 20, in Rome. The match was twice disrupted because of rain, the second time with the third set tied at 6-6. Sharapova won the tiebreaker 7-5. Sharapova’s parents live on Longboat Key.
Thursday, MAY 24, 2012
DIVERSIONS
INSIDE
Dale Rieke and Jenny Acheson let loose in their Wood Street Studio. INSIDE
Longboaters are up for the LLSA Chamber’s challenge. PAGE 14A.
employee benefits
by Robin Hartill | City Editor
$85,347: fire-rescue pension A survey of the 10 most recent town-employee retirees shows a low of $18,200 for a pension to a lump-sum payment of $628,295. A retired Longboat Key fire rescue lieutenant takes in $85,350 a year in his town pension. A retired police captain takes home $75,010 a year for his 27 years of service. And a retired building official, who worked 32 years, has an annual pension of $76,470 a year. This is just a sampling of the pension benefits Longboat Key taxpayers are funding in a system that is $26 million short of being able to meet its future obligations. They’re part of the town’s de-
fined-benefit pension plan that Interim Town Manager David Bullock hopes to change. Bullock presented a proposal earlier this month to the Longboat Key International Association of Firefighters Union and general employees that would freeze assets in the existing plans and open defined-contribution 401(a) accounts for current and existing employees. The town would match dollar-for-dollar, up to 13% of an employee’s pay. To determine how much the
town spends to pay for the benefits it guaranteed its employees, the Longboat Observer obtained earnings history and benefit records about the town’s 10 most recent retirees. Here’s how retiree benefits are calculated: The top five years of the most recent 10 years of the employee’s earnings are averaged to determine an average final compensation. (Because unused vacation and medical pay are calculated into the final year’s wages, the next
GROWING GARDENERS
+ Caps off to 2012 grads The Longboat Observer recognizes high school (and college) graduates from Longboat Key, St. Armands Key, Bird Key and Lido Key every year and we are seeking our 2012 graduates. If you are a graduate or if you would like to refer a graduate, please email Mallory Gnaegy at Mgnaegy@yourobserver.com.
St. Mary, Star of the Sea, Catholic Church will have two Masses filmed by the Diocese of Venice film crew that will be televised for shut-ins on a later date. At 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 6, a film crew will be present. Two episodes will be shown on SNN News6 at 10 a.m. July 1 and July 29.
Week of May 13 through May 19
Nests...............................23 False crawls.....................10 2012 2011 Nests 40 20 False crawls 18 16
PLAN B
SEE PENSIONS / PAGE 2A by Robin Hartill | City Editor
Villagers propose idea for north end A group of Longbeach Village residents has formed a concept for the north end after hearing ideas generated by the charrette.
+ St. Mary, Star of the TV
Turtle tracks
four highest years are included.) The current pension plans require fire and police to contribute 10% of their salaries, and general employees to contribute 6%. The final compensation, years of credited service and benefit rate (2.75% for general employees, and 3.5% for firefighters and police) are multiplied to determine benefits. The monthly amount the retiree receives can vary based on Social Security options and whether he selects lifetime-only benefits or to continue part or all of benefits to a surviving joint annuitant.
Longbeach Village resident Craig Walters had reservations about many of the ideas presented at the north-end planning charrette organized by the Longboat Key Revitalization Task Force earlier this year. Specifically, he felt that discussions took a north-end hotel as a starting point for generating ideas and felt that materials were presented in a manner that “didn’t seem consistent with the open-mindedness of the plan.” At one presentation, Task Force Chairman George Spoll told attendees that if didn’t matter if they loved or hated the ideas. The exercise was meant to generate ideas, not plans, along with community interest in the planning process. Although Walters wasn’t fond of many ideas presented, you could say that the Task Force met its goal. Walters, along with several other Village residents have developed a “Village in the Park” conceptual plan that took root in discussions about the ideas generated through the charrette. Village residents showed up en masse to a commission meeting two weeks ago and lobbied commissioners to remove, on first read-
Photos courtesy of Ron Johnson
The Longboat Key Garden Club took a May field trip to the Mariposa Nursery and Garden Center, in Bradenton, and to Orchid Mania, in Myakka City. They enjoyed lunch at MacAllisters Restaurant in Lakewood Ranch. Right: Judy Achre poses in the garden at the Mariposa Nursery and Garden Center.
NORTH END / FROM PAGE 5A
INDEX Bridge Bites....... 23A Briefs....................4A
Classifieds ........ 25A Cops Corner..........9A
Crossword.......... 24A Opinion.................8A
Real Estate........ 16A Weather............. 24A
Vol. 34, No. 43 | Two sections YourObserver.com