City of San Diego Retired Employees Association

September 14, 2021

Board Meeting Minutes

 

NOTES: All votes were unanimous unless otherwise noted

The meeting was held via Zoom

 

Call to Order: The meeting was called to order by President Dick Wilken at 9:15am.

Board Members Present: Chris Brewster, Karen Butler, Shirley Hall, Joan Hernandez, Charlie Hogquist, Brad Jacobsen, Joan McNamara, Mary Ann Stepnowsky, John Tsiknas, Dave Twomey, Dick Wilken, and Janet Wood

Guests Present: Joe Flynn 

AGENDA: There were no additions or changes to the agenda.

MINUTES: The minutes of the August 2021 Board meeting were approved.

TREASURER’S REPORT: Karen reported a $500 invoice from ILS for the newsletter.

M/S/C to accept the August Treasurer’s Report.

INVESTMENT COMMITTEE REPORT: John reported that the Russell 3000 appreciation since the original investment in 2017 is 67.24%; the Money Market appreciation during the same period is 3.09%. The fund balance at the end of August is $319,894.

RETIREMENT BOARD REPRESENTATIVE’S REPORT: Charlie reported that the retirement fund balance hit a record $10.3 billion.

COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION ITEMS: Dick reported that Gregg Rademacher believes that City negotiations with the labor unions regarding brining post-Prop B employees into the system will last through the end of the year, with another year to implement those measures.

ACTION ITEMS:

1) There was much discussion about holding the Holiday Party at the Bali Hai. We have until October to notify the restaurant if we want to hold the event or postpone, perhaps to a Spring 2022 event. It was noted that a lot of work goes into the event, and that attendance has been declining over the past several pre-Covid years and that Covid could depress attendance even more. A counter-argument was that the Holiday Party is still a popular social event for REA members, and could remain so by taking measures such as only allowing vaccinated persons to attend, to have outdoor seating options (weather permitting), and following the restaurant’s buffet-service protocols.

M/S/FAILED (4-5-2) to postpone the Holiday Party

There followed brief suggestions about how to proceed with the Holiday Party that would reduce our efforts. These included not having a drawing for door prizes and having plated lunches instead of a buffet.

2) There was discussion about having an in-person meeting/program in November at the War Memorial Building. Attendance protocols would include requiring proof of vaccination; room set-up to accommodate social distancing; box lunches; and optional masks. A counter-argument was to have the November meeting via Zoom, with in-person meetings resuming in January.

M/S/C (10-1-0) to resume in-person meetings in November

3) A special mid-year membership recruitment mailer via SDCERS is part of our Five Year Plan. Gregg Rademacher is supportive but needs SDCERS staff vetting. This outreach will cost us money. Should we proceed with this effort?

M/S/C to proceed with pursuing the benefits and costs of a mid-year membership drive.

ADVOCACY COMMITTEE REPORT

1) Dave reported that we will sponsor one more podcast on Voice of San Diego; to date, 34K listeners have learned about us. We will have a virtual food drive in December, and will be sponsoring a “Read Across America” event at an elementary school in Council District 9.

2) It’s time to acknowledge someone who has contributed greatly to REA or retirees in general. Nominations should be sent to Brad by September 22.

The next meeting is Thursday, September 23 at 9:30am via Zoom.

OTHER COMMITTEE REPORTS

Membership: No report

Newsletter: Deadline for the next issue is September 20.

Nominating Committee: All current officeholders whose terms are expiring have agreed to continue.

OTHER RETIREE/ACTIVE EMPLOYEE ASSOCIATION REPORTS

Retiree Issues Task Force (RITF): The next meeting is September 15.

Retirement Security Roundtable: The next meeting is October 6

MEA: No report.

Other Retired Public Employee Associations: No report

PROGRAMS: No changes

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting was adjourned at 10:15am.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Brad Jacobsen

Secretary