[Added 9-27-2004 by Ord. No. 31-2004]
[Amended 9-12-2005 by Ord. No. 21-2005]
A. 
Each City officer or full-time employee who is not entitled to become a part of a bargaining unit shall be entitled, upon retirement from employment with the City of East Orange, to the benefits and compensation enumerated under this article. For the purposes of this article, the effective date of retirement from a state-administered pension system shall be defined as the member's separation date from employment with the City of East Orange after having filed an application for retirement with a state-administered pension system.
[Amended 2-13-2007 by Ord. No. 5-2007]
(1) 
Payment of insurance premiums after retirement.
(a) 
The City shall assume upon request by the retiree the entire cost of the premiums for health insurance selected by the City, which shall include administrative fees and eligible dependents for retirees who have retired from a state-administered retirement system after 25 years or more of service credit in a state-administered retirement system and a period of service of 25 years with the City at the time of retirement; or who have retired from a state-administered retirement system and reached the age of 65 years or older after 25 years or more of service credit in a state-administered retirement system and a period of service of 15 years with the City at the time of retirement; or who have retired from a state-administered retirement system and reached the age of 65 years or older with at least 20 years of service to the City, 15 years of which must have been continuous and uninterrupted at the time of retirement.
(b) 
The City shall assume, upon request by the retiree, 50% of the costs for health insurance premiums selected by the City, which shall include administrative fees and eligible dependents for retirees from a state-administered retirement system who have retired and reached the age of 62 years or older with at least 15 years of service with the City or who have retired on a disability pension with at least 10 years of service with the City.
(2) 
Restrictions on payment of premiums after retirement. The City's health insurance coverage shall become secondary for retirees who are eligible for medicare. The City shall not pay the insurance premiums for retirees who are eligible for a state health benefits plan. Retirees who are not eligible for payment of insurance premiums pursuant to Subsection A(1) may opt to pay the entire cost of coverage for themselves and their eligible dependents through coverage maintained by the City. A retiree's health insurance and benefits shall terminate upon the death of any retiree who has received health insurance pursuant to Subsection A(1) of this section.
(3) 
Effective date. Subsections A(1) and (2) of this section shall apply to retirees who retire on or after January 1, 2005. Retirees eligible for health benefits pursuant to Subsections A(1) and (2) who retired prior to the amendment of this section shall not be eligible for reimbursement from the City of premiums already paid.
B. 
Compensation for earned and unused sick leave. Upon request of the retiree, the City shall make a lump-sum payment for earned and unused accumulated sick leave which is credited to the retiree on the effective date of retirement, as defined herein, from a state-administered retirement system in the manner and to the extent provided for herein. Only City officers and full-time employees who have accumulated sick leave days of 100 or more and completed 10 years or more of service shall be entitled as a right to receive the lump-sum payment provided for in this section.
[Amended 2-14-2011 by Ord. No. 1-2011; 4-18-2011 by Ord. No. 10-2011]
(1) 
Such supplemental compensation payment shall be computed at the rate of 1/2 of the eligible City officer's or employee's daily base rate of pay excluding longevity for each day of earned and unused accumulated sick leave based upon the City officer or employee's average annual compensation received during the last year of his or her employment prior to the effective date of his or her retirement; provided, however, that no such lump-sum supplemental compensation payment shall exceed $15,000.
(2) 
Notwithstanding Subsection B(1) above, up to and through December 31, 2011, each City officer or employee who has accumulated sick leave days of 100 or more and has completed 10 years or more of service with the City of East Orange shall be entitled to receive full lump-sum payment of accumulated sick leave, not to exceed 1/2 of the City officer or employee's annual base salary, excluding longevity.
(3) 
The lump-sum supplemental compensation provided for accumulated sick days shall not be treated as part of the base salary and is not intended to in any way affect, increase or decrease any pension or retirement benefits to such retired City officer or employee.
(4) 
A City officer or employee who incurs a separation in service for any reason except that due to temporary layoff shall have his or her accumulated sick leave computed only from the date of return to employment.
(5) 
Notice of intention to claim the benefit provided for herein must be made in writing to the City Administrator no later than 30 days after the filing of an application for a type of retirement with the State Division of Pensions and Benefits for which the retiree may qualify. Eligible retirement types shall be defined as including service, early, veteran, deferred, ordinary disability, accidental disability retirement or such other type of retirement as the retiree may qualify for through a state-administered retirement system. The City, in its sole discretion, may defer payment of all or part of the benefit to the fiscal year following the retirement.