Posted Mar. 22, 2015 at 3:50 PM
ADELANTO — About 40 former Adelanto employees and a few City Council members are named on a list of those who were grandfathered into a city policy granting free health care benefits for life, with an additional 26 former employees who stand to qualify but have not yet sought reimbursement, according to city records.
The major work perk is no longer being granted after ordinances outlining the benefits signed by past City Councils were rescinded last January. However, the city paid approximately $52,240, in 2013-14 on the lifetime health care packages and almost double in 2012-13 with a price tag of $106,579, according to a spreadsheet of the costs provided by the City Clerk's office.
Messages and calls made to Interim City manager Thomas Thornton and Mayor Rich Kerr for comment on the policy were not immediately returned. Councilman Jermaine Wright previously called the benefits an "unfunded liability" the city is looking to cut.
"We’re going to be looking into everything we can, to cut unfunded liabilities to the city," Wright said.
Current city employees who qualify include City Clerk Cindy Herrera, Executive Secretary Rachel Carranza, and Conservation Specialist Belen Cordero, among several others. Outgoing city manager Jim Hart's name is also on the list.
However, the bulk of employees slated to receive the benefits worked at the former Adelanto Community Correctional Facility that was sold to Geo Group Inc. for $28 million in 2010, records show. The benefits were first established on June 13, 1995 as an incentive to "dedicated employees" to increase employee retention under former city Mayor Judith Crommie and Mayor Pro-Tem Mary Scarpa, according to Adelanto City Ordinance 95-38.
The number of actual recipients of the benefits appears to have declined in 2014-15, but was not clear as many blank boxes appeared next to employee names in the records provided by the city on Thursday. For both City Council members and city employees the benefits were rescinded on Jan 22, 2014 under Mayor Cari Thomas' tenure.
Health care payments to past employees are capped at the amount the employee received upon retiring and do not include compensation for dependents, records state. A few people who were eligible also have since died.
City Clerk's Assistant Brenda Lopez said the records were kept by Human Resources Analyst Lilly Salcido who was not in the office last week to answer questions.
To qualify for the lifetime benefits in the past, city employees and managers had to be at least 50 years of age when they ended their employment, and have worked for Adelanto for 10 years. They must also have been hired before July 1, 2004. Eligible candidates forfeited their benefits if they did not claim them within 45 days of retiring.
An employee could also receive a cash payout or lump sum in lieu of the lifetime benefits. However, lump sum payments have to be approved by the City Council and found to be "fiscally prudent and reasonable," according to city records.
In addition to the previous policy, all Adelanto management employees can accrue between 180 and 240 hours of paid vacation each year, or the equivalent of about four and a half to six full work weeks. They can bank a maximum of 600 hours over their employment and can choose to use the accrued time or cash out 100 percent of its value.
Each year city management employees have the potential to accrue 146 hours of sick leave, or the equivalent of more than three and a half weeks, according to city records. They can bank a maximum of 960 hours but they must have a minimum of 146 hours in the bank to receive a 100 percent cash out of additional hours.
Brooke Self may be reached at 760-951-6232 or BSelf@VVDailyPress.com. You can also follow her on Twitter at @BrookeSelf or @DPEduNews.
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