HomeMy WebLinkAbout26-074 Approving Part- TIme Employee Participation in Minnesota Public Employees REtirement Association4646 Dakota Street SE
Prior Lake. MN 55372
RESOLUTION 26 -074
Resolution Approving Part-Time Employee Participation in the Minnesota Public
Employees Retirement Association (PERA) Police & Fire Retirement Plan
WHEREAS, Assistant Fire Chief James W. Ruzicka announced his retirement from the Prior Lake Fire Department (PLFD) in early 2026; and
WHEREAS, Chief Ruzicka agreed to delay his retirement and work part-time effective
May 31, 2026, to complete several projects; and
WHEREAS, Chief Ruzicka began his fire service with the City or Prior Lake in 1998 as a
paid-on-call firefighter and transitioned to a full-time Assistant Fire Chief in
2021, at which time he began participation in the PERA Police & Fire Retirement Plan; and
WHEREAS, Minnesota Statute, Section 353.63 gives special consideration to
employees who perform hazardous work and devote their time and skills to protecting the property and personal safety of others; and
WHEREAS, Minnesota Statute, Section 353.64, Subdivision 1 permits the governing body of a governmental subdivision to declare coverage in the PERA
Police & Fire Retirement Plan for a non-full-time firefighter who is:
-employed in a fire department;
-required to be and is licensed by the Board of Firefighter Trainingand Education under section 299N.05;
-engaged in or exposed to hazardous conditions resulting fromfirefighting or fire prevention, suppression, or investigation;
-assigned less than 50 percent of the time to perform employment
duties in the same department that are not within the scope of fireservice in Minnesota Statute, Section 353.64, Subdivision 1; and
WHEREAS, The position of Assistant Fire Chief, currently held by James W. Ruzicka, satisfies the requirements of Minnesota Statutes Section 353.64,
Subdivision 1.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF PRIOR
LAKE, MINNESOTA as follows:
1.The recitals set forth above are incorporated herein.
2.The City Council authorizes James W. Ruzicka, Assistant Fire Chief, to continueenrollment in the PERA Police & Fire Retirement Plan as a part-time firefighter effective
May 31, 2026.
N:\Personnel\Benefits\MN Pension (PERA)\PERA-RuzickaResolution_May12.2026.docx
Passed and adopted by the Prior Lake City Council this 12th day of May 2026.
VOTE Briggs Braid Lake Churchill Hellier
Aye
Nay
Abstain
Absent
Jason Wedel, City Manager