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<br /> <br />UNIVERSITY CITY COUNCIL <br />STUDY SESSION <br />5th floor of City Hall <br />6801 Delmar <br />September 9, 2013 <br />5:30 p.m. <br /> <br />th <br />The City Council Study Session was held in the Council Chamber, 5 floor of City Hall, on <br />September 9, 2013. Mayor Shelley Welsch called the Study Session to order at 5:34 p.m. In <br />addition to the Mayor, the following members of the Council were present: <br /> <br />Ms. Paulette Carr <br />Mr. Steve Kraft - arrived at 5:45 p.m. <br />Mr. Arthur Sharpe, Jr. <br /> Mr. Terry Crow <br /> <br />Mr. Michael Glickert and Mr. Byron Price were excused. <br /> <br />Also in attendance were City Manager Lehman Walker, Robert Klahr, Armstrong Teasdale <br />Partner and Joe Edwards, representing the Loop Special Business District. <br /> <br />Mayor Welsch opened the Study Session asking for any changes to the upcoming Council <br />meeting agenda. <br /> <br />Ms. Carr asked to remove Council discussion on unimproved street policy. <br />City Manager asked to add to the City Manager’s report the authorization of the City Manager to <br />enter into a contract with Armstrong Teasdale. He asked to withdraw the resolution regarding <br />Lewis Park, Resolution 2013 – 11. <br /> <br />Mr. Walker noted that at the last study session Council had asked that the City’s Pension <br />Attorney, Mr. Mug come to a study session to explain in more detail the pension plan changes in <br />the two bills that were introduced for approval. <br /> <br />Mr. Mug updated Council on some changes to the Uniform and Non-Uniform pension plans due <br />to the IRS determination process. He provided a little background history of his involvement <br />with the pension plans. He was hired by the Pension Board in 2010, to bring the City’s pension <br />plans into compliance with the Internal Revenue code. Mr. Mug said he initially was to revise <br />the plans with provisions that were compliant with Internal Revenue code as originally adopted <br />by the City Council. In January 2011, the changes were submitted to the Internal Revenue <br />Service, (IRS). Mr. Mug said it was a two-step process with the IRS, when there was a plan not <br />in qualification. He said the first step was to participate in the voluntary correction program and <br />at the end of that program the IRS issues a compliance statement. After that the revised plan is <br />reviewed for the purpose of issuance of a final determination letter. Mr. Mug said the <br />compliance statement basically is a forgiveness of all past sins and saying the City would <br />consider the plan compliant going forward, subject to the receipt of the determination letter. The <br />determination letter said based on the IRS review said the plan was now compliant and could <br />move forward without any risk of disqualification or other problems with the IRS from a <br />document free standpoint. He said operational compliances are still required on a continual <br />basis. Mr. Mug noted that the City has never had an operational issue with either pension plans <br />as far as the IRS. He said changes were made to the pension plans as suggested by the IRS <br />1 <br /> <br /> <br />