New Canaan pension committee approves benefits for seven terminating employees

The New Canaan Funded Retirement Plan pension committee approved benefits for seven terminating or retiring employees at its Sept. 9 meeting. The approvals cover monthly vested pensions for six employees and a lump‑sum return of contributions for one Board of Education employee who elected to withdraw funds rather than defer to a future retirement date. Committee discussion focused on eligibility details for early retirement under certain labor contracts and the mechanics of a return of contributions. The committee approved monthly vested benefits for Doriana Antero, a Board of Education employee whose termination date was listed as Aug. 31, 2025; her normal retirement date was listed as April 1, 2024, and staff reported 27.75 years of service with a monthly benefit of $1,576.52. The committee also approved a vested monthly benefit of $1,625.75 for Deborah Casavecchia (termination April 25, 2025; normal retirement Aug. 21, 2023; 17.5 years of service). Stephanie Clark (termination June 18, 2025; normal retirement July 1, 2016) was recorded with 23.66 years of service and a monthly benefit of $1,244.85. Janet Donahue (Town employee; termination July 11, 2025; normal retirement Oct. 1, 2016) was recorded with 22.41 years of service and a monthly benefit of $3,113.38. Dave Peters (Town employee; termination July 31, 2025) was recorded with 31.5 years of service and a monthly vested benefit of $4,598.10. Deb DiMuzio (Town employee; termination July 31, 2025) was recorded with a vested monthly benefit of $2,804.29. One Board of Education employee, Lindsay Heron (termination Aug. 31, 2024), elected to take a return of contributions of $18,731.58 rather than defer to a future normal retirement date. A staff member explained that Heron moved to a nonunion position and was not vested in the pension plan at the time of departure, so she chose a lump‑sum withdrawal. The staff member said, “She could have waited until 2034 and collected a monthly benefit... she opted to take the value of the lump sum of what she was credited, which was $18,731.58.” Committee members asked for clarification about Dave Peters’ dates and eligibility. A staff member explained that, for public works employees under the relevant contract, an employee may take an early retirement at age 60 with at least 20 years of service even though the contract’s normal retirement age is 65. The staff member said Peters met the 60‑and‑20 requirement and that the pension remains fully payable under that contract provision. A motion to approve the new pension benefits for terminating and retiring employees was made and approved by the committee. The record indicates the motion passed; the transcript records it as approved by the members present. The committee did not change plan policy at the meeting; the actions recorded were approvals of the listed individual benefits and the explanatory clarifications about early‑retirement eligibility and return‑of‑contributions rules.