Gainesville trustees approve disability retirement for transit maintenance worker

The Board of Trustees of the City of Gainesville General Employees Pension Plan approved a disability retirement for Carl Payne effective Jan. 1, 2025.

City risk management staff told trustees that Payne, an 11-year employee with the regional transit system who worked as a maintenance worker I, had submitted medical documentation, undergone an independent medical exam review and was found to meet the plan’s definition of an out-of-line disability. The disability review committee recommended the board approve the retirement based on that evidence.

Steve Varvel (Risk Manager) and staff described the plan’s disability process: employees apply when they can no longer perform essential job functions; medical records and an independent medical examiner’s opinion are reviewed; a disability review committee evaluates whether the worker meets plan criteria and whether alternate city positions are feasible. Staff said the plan’s disability benefits set a floor; the retiree receives the greater of the disability formula or the pension earned to date.

Trustee discussion was brief. Commissioner Eastman moved to approve the application; a second was recorded and the motion passed unanimously (noting Trustee Chestnut was absent). No public comment was entered during the pension item. The retirement will be processed with an effective date of 2025-01-01 and will be administered by the pension plan staff.

The board hearing preceded the City Commission meeting held the same day; the trustees’ action is administrative and applies only to Payne’s pension application.