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Votes at a glance: San Jose Federated board authorizes legal agreement, approves disability and COLA items, and amends counsel contract
Summary
At its February 2025 meeting the San Jose Federated board reported out closed‑session actions authorizing a common interest privilege agreement and joining an amicus brief in Lacero litigation; it also approved disability-status actions, a COLA resolution, consent calendar items, and a not-to-exceed adjustment for the Reed Smith legal contract.
San Jose — The San Jose Federated City Employees Retirement System Board reported multiple formal actions at its February 2025 meeting: two reportable closed‑session decisions involving legal strategy, several routine and administrative approvals on the open agenda, and an amendment to the board’s outside-legal services budget.
Closed session reportable actions
Counsel reported that, in closed session, the board authorizedLegal Counsel to sign a common-interest privilege agreement with the other city charter retirement plans. That motion passed with the following yes votes recorded: Chair Horowitz, Trustee Julie Jennings, Trustee Faulkner, Trustee Linder, Vice Chair Chandra and Trustee Abbot. Trustee Abasti voted no. There were no abstentions.
The board also voted to join the Police and Fire board in filing the amicus brief presented in the Lacero litigation. The motion passed with the same yes votes listed above and Trustee Abasti recorded as the lone no vote. For closed-session item 1B regarding the Shaharabar litigation, counsel reported that there was no reportable action.
Open-meeting actions and roll-call votes
- Item 1 (application for change to service‑connected disability retirement): The board approved the application. Roll call recorded ayes from Trustees Faulkner, Jennings, Abbot, Linder, Vice Chair Chandra, Trustee Evosti and Chair Horowitz; the motion carried.
- Item 2 (rescission of application for change of status): The board approved rescission after motion and second; roll call recorded ayes by Trustees Abasti, Jennings, Vice Chair Chandra, Hammitt, Linder, Faulkner and the chair.
- Consent calendar (items 3–10, including four minor city policy manual changes): The board approved the consent calendar by roll call (all present trustees voting aye). ORS staff explained that items placed on the consent calendar are generally minor HR or administrative updates, such as a change in the value for an employee-recognition program.
- Item 7c (cost-of-living adjustment resolution for 415(b) grandfathered retirees): The board approved the annual resolution to set the COLA limits for members covered under 415(b); the vote was unanimous as recorded by roll call.
- Item 7d (lease negotiation): Trustees were briefed on ongoing lease negotiations and the board tabled the item; staff said they received a new landlord offer late and expected to return a revised item to the March meeting. Staff noted the proposed deal would include an additional ~2,200 square feet adjacent to the boardroom to add roughly 13 seats.
- Item 7e (amend legal services agreement with Reed Smith): The board approved an increase to the contract’s not-to-exceed amount to align the contract with the budgeted and anticipated legal expenditures for the fiscal year. Trustees were told the change stays within the previously approved budget; the increase passed by roll call (all present trustees voting aye).
Other items
ORS reported ongoing recruitments for a senior office specialist (expected fill by month’s end) and an accounting position (expected by April). Staff also summarized cyber‑security remediation progress, plans for a board retreat in September, and schedules for upcoming governance and legal‑services RFP interviews.
The board accepted minutes and committee reports and adjourned after routine business.
