Evansville Police Pension Board affirms disability finding, clarifies secretary pay and elects officers

The Evansville Police Department Pension Board on Feb. 13 voted to find a covered impairment for Officer Delano under Indiana Code 36‑8‑8.12.3, classified the impairment as a class 1, clarified the pension board secretary’s pay formula going forward and carried a series of routine actions including accepting an applicant, approving minutes and destroying election ballots.

The board’s decisions affect benefit determinations for a disability hearing, update the secretary’s pay calculation to match a defined share of a certified patrolman’s salary and finalize results from the board’s recent internal election.

At the meeting held in Room 307 of Civic Center Plaza, the board first voted to accept applicant number 24‑189. Chief Phil Smith moved to accept the applicant and member Kyle Castle seconded; the motion was approved by voice vote. The minutes of the Jan. 8, 2025 meeting were approved by voice vote. The board then moved to destroy ballots from the Feb. 11, 2025 pension election; that motion, made by Chief Phil Smith and seconded by Treasurer Robert Gunter, also passed by voice vote.

During an executive‑session disability hearing consideration carried into the open meeting, the board voted to find that a covered impairment was present for Officer Delano under Indiana Code 36‑8‑8.12.3. A roll‑call vote recorded seven yeas and no nays: President Pro Tem Aaron McCormick (yes), Treasurer Robert Gunter (yes), Secretary Rick Hubbard (yes), Chief Phil Smith (yes), Active member Jeff Bryvogle (absent for that roll call), Active member Kyle Castle (yes), Active member Patrick McDonald (yes), and Active member Adam Will (yes). The board then voted by roll call to classify the covered impairment as a class 1 impairment; the same members voted yes and the motion carried.

The board addressed a clarification to a 2023 motion about the pension board secretary’s pay. The board voted to set the secretary’s pay at 25% of the Evansville Police Department 25‑year patrolman certified salary (annual base salary plus longevity), effective Jan. 1, 2025. The motion clarified specific salary equivalents cited for the calculation: $91,490.76 for 2025, $95,150.39 for 2026 and $98,956.40 for 2027. The clarification motion was moved by Chief Phil Smith and seconded by Kyle Castle and approved by voice vote.

The board announced the results of the recent pension election: Patrick McDonald won a three‑year active member term, Adam Will won a one‑year active member term, and Secretary Rick Hubbard was re‑elected unopposed to the retiree position. The board thanked member Kyle Castle for staffing the election and then approved a motion to destroy the ballots from that election.

The board recorded two personnel notices: Sergeant David Wayne Boneberger (badge 5158) will retire effective March 17, 2025, after 29 years, six months and six days of service; Officer Jacqueline Ann Duff (badge 1483) resigned effective Jan. 17, 2025, after five years, six months and 10 days. The next regular meeting was scheduled for Wednesday, March 5, 2025, at 8:15 a.m. in Room 307 of Civic Center Plaza. The meeting adjourned at 9:10 a.m.

Votes at a glance

- Acceptance of applicant #24‑189 — Mover: Chief Phil Smith; Second: Kyle Castle; Outcome: Passed (voice vote). - Find covered impairment for Officer Delano (Indiana Code 36‑8‑8.12.3) — Outcome: Passed (roll call recorded seven yeas, zero nays; one listed absent). - Classify impairment as class 1 — Outcome: Passed (roll call with seven yeas). - Approve minutes of Jan. 8, 2025 meeting — Outcome: Passed (voice vote). - Destroy ballots from Feb. 11, 2025 pension election — Mover: Chief Phil Smith; Second: Robert Gunter; Outcome: Passed (voice vote). - Clarify pension board secretary pay (25% of certified patrolman 25‑year salary; effective 01/01/2025 with specified salary equivalents for 2025–2027) — Mover: Chief Phil Smith; Second: Kyle Castle; Outcome: Passed (voice vote).

Meeting context: the board handled routine administrative business, election housekeeping, a personnel retirement/resignation report and a formal, roll‑call determination on a disability matter arising from an executive session. The disability finding is the meeting’s principal substantive policy action and relies on Indiana Code 36‑8‑8.12.3 for the statutory definition of a covered impairment. There were no contested recorded no votes on the roll calls cited in the transcript.