Trustees grant line‑of‑duty disability pension to Melissa Cabrera

The City of Edgewater Police Officers Pension Board voted at an informal disability hearing on Sept. 16, 2024, to grant a line‑of‑duty (service‑connected) disability pension to member Melissa Cabrera. The motion passed on a roll call vote with four trustees recorded as voting yes.

A trustee moved that the Board "grant the benefits, the line of duty benefits to Melissa Cabrera in the form ... of a service connected pension" and a second was recorded; Pedro, the board's attorney, guided the trustees through the legal standard and process. The vote was recorded as yes from Joe Moyes, Miles Lawler, Charles Geiger and Ryan Gitz; the chair announced the motion passes.

Pedro told the Board that the burden of proof lay with the member, who must show by a preponderance of the evidence that she is "totally and permanently incapacitated from rendering useful and efficient service as a police officer," and explained appeal options if the Board had denied the application. After the vote Pedro confirmed the member had been granted benefits and outlined administration steps: periodic verification of continued disability and notification obligations for address changes.

The Board also discussed that any workers' compensation award or settlement must be reported because it may produce an offset against pension payments. The administrator and counsel said staff would handle retroactive pay calculations and set the benefit start date as March 27, 2024.

The Board concluded the hearing and directed the administrator to process benefits and follow up on any required documentation.