Lynn board eyes end to pension dispute

LYNN – The pension repayment dispute between Jansi Chandler and state officials could be resolved by August if both sides can agree on how much money the former city development director must repay the Retirement Board.”Her attorney is disputing the amount of repayment. He is claiming $3,000, which is the amount she earned over the allowed difference of current salary and pension earnings,” Board Director Gary Brenner stated in a memorandum discussed Tuesday by board members.The board voted to assign member and city Comptroller John Pace to help negotiate a resolution between Chandler and the state Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission (PERAC).”The ball’s now in our court,” Board Chairman Michael Marks said after the board asked Pace to report on the results of the Chandler negotiations, including any information on a proposed settlement, at its August or September meeting.PERAC in May said it wanted Chandler or her former employer, the Boston Redevelopment Authority, to pay back up to $151,000 in what state officials termed excess earnings. The commission claimed state retirement law limited Chandler to working 960 hours a year for the BRA. PERAC officials said Chandler exceeded the limit by 690 hours in 2008 and by smaller numbers of hours in previous years dating back to 2000.Since May, PERAC has recalculated the amount it claims Chandler owes by adding up what it terms her excess earnings dating back to 2000 and adding in another figure it labeled “earnings owed to the system.”Taken alone, those earnings represent the $3,000 Brenner referenced Tuesday in his memo and discussions with the board.Stephen Smith, Chandler’s attorney, has met at least once with PERAC lawyers. He would not confirm if he is seeking to limit Chandler’s repayment liability to $3,000.”We’re continuing to work with PERAC to get a better understanding of their claim and come up with a mutually agreeable resolution,” Smith said Tuesday.Chandler retired from city service in 1998 and currently receives a $35,600 annual city pension.State officials gave the BRA the option in May to collect the excess earning amount from Chandler.The Boston agency opted not to pursue the collection and Chandler has since left the BRA and gone to work as development director for husband Edward M. Grant’s public relations company.The board also hopes to learn from PERAC in time for its late summer meeting if it can modify former Library Trustee Linda Bassett’s pension.The board sent Bassett, a Marblehead resident, a letter in April stating, “The minutes of Lynn library trustee meetings indicate that although you were listed as a trustee from December 8, 1980 to September 25, 1986, the last meeting that you attended was on March 8, 1984 and you missed 12 out of the 24 meetings held from 1981 through 1983.”The board could vote to reduce Bassett’s $22,000 annual pension by $3,000 reflecting the city pension amount she receives for her library service. Andrew Oatway, Bassett’s attorney, warned board members in May they have no authority to make the reduction and claimed that authority only resides with PERAC.