2006 Minnesota Statutes

424B.20 DISSOLUTION WITHOUT CONSOLIDATION.
    Subdivision 1. Applicable dissolutions. This section applies if the fire department
associated with a volunteer firefighters relief association is dissolved or eliminated by action
of the governing body of the municipality in which the fire department was located or by the
independent nonprofit firefighting corporation, whichever applies, and no consolidation with
another volunteer firefighters relief association under sections 424B.01 to 424B.10 is sought, or if
a volunteer firefighters relief association is dissolved or eliminated with municipal approval, but
the fire department associated with the volunteer firefighters relief association is not dissolved
or eliminated, and no consolidation with another volunteer firefighters relief association under
sections 424B.01 to 424B.10 is applicable.
    Subd. 2. Procedures. As part of the dissolution process, all legal obligations of the relief
association other than service pensions and benefits must be settled under subdivision 3, a benefit
trust must be established under subdivision 4, and the affairs of the relief association must be
concluded under subdivision 5.
    Subd. 3. Settlement of nonbenefit legal obligations. (a) Prior to the effective date of the
dissolution of the volunteer firefighters relief association established by the relief association
board of trustees, the board shall determine the following:
(1) the fair market value of the assets of the special fund;
(2) the total amount of the accounts payable and other legal obligations of the special fund,
excluding the accrued liability of the special fund for service pensions and other benefits; and
(3) the accrued liability of the special fund for service pensions and other benefits payable or
accrued under the applicable bylaws of the relief association and chapter 424A.
(b) On or before the effective date of the dissolution of the volunteer firefighters relief
association, the board shall liquidate sufficient special fund assets to pay the legal obligations of
the special fund and must settle those legal obligations.
(c) On or before the effective date of the dissolution of the volunteer firefighters relief
association, the board shall settle the legal obligations of the general fund of the relief association.
    Subd. 4. Benefit trust fund establishment. (a) After the settlement of nonbenefit legal
obligations of the special fund of the volunteer firefighters relief association under subdivision
3, the board of the relief association shall transfer the remaining assets of the special fund, as
securities or in cash, as applicable, to the chief financial official of the municipality in which the
associated fire department was located if the fire department was a municipal fire department or
to the chief financial official of the municipality with the largest population served by the fire
department if the fire department was an independent nonprofit firefighting corporation. The board
shall also compile a schedule of the relief association members to whom a service pension is or
will be owed, any beneficiary to whom a benefit is owed, the amount of the service pension or
benefit payable based on the applicable bylaws and state law and the service rendered to the date
of the dissolution, and the date on which the pension or benefit would first be payable under the
bylaws of the relief association and state law.
(b) The municipality in which is located a volunteer firefighters relief association that is
dissolving under this section shall establish a separate account in the municipal treasury which
must function as a trust fund for members of the volunteer firefighters relief association and their
beneficiaries to whom the volunteer firefighters relief association owes a service pension or other
benefit under the bylaws of the relief association and state law. Upon proper application, on or
after the initial date on which the service pension or benefit is payable, the municipal treasurer
shall pay the pension or benefit due, based on the schedule prepared under paragraph (a) and
the other records of the dissolved relief association. The trust fund under this section must be
invested and managed consistent with section 69.775 and chapter 356A. Upon payment of the last
service pension or benefit due and owing, any remaining assets in the trust fund cancel to the
general fund of the municipality. If the special fund of the volunteer firefighters relief association
had an unfunded actuarial accrued liability upon dissolution, the municipality is liable for that
unfunded actuarial accrued liability.
    Subd. 5. Relief association affairs wind-up. Upon dissolution, the board of trustees of
the volunteer firefighters relief association shall transfer the records of the relief association to
the chief administrative officer of the applicable municipality. The board shall also notify the
commissioner of revenue, the state auditor, and the secretary of state of the dissolution within 30
days of the effective date of the dissolution.
History: 2000 c 461 art 16 s 11