Article 1. Establishment of California Public Utilities Code >> Division 10. >> Part 9. >> Chapter 5. >> Article 1.

The board may establish a retirement system for the officers and employees of the district and provide for the payment of annuities, pensions, retirement allowances, disability payments, and death benefits or any of them.

The district may maintain its own retirement fund or may provide for benefits to eligible officers and employees, or their beneficiaries, by means of group insurance, or other insurance, or by such means as in the opinion of the board will satisfactorily provide an adequate and sure method of meeting the payments contemplated by the retirement system.

The board may adopt all ordinances and resolutions and perform all acts necessary or convenient to the initiation, maintenance, and administration of the retirement system.

Nothing in this chapter prevents the district from participating in and making all or part of its employees members of the State Employees' Retirement System by contract entered into between the district and the board of administration of the system under the State Employees' Retirement Law or from participating in the Federal Social Security Act pursuant to Part 4 (commencing with Section 22000), Division 5, Title 2 of the Government Code, and the district may perform all acts necessary or convenient for such participation. Nothing in this chapter shall prevent the district from participating in and making all of its employees members of the Santa Barbara County Employees' Retirement System.

The board may classify and determine the officers and employees who shall be included as members in the retirement system and may change the classification from time to time. Membership of all officers and employees so classified and included in the retirement system is compulsory. The retirement system shall not apply to members of the board.

In the event the board elects to adopt and maintain its own retirement system, that system shall comply with this article and the requirements of: (1) Article 2 (commencing with Section 95830), Article 3 (commencing with Section 95860) and Article 4 (commencing with Section 95890) of this chapter; or (2) applicable federal law to establish a qualified plan under Section 401 (a) of, and a tax exempt trust under Section 501 (a) of, the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended.