Exhibit 10.92
SANTA LUCIA
BANK
SALARY CONTINUATION
AGREEMENT
This Santa Lucia Bank Salary
Continuation Agreement (hereinafter “Agreement”) is
made and entered into effective as of December 17, 2008, by and
between Santa Lucia Bank , a bank organized and existing
under the laws of the state of California (hereinafter the
“Bank” or “Employer”) and Larry H.
Putnam , an executive of the Bank (hereinafter
“Executive”);
WHEREFORE, the parties hereby agree
to the following;
RECITALS
WHEREAS, Executive has been and
continues to be a valued Executive of the Bank, and is now serving
the Bank;
WHEREAS, Executive’s
experience and knowledge of the affairs of the Employer and the
banking industry are extensive and valuable;
WHEREAS, it is deemed to be in the
best interests of the Employer to provide Executive with certain
fringe benefits, on the terms and conditions set forth herein, in
order to reasonably induce Executive to remain in the
Employer’s employment; and
WHEREAS, Executive and the Employer
wish to specify in writing the terms and conditions upon which this
additional compensatory incentive will be provided to
Executive;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of
the services to be performed by Executive in the future, as well as
the mutual promises and covenants contained herein, Executive and
the Employer agree as follows:
AGREEMENT
1.0
Terms and
Definitions .
For the purposes of this Agreement, the
following terms shall have the meanings indicated below, unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise. In the event any provision of
this Agreement is ambiguous, then it shall be interpreted in a
manner that is consistent with Internal Revenue Code
Section 409A. Subject to the forgoing, the terms below shall
be defined as follows:
1.1
Accrued Liability
Balance. The term
“Accrued Liability Balance” shall mean the amount
accrued by the Bank to fund the future benefit expense associated
with this Agreement, as of the end of the month preceding the
Executive’s Separation from Service. The Bank shall account
for this benefit using Generally Accepted Accounting Principles,
regulatory accounting guidance of the Bank’s primary federal
regulator, and other applicable accounting guidance, including but
not limited to Accounting Principles Board Opinion Number 12
(“APB 12”) as amended by Statement of Financial
Accounting Standards Number 106 (“FAS 106”) and
the
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Discount Rate. Accordingly, the Bank shall
establish a liability retirement account for the Executive into
which appropriate accruals shall be made using the applicable
Discount Rate. Notwithstanding the forgoing, the accruals
shall be made as consistently as possible over the span of this
Agreement (thus, the benefit shall be accrued for as evenly as
possible each year).
1.2
Administrator
. The Bank shall be the
“Administrator” and, solely for the purposes of ERISA
as discussed herein, the “fiduciary” of this Agreement
where a fiduciary is required by ERISA.
1.3
Bank.
For the purpose of this Agreement,
the term “Bank” or “Employer” shall be read
so as to include the Santa Lucia Bank holding company, Santa Lucia
Bancorp, when permissible.
1.4
Board of
Directors. The
“Board of Directors” shall mean the Board of Directors
for the Bank, hereinafter “the Board”.
1.5
The Code
. The “Code” shall mean the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
1.6
Discount Rate.
The term “Discount
Rate” means the rate used by the Plan Administrator for in
any specified year to accrue benefits under this Plan; however, the
Plan Administrator, in its sole discretion, may adjust the Discount
Rate to maintain the rate within reasonable standards according to
GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles).
1.7
Effective Date
. The term “Effective Date” shall mean
the date first written above.
1.8
ERISA
. The term “ERISA” shall mean the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as
amended.
1.9
Executive
Benefit . The term “Executive Benefit” shall
mean the benefit amounts determined pursuant to Paragraphs 1
through 6 (including sub-paragraphs, as applicable), forfeited,
reduced or adjusted to the extent: (a) required under
the other provisions of this Agreement; (b) required by reason
of the lawful order of any regulatory agency or body having
jurisdiction over the Employer; or (c) required in order for
the Employer to comply with any and all applicable state and
federal laws, including, but not limited to, income, employment and
disability income tax laws ( e.g. , FICA, FUTA,
SDI).
1.10
IRC 409A
. The term “IRC 409A” shall refer to
the final regulations issued by the IRS and the Treasury Department
under Section 409A of the Code.
1.11
Normal Retirement / Normal
Retirement Age. The term “Normal Retirement” shall
mean the Executive’s Separation From Service on or after
attaining the Normal Retirement Age of Sixty-Five (65) for any
reason other than “For Cause” (or because of
death).
1.12
Plan Year
. The “Plan Year” shall mean the
calendar year.
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1.13
Separation From Service/
Termination of Employment . The terms “Separation From
Service” (Separates From Service) and “Termination of
Employment” shall be used interchangeably for the purposes of
this Agreement and shall be interpreted in accordance with the
provisions of IRC 409A. Currently, IRC 409A provides that, whether
a termination of employment has occurred is determined based on
whether the facts and circumstances indicate that the Bank and the
Executive reasonably anticipate that no further services will be
performed after a certain date or that the level of bona fide
services the employee will perform after such date (whether as an
employee or as an independent contractor) will permanently decrease
to no more than twenty (20%) percent of the average level of bona
fide services performed (as an employee or an independent
contractor) over the immediately preceding thirty-six (36) month
period (or the full period of services to the employer if the
employee has been providing services to the employer less than 36
months). There shall be no Separation From Service while the
Executive is on military leave, sick leave or other bona fide leave
of absence, as long as such leave does not exceed six
(6) months, or if longer, so long as the individual retains a
right to re-employment with the service recipient under an
applicable statute or by contract.
1.14
Specified
Employee. The term
“Specified Employee” shall be defined in accordance
with IRC 409A. At present, and in accordance with IRC 409A, the
term “Specified Employee” means an employee who, as of
the date of the employee’s Separation from Service, is a key
employee of an employer of which any stock is publicly traded on an
established securities market or otherwise. An employee is a key
employee if the employee meets the requirements of section
416(i)(1)(A)(i), (ii), or (iii) (applied in accordance with
the regulations thereunder and disregarding section 416(i)(5)) at
any time during the twelve (12) month period ending on a specified
employee identification date. If Executive is a key employee as of
a specified employee identification date, then Executive shall be
treated as a key employee for the entire twelve (12) month period
beginning on the specified employee effective date.
1.15
Termination for
Cause .
The term “Termination for
Cause” shall mean Termination of Executive’s employment
by reason of any of the following:
A.
Executive’s personal
dishonesty, incompetence or willful misconduct;
B.
Executive’s breach of
fiduciary duty involving personal profit;
C.
Executive’s intentional
failure to perform Executive’s duties for the Bank after a
written demand for performance is given to Executive by the Board
which demand specifically identifies the manner in which the Board
believes that Executive has not performed his duties;
D.
Executive’s willful violation
of any law, rule, regulation or final cease and desist order (other
than traffic violations or similar minor offenses) to the extent
detrimental to the Bank’s business or reputation;
or
E.
Executive’s material breach of
any provision of this Agreement.
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2.
Scope, Purpose and
Effect .
2.1
Contract of
Employment . Although this Agreement is intended to
provide Executive with an additional incentive to remain in the
employ of the Employer, this Agreement shall not be deemed to
constitute a contract of employment between Executive and the
Employer nor shall any provision of this Agreement restrict or
expand the right of the Employer to terminate Executive’s
employment. This Agreement shall have no impact or effect
upon any separate written Employment Agreement which Executive may
have with the Employer, it being the parties’ intention and
agreement that unless this Agreement is specifically referenced in
said Employment Agreement (or any modification thereto), this
Agreement (and the Employer’s obligations hereunder) shall
stand separate and apart and shall have no effect on or be affected
by, the terms and provisions of said Employment
Agreement.
2.2
Fringe Benefit
. The benefits provided by this Agreement are
granted by the Bank as a fringe benefit to Executive and are not a
part of any salary reduction plan or any arrangement deferring a
bonus or a salary increase. Executive has no option to take any
current payments or bonus in lieu of the benefits provided by this
Agreement.
2.3
Prohibited
Payments. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to
the contrary, if any payment made under this Agreement is a
“golden parachute payment” as defined in
Section 28(k) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12
U.S.C. section 1828(k) and Part 359 of the Rules and
Regulations of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
(collectively, the “FDIC Rules”) or is otherwise
prohibited, restricted or subject to the prior approval of a Bank
Regulator, no payment shall be made hereunder without complying
with said FDIC Rules.
2.4
Additional Prohibited
Payments. If the Bank
is subject to the executive compensation limitations under the
United States Treasury Department’s Troubled Asset Relief
Progra m (“TARP”) at the time Executive becomes
entitled to any payment under this Agreement, and if such payment,
together with any other payments which Executive has the right to
receive from the Bank, exceed the limits allowed for Executive
established under TARP, then the aggregate payments to Executive
pursuant to this Agreement and any other agreement with Executive
shall be reduced to the largest amount as will result in no portion
of such payments violating the executive compensation limitations
under TARP.
3.
Delay in Payments for
Specified Employee in the Event of a Separation From
Service .
3.1
Internal Revenue Code
Section 409A Compliance . It
is the intent of the parties to comply with all applicable Internal
Revenue Code Sections, including, but not limited to, IRC 409A.
Furthermore, for the purposes of this Agreement, IRC
Section 409A shall be read to include any related or relevant
IRS Notices or clarifications. While it is understood that a
general IRC 409A savings clause will not be effective, the parties
intend that any ambiguities regarding any terms or payouts
contained herein shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with
IRC 409A.
Thus, for any benefits payable
pursuant to this Agreement due to a Separation From
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Service, if the individual is a
Specified Employee (as defined herein and by IRC 409A) as of the
date of the Separation From Service, and the Employer’s stock
is publicly traded on an established securities market or
otherwise, any such benefit shall be withheld for six
(6) months following such Separation From Service in order to
comply with IRC 409A. In addition, for any individual affected by
this six (6) month delay in payment imposed by IRC 409A, and
if and/or when applicable, the aggregate amount of the first seven
(7) months of installments shall be paid at the beginning of the
seventh month following the date of Separation From Service.
Monthly installment payments shall continue thereafter if called
for.
4.
Executive Benefits
Payments .
4.1
In the Event Executive Does
not Separate From Service with the Bank Until on or After Normal
Retirement. In
the event Executive does not Separate From Service until on or
after the attaining the Normal Retirement Age of Sixty-Five (65)
(and for any reason other than “For Cause”), then
Executive (or his designated Beneficiaries) shall be entitled to be
paid an annual Executive Benefit equal to Twenty Thousand Dollars
($20,000). This annual Executive Benefit shall be paid in
twelve (12) substantially equal monthly installments on the first
day of each month, beginning with the month following the month in
which Executive Separates From Service and continuing until the
death of the Executive or for a period of Fifteen (15) Years,
whichever is the later to occur.
4.2
Payments in the Event
Executive Separates From Service Prior to Normal
Retirement. In
the event Executive Separates From Service prior to qualifying for
Normal Retirement (and for any reason other than for Cause or due
to death), then Executive shall be entitled to be paid the
following annual amount, based on the date of his Separation From
Service:
|
Date of Separation From Service
|
|
Annual Benefit Amount
|
|
|
January 1, 2008 through
December 31, 2008
|
|
$
|
14,000
|
|
|
January 1, 2009 through
December 31, 2009
|
|
$
|
16,000
|
|
|
January 1, 2010 through
December 31, 2010
|
|
$
|
18,000
|
|
|
January 1, 2011 and
thereafter
|
|
$
|
20,000
|
|
This annual Executive Benefit shall
be paid in twelve (12) substantially