Prior to the adoption of Ord. 018160 on 07/06/2004, Section 18-64 read as follows.

There is hereby created, pursuant to the constitution and laws of Missouri, the firefighters' retirement plan for the retirement of ~~such salaried members of the Columbia Fire Department as are hereafter designated as "~~covered firefighter employees.~~" Such~~ The plan of retirement ~~shall~~ includes benefits paid on account of age, service, or disability, ~~upon retirement of a covered employee or upon their~~ and death. In order to maintain such benefits, a firefighters' retirement fund is hereby created and shall be maintained as the council deems appropriate from public funds appropriated by the council, from the contributions of covered employees and from such other funds and sources as have been previously set forth.

This fund shall be a trust, within the meaning of section 401(a) of the ~~Internal Revenue~~ Code, created for the exclusive benefit of covered firefighter employees, retirees, their spouses and minor children. At no time prior to the satisfaction of all liabilities with respect to covered firefighter employees and their beneficiaries under the trusts, shall any part of the corpus or income be used for, or diverted to, purposes other than for the exclusive benefit of covered firefighter employees retirees or their beneficiaries.

Except as otherwise provided in this plan, the trust fund shall be retained for the exclusive benefit of employees and their beneficiaries, shall be used to pay benefits to such persons, to pay administrative expenses to the extent not paid by the city, and shall not revert to or inure to the benefit of the city.