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Employee Benefits
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2024
Share-Based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]  
Employee Benefits Employee Benefits
The Company has a 401(k) retirement plan that allows employees to defer a portion of their salary into the 401(k) plan. The Company matches a portion of employees' salary deferrals. 401(k) plan costs are accrued and funded on a current basis. The Company contributed $279 thousand and $249 thousand to the plan for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
The Bank maintains a deferred compensation account for the benefit of the Chief Executive Officer, established in 1994 in connection with an incentive plan which is no longer active. The Chief Executive Officer became fully vested in the benefits under this plan as of January 2005. Pursuant to the terms of the plan, payments in an amount equal to the fair market value of the assets in the deferred compensation account shall be made to the Chief Executive Officer (or to her designated beneficiary in the event of death) in 120 equal monthly installments commencing on the last day of the month following the month in which her employment with the Bank is terminated. In the event of the death of the Chief Executive Officer and her designated beneficiary prior to the account being fully paid, the remaining value of the account shall be paid in a lump sum to the beneficiary’s estate. The assets in the deferred compensation account consist of cash, which is held in a certificate of deposit at
the Bank and earns interest at market rates. At December 31, 2024 and 2023, the amount held in the certificate of deposit at the Bank was $117 thousand and $113 thousand, respectively.
The Bank maintains a nonqualified deferred compensation plan (the “NQDC Plan”), which became effective on January 1, 2017. The purpose of the NQDC Plan is to provide a select group of management or highly-compensated employees of the Bank with an opportunity to defer the receipt of up to eighty percent (80%) of their annual base salary, bonus, performance-based compensation and any commission income and to assist the Company in attracting, retaining and motivating employees of high caliber and experience. In addition to elective deferrals, the Bank may make discretionary and other contributions to be credited to the account of any or all participants, subject to the vesting requirements set forth in the NQDC Plan. Discretionary contributions by the Bank become 100% vested upon the completion of three years of service from a participant’s effective date of participation in the NQDC Plan (with accelerated vesting upon death, disability or a change in control), while other Bank contributions (including matching contributions) vest at the rate of 20% per year, beginning with the participant’s two-year anniversary of his or her date of hire. During the years ended December 31, 2024, and 2023, the Bank made discretionary contributions to the NQDC Plan of $253 thousand and $230 thousand, respectively.
Each participant’s deferred compensation account is credited with an investment return determined as if the account was invested in one or more investment funds. Each participant elects the investment funds in which his or her account shall be deemed to be invested. Distributions of vested account balances are made upon death, disability, separation from service, or a specified in-service date unforeseeable emergency. Distributions shall be made in a single cash payment or, at the election of the participant, in annual installments for a period of up to ten (10) years in the case of a separation from service and in annual installments for a period of up to five (5) years in the case of an in-service distribution.
The obligations of the Bank under the NQDC Plan are general unsecured obligations of the Bank to pay deferred compensation in the future to eligible participants in accordance with the terms of the NQDC Plan from the general assets of the Bank, although the Bank may establish a trust to hold amounts which the Bank may use to satisfy NQDC Plan distributions from time to time. Distributions from the NQDC Plan are governed by the Internal Revenue Code and the NQDC Plan. The Company may, at any time, in its sole discretion, terminate the NQDC Plan or amend or modify the NQDC Plan, in whole or in part, except that no such termination, amendment or modification shall have any retroactive effect to reduce any amounts deemed to be accrued and vested prior to such amendment.
Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans.
The Company maintains two supplemental executive retirement plans for the benefit of the Chief Executive Officer, which are intended to be unfunded, non-contributory defined benefit plans maintained primarily to provide her with supplemental retirement income. The first supplemental executive retirement plan ("SERP 1") became effective as of August 14, 2007. The second supplemental executive retirement plan ("SERP 2") became effective as of December 30, 2011, at which time the benefits under SERP 1 were frozen.
Under the terms of SERP 1, as amended, the Chief Executive Officer is entitled to receive $53,320 per year for life commencing on the first day of the month following separation from service (as defined in SERP 1) for any reason from Sound Community Bank, subject to a six-month delay if required by Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code. No payments will be made under SERP 1 in the event of the Chief Executive Officer’s death and any payments that have commenced will cease upon death. In the event the Chief Executive Officer is involuntarily terminated in connection with a change in control (as defined in SERP 1), the Chief Executive Officer will be entitled to receive the annual benefit described in the first sentence of this paragraph commencing upon such termination, subject to a six-month delay if required by Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code.
Under the terms of SERP 2, as amended, upon the Chief Executive Officer’s termination of employment with Sound Community Bank for any reason other than death, the Chief Executive Officer will be entitled to receive additional retirement benefits each month for life commencing on the first day of the month following separation from service (as defined in SERP 2) from Sound Community Bank, subject to a six-month delay if required by Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code. The additional retirement benefits will equal the amount payable from the annuity underlying SERP 2, which benefits would equal $99,450 per year as of December 31, 2024. In the event of the Chief Executive Officer’s death prior to the commencement of the additional retirement benefits, the beneficiary will be entitled to a single lump sum payment within 90 days thereafter in an amount equal to the Bank's accrual for her retirement benefit under SERP 2 as of the date of death, or approximately $1.1 million at December 31, 2024. If a change in control occurs (as defined in SERP 2), the Chief Executive Officer will receive full retirement benefits under SERP 2 commencing upon the first day of the month following her separation from service from Sound Community Bank, subject to a six-month delay if required by Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code.
Stock Options and Restricted Stock
The Company currently has one active stockholder approved equity incentive plan, the Amended and Restated 2013 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2013 Plan”), which shareholders originally approved in 2013 and, again in 2018, when amended. The 2013 Plan permits the grant of restricted stock, restricted stock units, stock options, and stock appreciation rights. The equity incentive plan approved by stockholders in 2008 (the "2008 Plan") expired in November 2018 and no further awards may be made under the 2008 Plan; provided, however, all awards outstanding under the 2008 Plan remain outstanding in accordance with their terms. Under the 2013 Plan, 181,750 shares of common stock were approved for awards for stock options and stock appreciation rights and 116,700 shares of common stock were approved for awards for restricted stock and restricted stock units.
At December 31, 2024, awards for stock options totaling 301,453 shares and awards for restricted stock totaling 167,114 shares of Company common stock have been granted in the aggregate, net of any forfeitures, under the 2008 Plan and 2013 Plan to participants. As of December 31, 2024, 257 awards for stock options and no awards for restricted stock remained available for issuance under the 2013 Plan. During the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, share-based compensation expense totaled $390 thousand and $450 thousand, respectively.
Stock Option Awards
All stock option awards granted under the 2008 Plan vest in 20 percent annual increments commencing one year from the grant date in accordance with the requirements of the 2008 Plan. All outstanding stock option awards granted under the 2008 Plan were fully vested as of December 31, 2024. The stock option awards granted to date under the 2013 Plan provide for immediate vesting of a portion of the award with the balance of the award vesting on the anniversary date of each grant date in equal annual installments over periods of one-to-four years subject to the continued service of the participant with the Company. All of the options granted under the 2008 Plan and the 2013 Plan are exercisable for a period of 10 years from the date of grant, subject to vesting.
The following is a summary of the Company's stock option plan award activity during the year ended December 31, 2024 (dollars in thousands, except per share amounts):
 SharesWeighted-Average
Exercise Price
Weighted-Average
Remaining Contractual
Term In Years
Aggregate
Intrinsic Value
Outstanding at January 1, 2024
80,735 $32.28 5.36$603 
Granted6,469 39.89 
Exercised(14,111)19.09 
Forfeited— — 
Expired(257)36.57 
Outstanding at December 31, 2024
72,836 35.50 5.591,249 
Exercisable53,355 33.86 4.721,003 
Expected to vest, assuming a 0% forfeiture rate over the vesting term
72,836 $35.50 5.59$1,249 
At December 31, 2024, there was $121 thousand of total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested stock options. This cost is expected to be recognized over the remaining weighted-average vesting period of 1.8 years. The total intrinsic value of the shares exercised during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 was $341 thousand and $477 thousand, respectively.
The fair value of each option grant is estimated as of the grant date using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The fair values of options granted in 2024 and 2023 were determined using the following weighted-average assumptions as of the grant date.
Year Ended December 31,
 20242023
Annual dividend yield1.69 %1.69 %
Expected volatility28.15 %28.15 %
Risk-free interest rate4.06 %3.60 %
Expected term6.00 years6.00 years
Weighted-average grant date fair value per option granted$11.64 $11.33 
Restricted Stock Awards
The fair value of the restricted stock awards is equal to the fair value of the Company's common stock at the date of grant. Compensation expense is recognized over the vesting period of the awards. The restricted stock awards granted under the 2008 Plan vest in 20% annual increments commencing one year from the grant date. The restricted stock awards granted to date under the 2013 Plan provide for immediate vesting of a portion of the award with the balance of the award vesting on the anniversary of the grant date in equal annual installments over periods of one to four years subject to the continued service of the participant with the Company.
The following is a summary of the Company's non-vested restricted stock awards for the year ended December 31, 2024:
Non-vested SharesSharesWeighted-Average
Grant-Date Fair Value
Per Share
Aggregate
Intrinsic Value
Per Share
Non-vested at January 1, 2024
15,967 $39.20 
Granted8,048 39.89 
Vested(6,872)38.19 
Non-vested at December 31, 2024
17,143 39.93 $52.65 
Expected to vest assuming a 0% forfeiture rate over the vesting term
17,143 $39.93 $52.65 
At December 31, 2024, there was $406 thousand of unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested restricted stock awards. The cost is expected to be recognized over the weighted-average vesting period of 1.9 years. The total fair value of shares vested for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 was $262 thousand and $372 thousand, respectively. The weighted average grant date fair value per share for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 was $39.89 and $40.13, respectively.
Employee Stock Ownership Plan
The funds to purchase shares in the ESOP come from contributions the Bank makes to the plan. For the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the ESOP trustee purchased 15,535 shares and 18,573 shares of the Company's common stock for inclusion in the ESOP. The number of allocated shares under the ESOP was 178,031 and 169,647 at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The fair value of the 178,031 shares held by the ESOP was $9.4 million at December 31, 2024. ESOP compensation expense included in salaries and benefits was $750 thousand and $691 thousand for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.