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SPECIAL PUBLIC SESSION

Lincoln City Hall, Council Chambers

700 Broadway Street | Lincoln, Illinois

Monday, February 3, 2020

 

A special meeting of the City Council of Lincoln was called to order by Mayor Seth Goodman at 5:32 p.m., with proper notice given. The hearing was held regarding city employees’ health insurance options – effective March 1, 2020. Roll call was taken by City Clerk Peggy Bateman.

Present:

Alderman Tracy Welch, Ward 1

Alderman Steve Parrott, Ward 1

Alderman, Ward 2 - Vacant

Alderman Sam Downs, Ward 2

Alderman Kevin Bateman, Ward 3

Alderman Ron Keller, Ward 3

Alderman Kathy Horn, Ward 4

Alderman Jeff Hoinacki, Ward 4

Present:

City Administrator Elizabeth Kavelman

Treasurer Chuck Conzo

City Clerk Peggy Bateman

Police Chief Paul Adams

Fire Chief Bob Dunovsky

Absent:

City Attorney John Hoblit

Street Superintendent Walt Landers

Building & Safety Officer Wes Woodhall

Veolia Water Project Manager Andrew Bowns

Presiding:

Mayor Seth Goodman


Discussion and vote regarding revised Health Insurance effective March 1, 2020:

 

Frank Hoskins IOUE 399 Business Agent stated for the Street & Alley there were added extra plans but a lot of money difference. You need to remember these employees are tax payers also. He hoped that you would take advice from their voice on the plan they had picked then you went and changed it.

Alderman Bateman stated he was in the understanding that the reason for these insurance meetings was that they wanted better coverage for family plan. City Administrator sent out what was decided on and we voted the plan.  Then we find out after the vote that this is not what they wanted.

Frank Hoskins stated that he had no idea what was going on. They went up to City Hall and said they wanted the current plan.

City Administrator Kavelman stated that they did come up to City Hall and stated they wanted to keep Health Alliance.

Alderman Parrott asked the City Administrator how many grievances has been filed against this.

City Administrator Kavelman responded that the FOP have been the only official grievance. She said that this was the first year of this committee and we assumed that the union representative that was setting at the table was there to represent Article 22. This is why we got into issue over the 60 day. Just want to bring out that the City Clerk sent that email out I did not.

Billy Gandolfi with the Street Department yes there was a lot of confusion. Several plans here POS with very little change but paper work that we would need to take care of on our own.  There is savings to the city but not an even split.

Jason Van Winkle with Fire Fighters #3092, stated we agree on the Alternate Plan with $1500.00 deductible and 100% coverage. This plan will work well and is cheaper and savings to the city.

City Clerk Bateman asked Sara with RW Garrett if they could explain how the POS works when you need a referral to a specialist.

Sara Schwantz with RW Garrett stated that with a POS it is like a HMO you need primary care physician and they direct all of your care. If you are going to a specialist you get a referral. Central Illinois the POS network is like the PPO network. If you are doctoring in Chicago or St. Louis area you would need to go through the renewal process going if you change plans. Extra work may need to be done to switch.

Alderman Bateman stated that the plan would cost the tax payers roughly $87,602.00.  Streets and Fire said they wanted the POS Alternate 2 Plan but I have not heard of anything else. Until they come forward and discuss this is what we have to go with.

Chief Paul Adams stated that the police has their meeting scheduled for tomorrow, so they were going to discuss it then.

Chief Bob Dunovsky the union contract states they receive a $1,500.00 deductible option. When the policy was presented there was a $2,800.00 HSA option which violated the contract. They just had to present it to the labor relations and at that point they have 30 days which is February 14th.

Jason Van Winkle stated you have all the members Fire, Police and Streets working you just give us something we don’t want which is an 80/20 instead of the 100% that we have requested.

Alderman Bateman stated the city does not have a supply of money.  We set up here to try to come up with how to fix the sewers or trucks breaking down. You have zero disregard of the cost to the tax payers. We would have to come up with $87,602.00 somewhere. Last time I asked you that you said it was not your problem, but it is our problem.

Jason Van Winkle stated that the city has saved money on the Fire Department since 2001 when they reduced our man power.  Just take that money you have saved and put it toward our insurance.

Brett Tripplett with the Fire Department stated he understands insurance is expensive. The $87,000.00 plan shows we are willing to compromise. If you take 87.000 and divide it by 77 employees that is 1,130 and divide that by 12 months that is $94.00 per month per employee. You can’t come up with that amount.

Alderman Bateman understood where he was coming from, but at this point we have not even heard from the Police Department so we are still at square 1.

Bret Tripplett with that we are willing to compromise. Both side the Fire Department and the city are invested.  The $1,500.00 plan works for us and we accepted that plan. I understand the insurance committee was just put together and hopefully it will grow with improvements.

Alderman Parrett stated that every year insurance is going to go up.  It is $94.00 this year but how much the following years.  At one point the city won’t be able to absorb the cost.

Brett Tripplett stated that none of us controls the insurance cost and it eventually will go up. We are willing to work with you, and hope you listen to what we have to say.

City Clerk Bateman stated that she wished that the when the committee meetings where going on wish the Fire Department would have mentioned the $1,500.00 plan.  RW Garrett would not have gone out for the $2,800 plan if we knew that ahead of time.

Brett Tripplett stated that the contract has both sets of signatures on it, both city and theirs. I think we all know the ball was dropped and we can improve it.

Alderman Welch stated that the advisory committee are combination of 3 unions and non-unions.  Which the non-unions have to live with what has been agreed upon.  If the Police does not agree with what you want we are right back here.  This committee has just been a failure. We never had this in the pass, we can fix the problem now but what is going to happen next year.

Fire Chief Dunovsky stated that the increase is just not on the city but to the fire department contract they pay 10% out of their checks to cover cost.

Shawn Pettit Police Department President of Local #208.  They are meeting tomorrow as a whole, looks like we are making progress.  I ask that you don’t vote tonight on the plan but to resend your vote for the insurance effective March 1st that you have already voted on.

Billy Gandolfi stated if the city would be willing to up the HSA contribution it would offset the deductible. Currently 80% of the deductible is paid by what the contribution amount is.  Just an option to consider to find out how it will work.

Alderman Welch stated that would mean your contract would have to reopen.

Billy Gandolfi confirmed that yes there would have to be an amendment to the contract if the HSA contribution amount was changed.

Alderman Hoinacki stated since there is no final answer yet from the Police and the dead line for the Fire Department is the 14th I feel we should have a special voting session on the 11th prior to the COW.

Alderman Welch asked the Treasure if he could analyze the budget of what line the $87,000.00 would come from if needed.

Mayor Goodman asked if there were no other comments he will end the meeting.

No more comments were made.

 

Adjournment:

Alderman Hoinacki motioned to adjourn, seconded by Alderman Bateman.  Mayor Goodman called the special meeting to a close at 6:25 p.m.

 

Respectfully Submitted By:

Peggy S. Bateman, City Clerk

CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

Information is available on the following sites:
Logan County Current Statistics

Memorial Health System  - Includes daily statistics for MHS and a COVID-19 Risk Screening

Local Business Resources
Logan County Department of Public Health
Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH)
Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

 

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City Hall
700 Broadway Street
Lincoln, Illinois 62656

(217)735-2815

 

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