Warsaw city employees will pay less for their health insurance this year than in the last policy period.
Finance Committee Chair Ted Elting said the city’s Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance premiums decreased by 12 percent. The committee recommended the savings be passed on to the employees.
Last year health insurance premiums cost city workers $58 per month. This policy year the employee share of the premium will be $51 every month.
In other finance business, the committee learned from Warsaw Mayor Gary Treatch that Ameren-CIPS no longer will supply City Hall, the street barn and the library with free electricity as a part of the city’s franchise agreement. Instead, the city was given the choice of renewing a 10-, 20- or 30-year franchise agreement and receiving “value of free service for one year” amounts that would vary according to franchise length – the longer the agreement, the more value is attributed to the free service each year.
Treatch recommended the city council choose the 30-year agreement and receive the maximum value of free service payments from Ameren:
n Year one, $11,555.
n Year two, $11,430.
n Year three, $11,305.
n Year four, $11,180.
n Years five to 30, $11,055.
“Right now at our current finances and Illinois being late three months in tax payments, we need the money,” Treatch said. “We need to keep the city running. The 10 years (franchise length) you can’t live with. We can’t even think about that.”
“We have to get what we can get,” said council member Truman Phillips.
Council member Gary Tilton was concerned about the length of the agreement binding future councils and voted against the measure. Dick Clark, Chris Huston, Phillips, Scott Stevens and Elting voted for the 30-year franchise.
In other matters, the city council:
Agreed to Boy Scout Lance Doyle’s request to install signs at the entrances to town advertising the available of Boy Scouts in Warsaw.
Approved a building permit for Linda Asher, 618 Main St., for an awning valued at $750 for her tax preparation business.
Saw pictures of the type of park benches that will be installed at Riverfront Park. Riverfront Committee Chair Chris Huston said the benches, which cost $418 each and will be ordered in green, will be anchored in concrete at the park. He would like to make the benches removable in case of flooding by the Mississippi River.
Heard Street Superintendent Harley Griffin’s comments about dealing with the weather in the past month. Griffin said the department had its one-ton truck and blade back for the Jan. 20 ice and snow. Street employees also have been rebuilding street barricades that were in bad repair.
Approved Police Chief Brandon Norris’ request to buy a new computer for the department. The purchase will not exceed $900.
Was told that the city is rectifying several items in the Street Department that a Department of Labor inspection found to be lacking. The city will install an eyewash station and emergency shower in the car barn because employees work with weed killer. Also, the city had to complete paperwork for the state and water works related to disasters, traffic flow, emergency agenda, posted emergency routes, etc. Total compliance cost is estimated to be $690.
Agreed to abide by the terms of an agreement between the Illinois Department of Transportation and the city to pay for annual inspections and condition reports of the Warsaw blacktop at $1,000 per year.
Will have to have the lagoon bridge inspected by Hancock County Engineer Elgin Berry every six months until repairs can be made to a structural I-beam and erosion on the west side abated. Inspections will cost $300 each.
Decided to have the section of Pine Street between First and Mulberry streets surveyed to determine whether a trailer is situated in the road or on private property.
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