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County employee health insurance plan proposed Discussion
of county employee health insurance began last month. The board was
informed that due to several unusually high medical claims last
year, the premiums would be going up. Nancy Schaub from Roger
Garrett Insurance worked with Health Alliance, who wished to keep
the county business, to bring down the proposed rate increase.
Insurance chairman Rick Aylesworth made a motion to accept the
proposal that would retain Health Alliance as the county's insurer.
The proposal recommends a health insurance plan where the premiums
paid by the county increase from $327 per month, per employee to
$364.
Along with that recommendation, Aylesworth also proposed raising
the health insurance cap to $364.
The county has been on a program called a Plus Plan. The new rate
is through what is termed a Coordinated Care Plan.
The in-network CCP provides a $500 deductible and a drug card
that would cover prescriptions at $15 for generic drugs, $30 for
tier 2 drugs and $50 for tier 3 drugs.
At the county-provided rate of $364 per month, the employee would
get a plan with a single deductible of $1,000 per year. The drug
card would cover prescriptions at $20 for generic drugs, $40 for
tier 2 drugs and $50 for tier 3 drugs.
A straw vote indicated that both motions would pass on Tuesday.
Enterprise zone, wind farm
Horizon Wind Energy, which is planning to place 29 wind towers in
northern Logan County, mostly in Eminence Township, has requested to
have the enterprise zone extended to their site.
Logan County Board Chairman Dick Logan said that Horizon would
claim sales tax benefits offered through the enterprise zone
designation. That would have little effect locally, as most of their
expense is purchase of materials used for the construction of the
wind towers and those materials are not available here.
Representatives of Horizon stated that they would not be
requesting property tax abatement that is offered through the
program.
Additionally, Logan said that the company would be paying county
permit fees that are set at $7,780 for each tower.
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 The county would also realize a substantial increase in property
taxes over the current land value that now is assessed as farmland.
At the morning finance committee meeting it was discussed that
towers would be assessed $9,000 per megawatt hour. Each of the
towers planned to go in this field would be capable of producing up
to 1.5 megawatts. That would be an estimated potential of $13,500
for each of the 29 towers. Trending factors, the annual CPI, the
township's multiplier and a 25-year depreciation schedule, all of
which add and subtract from that figure and vary each year, would
also be applied.
The business is planning a combined operations and tourist
center. Its location has not yet been determined, but that facility
would also bring additional property taxes into the county.
Horizon representatives plan to return to the board next month
with other requests that includes zoning changes.
Their request to be added to the enterprise zone has already been
approved by the Logan County Regional Planning Commission.
The board indicated that this would be approved on Tuesday.
Public transportation planning in process
Board chairman Logan announced that phases one and two of a
Public Transportation Plan for Logan County have been completed.
The state of Illinois Department of Transportation has reserved
funds that will be shared between chosen communities that are able
to develop plans.
Logan complimented CIEDC for the help that they have provided
getting the Logan County plan going. The needs assessment has been
completed. Action plan, funding and evaluation will be worked on at
the next meeting.
People interested in helping attain these funds for a valuable
community enhancement are asked to attend the next public
transportation meeting, scheduled for 10 a.m. April 21 at the Mason
City American Legion.
[By JAN YOUNGQUIST]
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