 Health insurance plan approvedHealth Alliance
representative Ericka Williams explained renewal options. Through
the end of January, three-quarters of the insurance year, the
county's health plan with Health Alliance had a $283,000 loss in
claims -- more paid out than taken in on premiums -- and still to
come, there are 16 people with high-cost claims of over $10,000,
five of those over $40,000 in claims and three with $80,000 to
$100,000 pending.
Looking back at what happened, it was seen that some employees
would have benefited more from a different plan that would have
offered network discounts from health providers. Those on PPO would
have had lower costs on the POS-C plans.
All calculated, the county would have seen a 25 percent increase
to this year's rate. But through options, a better plan was
developed.
Currently, the county is paying $391 per employee. This would
become $415 per month paid for each employee's insurance. This is
the POS-C plan and splits the cost of the 12 percent increase
between the employee and the county.
The PPO-1000, a higher deductible plan, would still be an
available option with the employee paying the difference.
Finance chairman Chuck Ruben said the insurance would cost the
county $89,000 more for this fiscal year.
During the board-of-whole straw vote Andy Anderson said "no."
When the official vote came during the adjourned session, Anderson
said that after everything was explained to him, he thought Jan
Schumacher and the insurance committee, Nancy Schaub of Roger
Garrett Insurance, and Williams of Health Alliance did an excellent
job of finding a way to hold down the costs to only a 12 percent
increase.
The board unanimously approved the recommended health insurance
plan.
Schumacher said the Illinois Association of County Board Members
has a study group to look at possible health insurance options. This
will be watched and looked into next year.
Energy contract
Building and grounds chair Terry Carlton recommended extending
the current Ameren contract two more years. He said that signing a
new energy contract with Ameren would lock in a rate that is 12.5
percent lower than what is being paid now.
The board approved.
Tax anticipation warrants
The board approved the lowest of three bids at a 0.75 percent
rate to borrow $400,000 in tax anticipation warrants. The bid came
from Illinois National Bank, formerly the First National Bank of
Mount Pulaski.
High-speed rail
High-speed rail construction is expected to resume in Logan
County the first week of April, beginning in Elkhart, and is
expected to start coming through Lincoln approximately April 18.
Typically closures are three to five days unless there is a
temporary provision with a special crossing made.
The board unanimously approved a letter of support for the
high-speed rail committee to include with its recommendations and
requests.
Job training
U.S. House of Representatives voted to cut funding to workforce
investment. The measure is subject to approval by the Senate.
Schumacher said this is funding for training people who need jobs.
Schumacher said she would keep a watch on this.
Area planning
Pat O'Neill noted that Lincoln is planning to begin its own
comprehensive plan. He recalled that just a few years ago a Lincoln
and Logan County Comprehensive Plan was created, and he wondered
what the difference would be.
Board member Bill Martin, who chairs the Logan County Regional
Planning Commission, was part of the team that oversaw the
development of that plan.
Martin explained that the plan created a few years ago included
input from all the communities in the county.
"When we talked it over, we decided it would be good if we were
all together and we could agree on what direction we'd like to go as
a county," he said. That plan is wide-ranging.
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He said that when you get to the segments with objectives and
procedures, the plan stops just short of filling in the details of
what communities might do. It was understood then that each
community would be a little different and have a different approach
to deciding their most important needs.
That is what Lincoln and any other communities could do now, he
said -- fill in those details.
Martin added that the planning commission has selected new
officers. Bill Graff was voted chairman; Jim Fuhrer, vice chairman;
and Dave Evans, treasurer. Three new members are being sought to
bring the commission back to full membership.
Waste management
Pat O'Neill said that waste management would offer personal
document shredding during the upcoming Community Health Fair at the
Lincoln Park District center on Saturday, April 2.
Recycling costs have jumped from $470 to $604 per container dump.
Estimates sought from another provider were much higher.
Appointments
Appointments were unanimously
approved with 12 voting in favor:
-
Glenn Shelton to the
ETSB board
-
Norma Bathe to the
ETSB board
-
Amy Wertheim to the
board of the Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau of Logan County
-
Andy Anderson to the Logan County
Sports Commission, beginning March 1
Tourism
Geoff Ladd, executive director for Abraham Lincoln Tourism
Bureau, said that the bureau has been focusing on the new sports
commission efforts. There was a follow-up meeting following the
kick-off and officers have been elected.
Main Street
Wanda Lee Rohlfs, executive director of Main Street Lincoln,
brought samples of the black metal silhouettes of Abraham Lincoln to
be used with brackets and sponsorship name plaques to support
hanging baskets. This is a project in its first year that would
place flowering baskets on 12 poles surrounding the Logan County
Courthouse.
Lincoln Community High School students are cutting the metal
silhouettes of Abraham Lincoln and people from the Master Gardener
program will plant the flowers in baskets. Big R will supply the
water wagon, and Ace will supply the flowers.
A dedication of the new downtown embellishments will be in
conjunction with the Honest Abe's BBQ Cook-off scheduled for June
11.
[By
JAN YOUNGQUIST]
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