By Ted Schnell • BocaJump
Elgin municipal employees can expect their health coverage to continue virtually unchanged this year with a recommendation that the City Council continue it's contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois for 2011-12.
But the cost of the coverage is expected to increase 15 percent, from $6,895,000 in 2010 to $7,875,000 in 2011, City Manager Sean Stegall said Monday. The health insurance contract year runs March 1, 2011
through Feb. 29, 2012, and provides options ranging from HMO-type coverage to PPO.
The $980,000 increase in premiums means the city will see a net increase of $860,000; city employees will incur the rest of the $119,959 increase through their share of the premiums.
Stegall said this year, the city will take a study self-insurance as an option to consider next year, although there are many variables out there to consider with the new health care reform laws coming into play.
The city has used self-insurance before – switching to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois only about five years ago, Stegall said.
“Next year we're gonna look at whether it makes sense to be self-insured again” to take advantage of potential savings as a result of work force changes and other factors, Stegall said. “It may not make sense right now … but we will now from now every year going forward” consider a change.
One advantage right now, he said, is that Elgin has a much younger work force, which could mean a decline in health-care costs, which the city could save by switching to self-insurance.
A typical self-insurance program means setting aside the money the city normally would expect to pay out in employee health care costs in the course of a year, plus buying “re-insurance” to essentially provide coverage above and beyond “normal” costs. Under that scenario, the city might be expected to pay the tab for a doctor's visit, for example, whereas the reinsurance might kick in for someone facing a heart transplant, Stegall said.
BocaJump.com will be on hand Wednesday night to cover the Elgin City Council via live-blogging.
The Elgin City Council typically meets twice monthly on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month. Committee of the Whole meetings start at 6 p.m. and are followed at 7 p.m. by the regular council meeting.
Following is a rundown of the Committee of the Whole agenda, then followed by the regular council agenda:
Elgin City Council Committee of the Whole meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011, in the City Council Chambers.
► Call to Order
► Roll Call
► Approval of Minutes – January 12, 2011
Items also on Council Agenda:
► A. Consideration of Contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois for 2011-2012 Health Insurance Program ($7,875,000) (please reference Item O-3) Purpose: To provide access to employees, retirees and their dependents to high quality and fiscally sound health insurance program Special Presentations and Reports:
► B. Community Garden Presentation -- Donna Askin
Initiatives and Other Items:
► C. Consideration of Agreement with Hampton Lenzini and Renwick to Provide a Traffic Study for US Route 20 ($97,000) Purpose: To evaluate the viability of US Rt. 20 becoming an urban arterial corridor by improving pedestrian, bicycle and motorized vehicle access
► D. Consideration of Cultural Arts Commission 2011 Grant Award Recommendations ($30,255) Purpose: To show support for revitalization of local arts organizations and programming through public funding
► E. Consideration of 2010 Energy Efficiency Residential Revolving Loan Fund ($250,000) Purpose: Support federal initiatives to encourage the energy efficiency of residential buildings and job creation
► F. Consideration of Reimbursement to Pingree, LLC for the Offsite Water Main Oversizing to Highland Woods and the Foy Property ($278,157) Purpose: To provide information regarding the city’s ordinance and policy for reimbursing developers who upsize water mains to their developments as required to reinforce the city’s distribution system
► G. Consideration of Reimbursement to The Relm Group for the Offsite Water Main Oversizing to the Galleria Development ($44,392.90) Purpose: To provide information regarding the city’s ordinance and policy for reimbursing developers who upsize water mains to their developments as required to reinforce the city’s distribution system
► H. Consideration of Extension to the Agreement with Meade Electric for Traffic Signal Maintenance ($84,936) Purpose: To provide timely and effective traffic signal maintenance
► I. Consideration of 2011 Motor Fuel Tax Resolution ($2,710,000) Purpose: To perform timely and effective infrastructure maintenance
► J. Consideration of Renewal of Professional Services Agreement for Lobbyist Steven Nemerovski and Lawrence Suffredin, Jr. ($25,000) Purpose: Monitoring proposed legislation and administrative rulemaking affecting the city’s operations and implementing action plans for either advocating or objecting to such proposals
► K. Discussion Concerning Permit Fees for Food Stores and Food Service Establishments (No Materials)
► L. Announcements from Council
► M. Announcements from Staff
Executive Session
► N. Purchase or Lease of Real Property for the Use of the Public Body - Exempt Under Section 120/2(c)(5) of the Open Meetings Act
► O. Selection of a Person to Fill a Vacant Office, Including a Vacancy in a Public Office, When the Public Body is Given Power to Appoint Under Law or Ordinance, or the Discipline, Performance or Removal of the Occupant of a Public Office, When the Public Body is Given Power to Remove the Occupant Under Law or Ordinance - Exempt Under Section 120/2 (c) (3) of the Open Meetings Act
► Adjournment
Elgin City Council Agenda Regular meeting 7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011
► Call to order
► Invocation – John Breault of Life & Life Ministry of Elgin House of Prayer
► Pledge of Allegiance
► Roll Call
► Minutes of Previous Meeting – January 12, 2011
► Communications
- Prevent a Litter Month Proclamation
- Black History Month Family Festival Day
- 2010 Fire Combat Challenge
► Recognize Persons Present
► Bids
10-064 Fire Station Sanitary Sewer Replacement ($71,054)
► Other Business (O)
1. Consideration of Petition 30-10 Requesting Final Plat Approval for West Point Gardens Subdivision Phase 1 – Lot 479; Property Located at 100 Nesler Road; by West Point Builders and Developers Inc., as Applicant, and West Point Gardens Homes LLC, as Owner2. Consideration of Petition 32-10 Requesting a Conditional Use in the GI General Industrial District, to Permit the Establishment of a Shared Kitchen Facility for the Use of Food Service Contractors; Property Located at 1544 Fleetwood Drive, by Tim and Marcia Kellenberger, as Applicants, and Tim Kellenberger, as Owner
3. Resolution Accepting the Proposal of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois for the City of Elgin's HMO and PPO Medical Insurance Program and Authorizing the Execution of Documents Related Thereto
4. Resolution Authorizing Execution of a Community Development Block Grant Sub-Recipient Agreement with NHS of the Fox Valley
5. Resolution Authorizing Execution of a Local Agency Amendment #1 for Federal Participation with the Illinois Department of Transportation for the Dundee-Summit Roundabout Project
6. Resolution Authorizing Execution of an Agreement with BTE Video, Inc. for TV Production Programming and Video Services
► Consent agenda (items considered to be routine and non-controversial and will be acted upon as a group with one motion and one roll call vote, with no discussion.
1. Resolution Authorizing Execution of a Ride in Kane Pace Subsidy Agreement with the Suburban Bus Division of the Regional Transportation Authority.
2. Resolution Authorizing Execution of a Service Agreement with Sterling Symmetry Unlimited Inc.
3. Resolution Authorizing Execution of a Service Agreement with Sarah Koeckritz
4. Resolution Authorizing Execution of a Service Agreement with Danae Moliter
5. Resolution Authorizing Execution of a Service Agreement with Dixon Dance Academy Inc.
6. Resolution Authorizing Execution of a Service Agreement with the Midwest Academy of TaeKwon-Do Inc.
7. Resolution Authorizing Execution of First Amendment to Maintenance Agreement Dated Nov. 18, 2008, with Nadler Golf Car Sales Inc.
8. Resolution Authorizing Execution of an IDOT Construction Engineering Services Agreement for Federal Participation with Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick Inc. for the Kimball and National Streets Project
9. Resolution Authorizing Execution of a Local Agency Agreement for Federal Participation with the Illinois Department of Transportation for the Kimball and National Street Traffic Signal Interconnect Project
10. Resolution Authorizing Execution of an Agreement with Pictometry International Corp. for Oblique Aerial Imagery and Related Software
11. Resolution Authorizing Execution of Amendment Agreement No. 2 with Black & Veatch Corporation for Airlite Street Water Treatment Plant Improvements
12. Resolution Approving Change Order No. 2 and Final for the Contract with Wills Burke Kelsey Associates Ltd. for Motor Fuel Tax Engineering Services
13. Ordinance Adopting an Updated Parks and Recreation Master Plan
► Miscellaneous Business (M)
1. Minutes of Various Boards and Commissions
- a. Cultural Arts Commission – Dec. 13, 2010
- b. Foreign Fire Insurance Tax Board – Oct. 29, 2010
- c. Elgin Heritage Commission – Aug. 3, Sept. 7, Oct. 5 and Nov. 2, 2010
- d. Elgin Heritage Commission/Design Review Subcommission – July 27, Sept. 28, Oct. 12, and Dec. 14, 2011
- e. Committee of the Whole Minutes – Dec. 15, 2010 (website)
- f. City Council Minutes – Dec. 15, 2010 (website)
2. Various Tax Reports
- a. Sales Tax – January 2011
- b. Local Sales Tax – January 2011
- c. State Income Tax – January 2011
- d. State Use Tax – January 2011
- e. Telecommunications Tax – Janury 2011
3. Disbursement Report
► Announcements
► Next Committee of the Whole Meeting, Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2011, at 6:00 p.m., in the City Council Chambers
► Next Regular Meeting of the Elgin City Council, Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2011, at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers
► Adjournment
PLEASE NOTE: The City of Elgin is subject to the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Individuals with disabilities who plan to attend this meeting and who require certain accommodations in order to allow them to observe and/or participate in this meeting, or who have questions regarding the accessibility of the meeting or the facilities, are requested to contact the Human Resources Department at (847) 931-6076 or TT/TDD (847) 931-5616 promptly to allow the City of Elgin to make reasonable accommodations for those persons.
