March 28, 2012 - Special Meeting Minutes

MINUTES

BREWSTER VILLAGE COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING

MARCH 28, 2012

6:00 P.M.

 

Brewster Village Council met in special session with Mayor Mike Schwab presiding.

 

6:00 P.M. – CALL TO ORDER

 

MEMBERS PRESENT:

Mike Schwab, Mayor

Sherri Bichsel, Council Member

Dave Duff, Council Member, entered at 6:25pm

David Godwin, Council Member, entered at 6:45pm

Thomas Hilliard, Council Member

Jay Huff, Council Member

Steven A. Tharp, Jr., Council Member

 

VILLAGE OFFICIALS PRESENT:

K. Kris King, Clerk-Treasurer

 

GUEST:

Dennis Boen from Huntington Insurance spoke for thirty minutes on Huntington Insurance and Aultcare plans for the Village employees.  He described the benefits team that the Village would be working with.  The HMO Plan that the Village currently carries has averaged only 6% annually over the last 6 years and is community rated.  He discussed a PPO that is the same except for the medical underwriting and experience rating.  He discussed Guardian Life Insurance and the fact that it has not increased in 6 years.  It is 46 cents per $1000 for $20,000. 

He also discussed Principal Insurance of $30,000 for 26.5 cents per $1000.  He finished at 6:30pm.

 

Brian Savage from Ohio Health Insurance Services Agency then took the floor.  He also presented three Aultcare Plans.  He went into great detail of two PPO’s that would save the Village around $40,000 to $44,500, one of which provided reinsurance to cover the difference between the employee deductible and the catastrophic deductible per employee or family member.  He also explained two other dental options and a better vision plan.  He stated the PPO’s could be massaged to fit the Village’s needs.  Mr. Savage completed his presentation at 7:26pm. 

 

Council took a break and reconvened at 7:37pm.

 

DISCUSSION:

Council Member Huff took over at 7:36.  He started with review of the forms from last year.  He stated that Council chose to stay with the current HMO and charge the employees 6% of the monthly fee for coverage.    Because the insurance stayed with the HMO, the Village lost $40,000.  He discussed “cramming” all the research in March.

 

Council Member Tharp thought that the first decision that needed to be made was who the Village wanted to use as broker.

 

Council Member Huff stated that Mr. Boen has done everything that has been asked of him.

 

Council Member Hilliard stated that the figures provided by Huntington were incorrect.

 

Council Member Tharp thought Mr. Savage was more aggressive and Council Member Godwin agreed that he was very aggressive.

 

Council Member Huff is concerned that the Village will get into a situation where it is a good deal this year and will balloon next year.

 

COUNCIL MEMBER THARP MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER BICHSEL and motion carried to make Brian Savage the Village’s agent of record.  Council Member Huff thinks that Council is getting rid of a good agent because “he doesn’t jump up and down”.   This was followed by a heated discussion.  Council Member Huff doesn’t think the employees would be happy.  The vote: Duff, no after a heated discussion on abstaining from the vote; Godwin, yes; Hilliard, yes; Huff, no; Tharp, yes; Bichsel, yes.  Motion carried.

 

Council Member Tharp explained why he was leaning toward option 2.

 

COUNCIL MEMBER THARP MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER BICHSEL and motion carried to change plans to OPEC Option #2, OPEC VSP for vision, and OPEC Delta Dental with $1,500 maximum.  The vote: Duff, no; Godwin, yes; Hilliard, yes; Huff, no; Tharp, yes; Bichsel, yes. 

 

COUNCIL MEMBER BICHSEL MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER THARP and motion carried to modify the current ordinance for life insurance from Guardian to Hartford.  The vote: Duff, no; Godwin, yes; Hilliard, yes; Huff, no; Tharp, yes; Bichsel, yes. 

 

Mayor Schwab apologized concerning the discussion on abstaining from voting but the ORC states that Council Members cannot abstain without a good reason.

 

COUNCIL MEMBER THARP MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER BICHSEL and motion carried to adjourn the meeting at 8:16pm.

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

____________________________________

Kris King, Village Clerk-Treasurer

 

 

____________________________________

Mike Schwab, Mayor