No vote but plenty of discussion on health insurance contract for Wilkes-Barre [The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.]

Oct. 14—WILKES-BARRE — City Council Thursday pulled the $7.8 million employee healthcare contract with Highmark from its voting agenda, but spent a good part of the nearly hour-long public meeting discussing the proposed deal.

The contract, along with a traffic signalization maintenance agreement, were last-minute scratches, leaving Council with 15 other items that were all approved 5-0.

Questions about the Highmark contract, especially whether the city has to pay Joyce Insurance Risk Strategies broker fees, remained from when it was brought up during Council's work session Tuesday night.

Councilman Bill Barrett urged prompt action on resolving any concerns other council members have in order to have a contract in place before the existing one expires next year and to take advantage of the 3% increase while other costs continue to rise.

"First of all we can't delay on this. This is something that needs to be in place sooner than later going into the new year," Barrett said ahead of comments from Mayor George Brown.

Initially Highmark presented a package with a 7% increase that was reduced through the efforts of the broker, Brown told Council.

"The city of Wilkes-Barre is not paying a dime to Risk Strategies. That's being paid by the companies that we're going to employ, Highmark," Brown pointed out. Risk Strategies provides other services that the city's Human Resources Department might use in the future to seek competitive bids, he said.

Brown assured Council Highmark is firm on the rate it's offered. "I want to put some of those things to bed because I think there's some small misconceptions here. People have been making up some ideas that are not true. What I'm telling you is the facts," he said.

Councilmen Tony Brooks and John Marconi had heard from employees, retirees and residents with concerns that neither said they were able to answer. The councilmen wanted more time to be able to get back to them with more information.

Council Chairwoman Beth Gilbert McBride added she would like more transparency about the process. "I'm hopeful though that we can move forward with some sort of plan in the next few weeks or months," she said.

City Attorney Tim Henry spoke in favor of bringing on the broker, noting the proposed contractor is a major part of the annual budget of approximately $53 million. "This is a major expenditure. Nobody in City Hall has the expertise that Risk Strategies has," he said.

In response to a question McBride raised at the work session about why Council was being asked to vote on the contract for what she recalled was the first time, Brown explained it should have been in the past. Brown was unable to attend the work session because of a family commitment.

"For the last 20 years it has not been on Council's agenda. So we're correcting something that was a mistake," acknowledged Brown, who served on council from 2012 to 2016.

"Believe me I'm not adverse to you pulling it tonight. But I do ask that we put it on an agenda so we can get it going because we have what's called open enrollment coming up," Brown said. The city has to have the costs for employees in order for them to make their decisions, he said.

Among the items council approved were:

—The first of two readings to amend the consumer fireworks section of the existing ordinance so it conforms with the new state law that went into effect at the end of September.

—An application by the city for upgrades of the roof, windows and flooring at the Osterhout Free Library through a $157,500 Keystone Grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

—The sale of city-owned property at 110-112 Prospect St. to Milagros Corporan for $1,900.

—Hiring Borton-Lawson to provide engineering services for the downtown streetscape project at a contract price of $49,065.

—Awarding the hourly rate contract for street light maintenance to the lowest responsible bidder, Richard Mellow Corp. and the second lowest responsible bidder, Delta Electrical Systems, Inc. The contractors will be paid hourly rates,

—Awarding the contract for landscape and ground maintenance services to the most qualified service, American Landscaping. The contractor will take on work when the the Department of Public Works is overwhelmed. The work has been cleared with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 401 which represents DPW employees.

—The first reading to amend the Utilities ordinance to repeal the section on tappage fees because the fee schedule is contained in Building Regulations ordinance. readings.

—The final reading of the ordinance for the Stormwater Management plan mandated by the state for municipalities.

Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott.

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