Work session clears way for vote on Wilkes-Barre's health insurance contract [The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.]

Oct. 26—WILKES-BARRE — With no discussion during City Council's work session Tuesday night on the $7.8 million contract for health insurance with Highmark, Vice Chairman Mike Belusko wanted to make sure it would advance to a vote Thursday.

The contract was pulled from the last voting session on Oct 13 in order to give Council additional time to review it after questioning Mayor George Brown about hidden brokerage fees. The city would pay nothing else but the cost. Any fees with broker Risk Strategies|Joyce Insurance Group, which negotiated the deal, would be paid by Highmark, Brown told Council at the time.

Belusko, who was presiding at the work session Tuesday in place of Chairwoman Beth Gilbert McBride, asked the other three members of Council if they wanted to change anything that was on the agenda in front of them.

"Are we good with this moving forward?" Belusko said. The others assured him they were.

In addition to the health insurance deal, Council will vote Thursday on a construction contract with James T. O'Hara Inc. of Covington Township for work on various sections of the channel walls for Mill Creek and Laurel Run that were damaged last year by high water when the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida drenched the region.

City Administrator Charlie McCormick said the $1,050,100 to be paid O'Hara, the lowest responsible bidder, would be with Federal Emergency Management Agency funding.

"How quickly will you know if it is approved," asked Councilman John Marconi of the FEMA funding.

McCormick, who was filling in for Brown, said approval of the construction contract will move the funding ahead "pretty quickly." The city will pay for the work and be reimbursed by FEMA, he said.

Council also will take up two ordinances Thursday for their second and final readings:

—Amending the "Fire Prevention and Protection" ordinance by replacing the section on "Consumer Fireworks" to bring it into compliance with a recently passed state law.

—Amending the "Utilities" ordinance to remove the section on "Tappage fees" in order to eliminate duplication of language contained in the "Build Regulations" ordinance.

On non-agenda items, Belusko said he's heard of two convenience stores in his district in South Wilkes-Barre charging different prices for garbage bag stickers.

McCormick said the city would follow up on the matter and asked for the store allegedly selling the stickers at the higher price.

"See, the one store that's charging $2 is not accepting credit card or debit card or anything. The other store that's charging $2.75 is. I don't know if that's still allowed or not," Belusko said.

McCormick pointed out that there might be a surcharge by the store for the use of a card. "It shouldn't be extra for the product," he said.

The work session can be viewed Wednesday on the city's website under City Council Meeting Minutes, https://www.wilkes-barre.city/node/24/minutes.

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

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