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Clovis city employees get break on insurance

CLOVIS — Compared to most government entities and private businesses, city of Clovis employees are getting a pretty good deal with their employer covering 90 percent of their health insurance premiums.

The deal’s going to be even better for the rest of 2018, as the city commission voted 7-0 Thursday to use part of a United Healthcare rebate to cover employees’ November and December premium costs.

The city has 379 employees with about two-thirds of them — 252 total — opted into the city’s insurance coverage. Due to those employees filing claims far below United’s loss ratio estimates, the city received a rebate of just over $290,000.

That equates to a refund of nearly 10 percent of the city’s $3 million expense for insurance.

“We thought it would be beneficial,” City Manager Justin Howalt said, “to reward those employees for their good practices.”

Covering those employee portions for November and December — $137.04 for each solo plan, $326.40 for each family plan — will take about $60,000 of that rebate. The remaining $230,000, Howalt said, would go to city wellness programs.

Commissioner Sandra Taylor-Sawyer asked if the program could be extended for additional months as a way to show appreciation for employees.

Mayor David Lansford felt the employees getting their premiums covered for the two months was already a good deal, because they were getting 20 percent of the rebate despite only paying 10 percent of the premium.

“Ninety percent of that rebate was covered (from money paid by) the city, not the employees,” Lansford said.

At a certain point, he argued, the city would create a circumstance where insured employees receive an artificially higher salary than uninsured employees.

Taylor-Sawyer made a motion to use 40 percent of the rebate to cover premiums, and it died without another commissioner seconding the motion. Commissioner Ladona Clayton moved to approve the original motion with the 20 percent recommendation, and all seven commissioners voted yes. Taylor-Sawyer wanted it reflected in the meeting record that although she voted for the 20 percent option, she wanted a higher portion of the rebate covering employee premiums.

The commission spent much less time deciding on showing appreciation to Howalt, with a three-year contract and a 2 percent pay raise.

With no discussion, the commission approved the agreement to pay Howalt $155,040 to act as both city manager and city engineer.

“I’ll just give you one sentence,” Lansford said after the 7-0 vote. “You’re doing a good job.”

In other business at the Thursday meeting:

• John Sharp was voted onto the Civic Center Policy Committee to replace Sharesse Sawyer-Warfel, who is moving.

Sharp took all seven commission votes — Mayor Pro Tem Juan Garza was not at the meeting — while John King also applied.

• The commission held a study session for about 30 minutes covering the city’s comprehensive plan.

Jackie Fishman of Consensus Planning of Albuquerque guided the commissioners through the presentation of the plan that included land use, economic development, housing, infrastructure, transportation, community facilities and services, hazard mitigation and implementation.

The formulation process, eight months in so far, includes numerous public meetings and a survey that got 1,661 responses. Consensus Planning is no stranger to the process, having handled the city’s parks and recreation master plan a few years prior.

“This is an extensive document,” Assistant City Manager Claire Burroughes said. “It’s a roadmap for the next 20 years. It’s important to get it right.”

The goal is to have the plan in front of the commission as a resolution in December.

“We don’t want to make this a mandatory thing,” Fishman said. “The comprehensive plan is meant to be a guidebook.”

• The commission proclaimed Dec. 15 at Wreaths Across America Day in Clovis.

Last year was Clovis’ first year participating in the program, which lays wreaths at the gravesites of veterans. In all, 352 wreaths were placed last year, with sponsorship running $15.

This year’s ceremony is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Dec. 15 at Lawn Haven Memorial Gardens. Karen Alexander, a local coordinator for the program and a Gold Star Mother, said the program includes volunteer work by the Clovis High Junior ROTC and the Civil Air Patrol, and a message is read about each of the people honored.

“Just hearing those stories makes it really feel alive,” said James Burroughes, a member of the JROTC. “It makes you feel American.”

The city also heard from John Montano, who said Saturday’s 10 a.m. Veterans Day Parade would have a theme of “No Veteran Walks Alone.”