Employees will pay more, county the same for health insurance

Lake of the Woods County’s contributions to health insurance for employees and officials will remain the same in 2007 as they have been in 2006.
That means that health coverage costs for employees and appointed and elected officials will go up next year, with an expected 15 percent increase in insurance premiums.
The County Board on Tuesday (Dec. 12) voted to continue paying $450 each month toward each single policy and $800 toward each family policy.
The county health insurance plan is very heavily used, and normal underwriting practices should have dictated an increase of 30 percent or more for 2007. That was the word from a health insurance consultant with whom the county board consulted in recent months. Instead, underwriters at the county’s present insurance carrier, Public Employees Insurance Plan (PEIP) elected to go for an increase much less than that.
The county contribution came up twice during the meeting. The first time, a decision was delayed when the board ran into the time for a zoning hearing. The second time, a contribution of $500 for a single policy was considered, with a higher amount for an employee carrying a family policy.
The contributions were based on each employee carrying a policy with a $500 deductible.
Employee health insurance has been a major topic at recent board meetings, with board members citing ever-increasing premiums because of heavy use of the county plan as well as ever-increasing medical and, especially, pharmaceutical costs.
At least one board member has even gone so far as to question whether the county can afford to carry employee health insurance in the future.
After Tuesday’s vote, the county health plan is safe for at least another year, though at higher out-of-pocket costs for individual employees.
County Board members are also eligible for the county insurance plan.
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The board Tuesday refused to approve the minutes of a special meeting held November 29 and instead scheduled a special meeting for December 14 to consider those minutes and ramifications of one vote at the meeting.
The Nov. 29 vote to set pay increases for elected and appointed department heads was rescinded and then reinstated with raises for all except one appointed department head. The 2007 salary for that one department head was then set the same for 2007 as it was in 2006.
The vote was taken following a closed session that lasted for two hours, 40 minutes.
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In other business at the December 12 regular meeting, the Board:
• Spent nearly an hour discussing 2007 state legislative plans with state Sen. Tom Saxhaug and newly-elected state Rep. Tom Anzelc.
• Adopted a budget and levy for 2007. The tax levy increase will be just 3.3 percent, one of the lowest percentage county tax increases in Minnesota this year, if not the lowest.
• Approved a gambling permit for the snowmobile club at the Northwest Angle.
• Appointed Dr. Rob Dayer as County Coroner.
• Renewed the county audit contract for three years.
• Considered two conditional use permits, one for filling in a drainage swale and the other for locating an auto repair shop in a natural environment district at a zoning commission hearing. Both issues will be decided at a special meeting on December 29.
• Approved a job description and a Compensation Committee recommendation about the grade level for a part time permanent position in the County Highway Department.
• Discussed cell telephone tower issues with Baudette resident Dennis Wiese.
• Did not agree to sign a natural resources block grant application. The lack of action followed a statement by Land and Water Planning Department director Josh Stromlund that the grant application carried some very restrictive conditions.
• Discussed proposed changes to a number of county zoning ordinance provisions. No action was taken, but the proposals for change might well be acted upon at the board’s December 29 meeting.
• Made a retroactive pay adjustment for a maintenance employee coming off his probationary period.
• Agreed to a 2.5 percent pay increase for Chief Deputy Sheriff Jim Walton. His position was missed when the board decided pay increases earlier.
• Agreed to a letter to state officials protesting some provisions of proposed revised wetlands regulations.
• Told County Auditor John W. Hoscheid to go ahead with procedures required to make two tax-forfeited lots in Baudette available.
• Paid the bills.
• Set a special meeting for Thursday, Dec. 14.
• Approved minutes of the November 28 regular meeting but not the November 29 special meeting.
• Recessed at 3:45 p.m. following a 9:00 a.m. start and a shorter-than-usual break for lunch.
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In addition to action on one elected official’s salary at the December 14 meeting, the Board:
• Agreed to pay expenses for the County Assessor to attend a meeting on utility valuations scheduled in St. Paul on December 15.
• Gave final approval to an agreement with the University of Minnesota Extension Service.
• Approved the revised minutes of the November 29 meeting.
(The special evaluation and other personnel move extended from 9:05 to 11:45 a.m.)
• Went into recess at 1:58 p.m. following a 9:00 a.m. start.