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Regular City Council Meeting <br /> Monday,July 25,2011 <br /> Page 22 <br /> Councilmember Pust noted the RCA references to an approximate 5% increase in <br /> employee health care premiums; and questioned how that percentage was formu- <br /> lated and what percentage the City paid for their employees. <br /> Mr. Miller estimated that the City paid approximately 70-80% of the total em- <br /> ployee premium for health care costs. <br /> Discussion ensued related to single and family or tiers for that coverage and the <br /> City's intent to pick up any health care premium costs up to 5%. <br /> Councilmember Pust opined that the City's employees deserved everything that <br /> the City could provide; however, she questioned that benefit program compared to <br /> today's current market place and 100% employer-paid benefits; and expressed her <br /> preference to receive dollar amounts for salaries and benefits and projections for <br /> 2012 and 2013. <br /> Councilmember Johnson, to that point, questioned how requirements were ad- <br /> dressed for minimum employer contributions between public and private entities. <br /> Mayor Roe concurred with the points made by Councilmember Pust related to to- <br /> tal health care costs. <br /> Mr. Miller clarified that the worst case scenario would be for the City to need to <br /> pick up an additional $100,000 at 5% for employee health care costs. <br /> Councilmember Willmus questioned the level of detail proposed by staff in the <br /> future. <br /> Mr. Miller advised that it would be broken down in four (4) categories: personnel <br /> costs; supplies/materials; professional services; and capital items. <br /> Councilmember Willmus advised that he continued to grapple with the proposed <br /> shift from operations and whether there would eventually be a need for City <br /> Council review of a line-item budget. <br /> Mayor Roe stressed the importance to continue in the current process; and his as- <br /> surances that it would work out when the City Council received the information <br /> being requested from staff. <br /> Councilmember Willmus questioned if the details would be provided in a timely <br /> manner or if it would be too late in the process for the City Council to make sig- <br /> nificant adjustments. <br /> Mayor Roe opined that it wouldn't be fair to staff to shift gears in the middle of <br /> the process; but again expressed his confidence that refinement of the priority- <br />