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Regular City Council Meeting Monday, September 26, 2011 Page 10 Discussion ensued on when to reschedule discussion, with the consensus to table this item until the October 10, 2011 regular City Council meeting; and question- ing whether the comparable information available from Ms. Bacon would include the entire benefits package as a whole, not just the cafeteria side of the package; and asked that staff provide the additional comparative information to Council- members prior to that meeting. Ms. Bacon responded that it would not be possible to include the entire benefits package as a whole. Councilmember Pust reiterated her congratulation to the employee representative group for their reduction in cost; however, she noted that she was unwilling to sign off and have that entire reduction applied to the Wellness Program, when other budget needs may be of higher priority; opining that it was her understand- ing that further Council discussion had been intended. Mayor Roe noted that the two options were for the City was potentially to look at an $18,000 savings in continuing the current benefit package; or reduction of the current employee benefit program. City Manager Malinen clarified that the savings of$18,000 was in addition to the 5% increase that had been budgeted that would now not have to be expended. Councilmember Pust noted that this information served to prove her point, opin- ing that it had ramifications for City Council budget discussions. Mayor Roe opined that a decision to move savings into the Wellness Program was not as critical as approving the employee health insurance package unless there were changes to that package itself. Mayor Roe questioned if it was the concern with the package itself or the $18,000 and 5% approved in the Preliminary, not- to-exceed budget; or if the concern was a broader concern on the level of benefits provided to City employees. Councilmember Pust opined that it depended on what market conditions indicated throughout the state and within the community, not simply one or the other; and further opined that she didn't want staff to go out with actual dollar figures on each plan or tier without the City Council having had those discussions, thus po- tentially changing the benefit program after originally relying on the numbers pre- sented during the open enrollment period. Ms. Bacon clarified for the City Council that this proposal took 5% off the budget as a savings; and advised that it was not the intent to automatically roll that into the Wellness Program; but that the savings had been achieved through the Well- ness Program initiatives by staff and through negotiations with employees in an