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• • Regular City Council Meeting Monday, October 10,2011 Page 26 toward the City's Wellness Program to g provide an additional $10 per employee for their ability to opt into a testing program; and questioned whether the City council wished to accept this proposal. Councilmember Johnson spoke in support of Councilmember Pust's strategy,gy, in addition to looking at retirement plans going forward as part of the comprehensive employee compensation package. However, Councilmember Johnson noted that the City Council didn't have the hands-on experience in contract negotiations that Ms. Bacon experienced in her day-to-day negotiations. Mayor Roe noted that such negotiating strategies could be addressed by the City Council in Closed Executive Session; with City Manager Malinen advising that such a Closed Session was scheduled on October 17, 2011 to discuss employee negotiations. Mayor Roe spoke in support of a comparison of the public/private sector to pro- vide the most cost effective service delivery for the taxpayer. Mayor Roe opined that he was most impressed with the employee initiatives of the Benefit Wellness Committee; and asked that employees and that Committee be included in future discussions. Mayor Roe stated that, for him personally, these staff initiatives, including reduced coverage and other impacts taken on by em- ployees, have sent a powerful message to him in considering the employee benefit • package and various recommendations. Public Comment Gary Grefenberg As a Minnesota State employee for many years, and paying a portion of his insur- ance premium as well during that tenure, Mr. Grefenberg opined that there was an inherent danger in democracy if only making comparisons with other government entities. Mr. Grefenberg further opined that comparisons also needed to be com- pared with taxpayers being asked to pay the bill, particularly those on Social Se- curity and/or Medicare. Mr. Grefenberg noted that those taxpayers were already being asked to make sacrifices for park improvements and a new fire station; but no one seemed to be asking City staff to make sacrifices. Mr. Grefenberg noted that there were few taxpayers in Roseville who received free health insurance; and noted that when a group of Roseville residents became aware of this situation, they had been promised that the City Council would look for ways to reduce tax- es. Mr. Grefenberg opined that it seemed to be a conflict of interest that those re- ceiving benefits were making recommendations to the Council on those benefits; and stated that he had sat through four (4) years of these same discussions. Mr. Grefenberg asked if it would take a public revolt, such as had recently taken place in WI to get past the concept that union negotiations were not in effect negotia- tions, but more like capitulation on the part of management; and asked that more attention be given to this. Mr. Grefenberg asked that the $18,000 not be returned to employees, but taken as a savings to taxpayers as part of the 2012 budget as a • whole.