[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6063252,"mediaKeyId","3269908-1b5502570afe5170644088a318dbd969","parentId",3269908,"title","Council approves modest changes to retiree Medicare Advantage plan to cut city costs by about $52,000","audioSeconds",394,"startMs",4535000,"endMs",4929000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3269908-1b5502570afe5170644088a318dbd969&start=4535&end=4929","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3269908-1b5502570afe5170644088a318dbd969/thumbnail_4535000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6063252/Eastpointe-City/Macomb-County/Michigan/Council-approves-modest-changes-to-retiree-Medicare-Advantage-plan-to-cut-city-costs-by-about-52000","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6063252-230b7d5279f7f76d4e288d4e5bbf0dea/orig.mp4?Expires=1771180104&Signature=Md1OVq-Ml~xF57cCOxd3sSiYcnAHOrPuouZOnrBTTs6xQKVR-gHlOzftmWwa2oy0HlwJM-VZrkZ5MGaFBuZY8qy24AgcUEVq7AYJlXiXTOillU1FG0G8ztReUH~KEWzsW7bs0Fe0zOsFGMQ4Ii4tdPPGE3M2Rsx2B14kvRLil0bOTz73JpILM7ZS28bo7jvoFhA0yDqnTiscocjJ-O28AidGcFlfBBDunAPj2eZhBNxfudaoizYPVTHPtr-h84E5VNhG5W9FoadVrcthpLffbSLKKp9o4aYYrvEpSKrUMCM-lt8YefsZ8G5JORW5wuzf3A08UZArIq~ayjhMfYdQSw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","CityofEastpointe","date","2025-05-07T13:03:06Z","article","The Eastpointe City Council voted May 6 to modify retiree Medicare Advantage plan cost‑sharing by increasing some deductibles and copays, a move city staff said would reduce the city’s cost by roughly $52,000 annually.

Finance Director Mister Blum told council the proposed changes would raise the annual deductible from $750 to $1,000, keep the coinsurance percentage the same and increase several point‑of‑service copays: emergency room visits from $75 to $90, urgent care visits from $20 to $40, routine office visits from $20 to $30 and specialist visits from $20 to $35. Blum said the plan’s overall maximum out‑of‑pocket and other major plan features would remain the same.

Blum said the changes were proposed after the city saw a large increase in Medicare Advantage costs driven in part by the federal Inflation Reduction Act’s prescription‑drug out‑of‑pocket cap; staff sought a plan design that reduced the city’s premium exposure without significantly affecting retirees. He estimated the changes would save the city about $52,000 a year once the plan is in effect.

Council approved the change by roll call, with one no vote. Staff noted that notice to Blue Cross is required in June for a January 1 plan effective date. Council members asked about interactions with collective bargaining agreements; finance staff said retiree healthcare is no longer in active contract status and recent court rulings permit the city flexibility to amend retiree plan design.

Why it matters: The change reduces city costs for retiree healthcare while slightly increasing cost‑sharing for retirees who use services frequently. The changes will take effect January 1 if timely notice is provided to the insurer.

Discussion vs. decision: Council discussed tradeoffs between savings and retiree out‑of‑pocket exposure; the formal decision approved the plan changes for 2026 implementation.

Vote: Motion to adopt the Medicare Advantage plan changes passed on roll call with one member voting no (see action record).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Eastpointe City Council Regular Meeting - May 6, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Eastpointe City Council approved changes to retiree Medicare Advantage plan cost‑sharing that increase a deductible and certain copays; staff said the change will save about $52,000 annually while leaving maximum out‑of‑pocket protections intact.","taxTitle","Eastpointe City, Macomb County, Michigan","taxId",51167,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6063256,"Eastpointe council approves pavilion roof, computer replacement and buys leased vehicles",357,4140000,4497000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3269908-1b5502570afe5170644088a318dbd969&start=4140&end=4497","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3269908-1b5502570afe5170644088a318dbd969/thumbnail_4140000.jpg","/articles/6063256/Eastpointe-City/Macomb-County/Michigan/Eastpointe-council-approves-pavilion-roof-computer-replacement-and-buys-leased-vehicles","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6063256-a58a079139b6393f81a759a7c675dfe7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771180104&Signature=Bbept2mtFVdjmJM9Ol~yY6ViRwWrvMu7Xdw3EuOiadtosRebg2ZFUcbFXQrNb2Mh88ZPzNHnA-hBq4~BqcoQEAKC1TkhMRFhCvVsHyDUkLh1NtWsIV9~0WN5xF0DCZezqyTNIFL-ULjeNTu4aRMPfrZmseZnBcEuXsjTiVGBTA3MROvTpfpC103UrhmUm8wdfiAchWCHU-eCBwp4kAwV-0nDY3MQStNyXpEnB0utP1eJods85TcjaS53ze6~-xujL8VdbzaxZyXphBwK9sQqA3d-gVkPGqo5R6TqZljDRzespRp~ubQCZsHhQ0ZT6u1WdVIZ3KXYSxgiPKsoJedajA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Eastpointe City Council on May 6 approved three procurement actions: awarding a contract to replace the Kennedy Park pavilion roof, purchasing 80 desktop computers and software licenses, and directing administration to buy leased vehicles rather than renew leases for code‑compliance and DPW use.

Roof replacement: The council awarded the Kennedy Park pavilion roof replacement contract to Weatherseal Home Improvement Company Inc., Shelby Township, Michigan, for $12,584 and authorized the city manager to sign the documents. Staff reported that a metal roof alternate was available but the estimated difference led DPW to recommend shingles for cost reasons.

Computers and software: Staff said the 2024–25 budget contained $100,000 for a phased computer replacement. The council approved purchasing 80 Lenovo ThinkCentre desktop computers through the state MI‑DEAL contract with CDW for $60,004.96 plus Microsoft 2024 licenses (transcript amount cited approximately $37,012) resulting in a combined cost roughly in the $97,000 range, which staff said is under the budgeted amount.

Vehicle leases: Council considered whether to buy out seven end‑of‑lease vehicles (six code/building vehicles and one DPW vehicle) or to continue leasing. Staff provided buy‑out figures totaling about $42,409 to purchase the vehicles outright and noted existing vehicles had low mileage and could last 8–10 years. Council voted to direct administration to purchase the vehicles at lease end and to stop leasing vehicles for code enforcement moving forward.

Why it matters: The purchases represent near‑term capital outlays already budgeted or evaluated against operating lease costs. The buyout decision affects long‑term fleet replacement strategy and total cost of ownership; the computer purchase is part of an organization‑wide refresh to update aging hardware.

Details and votes: All three actions passed on roll call votes. Council members asked staff about alternate roofing materials, cloud vs. on‑premise licensing for Office products, and whether leased vehicles include maintenance in monthly payments. Staff answered that the lease cost included maintenance and that buying out the vehicles produced a 14‑month payback vs. continuing to lease for those units. The council directed administration to present monthly status updates as procurement and implementation proceed.","At its May 6 meeting the Eastpointe City Council awarded a $12,584 contract to replace a pavilion roof at Kennedy Park, authorized purchase of 80 desktop computers and associated Microsoft licenses for about $97,008 total, and approved buying out several leased city vehicles instead of renewing leases.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6063263,"Council approves charter amendment to require two years of municipal management experience for city manager",1175,2331000,3506000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3269908-1b5502570afe5170644088a318dbd969&start=2331&end=3506","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3269908-1b5502570afe5170644088a318dbd969/thumbnail_2331000.jpg","/articles/6063263/Eastpointe-City/Macomb-County/Michigan/Council-approves-charter-amendment-to-require-two-years-of-municipal-management-experience-for-city-manager","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6063263-dcc7770b322c6943ccb4279be96101e1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771180104&Signature=UI0EKRSrmOxeKavyspeljFA~XtRJ~hxd0O3B92sz6gBD1tOXEKj1vB-ARdLvXjOT9-t9mMLlmbdqlXxO89~fOlpniIFkXfWMUsntpXPGVAzsSFZKb4siwnT0eoiCMOCnLtFQDzbVEkxPdXHWnWCtAiHDervpi7SJL8dw01ka6iaBwzAhKK-Y0APIqAACC-LISEGAVfvNVOKX2wUK8uvqnYa~J0Xzt9QqPsH9Ih~8tJyU-HOM4etFCEBvQSgZkIPrSLyaNfw19q0g17Xi4R5-i1-nRRuPZLwtAN6ejMpZw6WBQlS4pBQreRh6L~eIMMS5ksW5iNIIYynAyAB4VE0lPA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Eastpointe City Council voted May 6 to place an amendment on the ballot that removes the charter language requiring one year of prior service as a city manager or assistant city manager and instead requires at least two years of municipal management experience for the city manager.

Council member DeMonaco introduced and framed the change as a way to expand the candidate pool by replacing a narrow position‑specific requirement with a broader municipal management requirement; DeMonaco and other supporters said the change doubles the existing one‑year requirement while widening eligible backgrounds. Public commenter Charles Blackwell urged a comprehensive change for pronouns across the charter but the council discussed that a broader rewrite would require a charter commission.

Council and staff also discussed an outdated charter sentence that requires the manager to \"file a bond satisfactory to the council.\" City Treasurer and city attorney representatives told council that bonding for employees is handled through MMRMA (insurance) and that the sentence is obsolete; several council members said removing that one sentence could be considered in a separate action but that it was outside the narrow amendment they were voting to put on the ballot.

Council approved a motion to adopt the simplified amendment language and ballot question wording. The motion passed on a roll call vote with three yes votes and two no votes. The council directed administration to finalize the ballot language that will be presented to voters as part of the charter amendment process.

Why it matters: The change will appear on a future ballot; if approved by voters it will alter the minimum experience the council can require for the city manager and may affect the city's recruitment and candidate pool for that senior administrative post.

Details: The amendment will modify Chapter 3, Section 18 of the Eastpointe charter by striking the clause requiring at least one year as a manager or assistant manager in a city or village and inserting a minimum of two years of municipal management experience. During debate council members raised concerns about restricting candidate pools and whether a higher experience threshold (for example, four years) would unnecessarily limit applicants. The city attorney and treasurer advised that bonding language tied to MMRMA can be removed but that a broader charter rewrite would require a charter commission.

Discussion vs. decision: Council debated scope and phrasing; the formal decision was to approve the proposed charter amendment language and ballot text described in the motion.

Vote: Motion to approve the resolution with the described changes passed (see action record).","The Eastpointe City Council approved a proposed amendment to Chapter 3, Section 18 of the city charter to replace a one‑year manager/assistant‑manager requirement with a two‑year municipal management requirement and to simplify the ballot question wording.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6063267,"Eastpointe council approves final design work for new police and courthouse, delays firing range and animal-control building",2183,1157000,3340000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3269908-1b5502570afe5170644088a318dbd969&start=1157&end=3340","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3269908-1b5502570afe5170644088a318dbd969/thumbnail_1157000.jpg","/articles/6063267/Eastpointe-City/Macomb-County/Michigan/Eastpointe-council-approves-final-design-work-for-new-police-and-courthouse-delays-firing-range-and-animal-control-building","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6063267-ca84f34f93b3eef7745acc09c6242f43/orig.mp4?Expires=1771180104&Signature=jW0RaiIpqtFAJfYT4~15LMAE~LFkBlTavKjLfMcBHFlAHjgUDbTSeLAThapDktMUMEUD6nJy3vyPm~NJMaKIsFE69hTi2jfyOOUw-ynafGhxi70SyuiNWAA3eLnBnztjCH3-f6BOxmugOJ8CTkl-WqCKn7piYepbp07a4UaOiszFFLrgKfgdjgdIG675GWFri3SHNfDIGPs3pcGGUb1VTuXbFxVnZt5V6JFXAFJM76jCN~p56tYAuczn2Vq7qnfw1llLRpvHAD6liE8CB756oLpvSoIJrW8x88LjiZEeCBvehJEgmNbiJbGIn5P6RIg5pzXbMA6eV6jJSdWbUY4d~A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Eastpointe City Council voted May 6 to move forward with the final detailed design for a new police and municipal court building but excluded an on-site firing range and a permanent animal-control facility from the current design package.

City project manager Mister Kern told council that, if the council approved proceeding with final design that night, completing the detailed design and obtaining permits could take up to a year, with bidding likely in summer 2026, construction beginning in about September 2026 and final completion in early to mid‑2028. Kern said water and sanitary sewer permits — reviewed by the agency identified in the packet as Eagle — could take four to six months and might slow the schedule.

Council members and staff discussed cost, parking and the firing range. Staff estimated a parking structure would add about $40,000 per parking space, translating to roughly $4–5 million additional cost for the number of spaces needed. Estimates for a firing range varied in the discussion: staff referenced an equipment estimate near $900,000 but also described prior range refurbishments costing “less than a quarter million” if ventilation and an exterior building were excluded; earlier refurbishment figures discussed in the meeting put ventilation and lead‑control components between about $400,000 and $750,000. City staff and a former municipal manager also cited an estimate that, if the city did not provide its own range, overtime and backfill costs for officers could be roughly $97,000 per year, producing a long payback period for an owned range.

After discussion about parking alternatives and the separate timeline for designing a possible range, the council approved a motion to complete the design plans for the police and court building while leaving the firing range and an animal control building out of the immediate design scope. The council directed administration to continue evaluating parking alternatives during the design phase and to return to council for approval before the project is put out to bid.

Why it matters: Council approval starts the long design process for a multi‑million dollar public safety/courthouse project paid in part by state earmarks discussed during the meeting. The council’s decision narrows immediate project scope — removing the range and the animal‑control building — which affects project costs, timeline and future decisions about off‑site services and interlocal agreements.

Details: Kern described the timeline and permit dependencies and told council he would prioritize getting the site work and permit submittals started. Council members pushed staff to continue exploring parking configurations that would be less intrusive to the downtown streetscape. Multiple council members said they were open to re‑examining the firing range later if outside agencies would commit to using it or if additional funding could be secured.

The council discussed two state earmarks referenced in the staff packet — described during the meeting as approximately $7,000,000 and $1,000,000 — and sought clarification from administration about any completion deadlines tied to those funds. Council asked administration to confirm application and disbursement timelines for the earmarked state funds.

Discussion vs. decision: Council debate included cost alternatives for parking and a multi‑speaker exchange about range refurbishment costs and safety/operational concerns. The formal decision was limited in scope: approve moving forward with final design for the police and court building while excluding the firing range and the animal control building from the current design package and requiring council review before bidding.

Votes and next steps: The motion to proceed with final design excluding the firing range and animal control passed on a roll call vote with four yes votes and one no vote (see action record). Staff said it would return monthly or as needed with design status updates and that council approval would be required before issuing bid documents.

Sources and attributable quotes in this story come from Council and staff remarks recorded in the May 6, 2025 Eastpointe City Council meeting transcript.","The Eastpointe City Council voted May 6 to proceed with final design for a combined police and court facility while removing an on-site firing range and an animal control building from the immediate design scope; council members and staff discussed timeline, permitting and parking options.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council approves modest changes to retiree Medicare Advantage plan to cut city costs by about $52,000

Eastpointe council approves pavilion roof, computer replacement and buys leased vehicles

Council approves charter amendment to require two years of municipal management experience for city manager

Eastpointe council approves final design work for new police and courthouse, delays firing range and animal-control building