[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-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",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_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",6218389,"mediaKeyId","3629149-2620991c07d87f5453d33e2cb6865024","parentId",3629149,"title","City staff and insurance committee recommend switching city coverage to Blue Cross Blue Shield with 18-month rate guarantee","audioSeconds",253,"startMs",3282000,"endMs",3535000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3629149-2620991c07d87f5453d33e2cb6865024&start=3282&end=3535","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3629149-2620991c07d87f5453d33e2cb6865024/thumbnail_3282000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6218389/Lincoln/Logan-County/Illinois/City-staff-and-insurance-committee-recommend-switching-city-coverage-to-Blue-Cross-Blue-Shield-with-18-month-rate-guarantee","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6218389-99dd97706b95cabbd92c439082a42c92/orig.mp4?Expires=1771195513&Signature=OHNUz14ARDVLdZqrElQSieseAvf9Xpjx4jEN84s5-pDHm~F-bQLnEHFCj0Jb5fmqsl29eoyqUSWCEJNQ-hP78YnhNu9nQJAgowNitO5juGFbcafuZBB-c-kREh3t7gxhg2BQ7X9oA~3~HMEg0dko-gOM8bROpswb005iEY-Lnfj61kpmdEfx8zzcm9krehLp38vQ2UAB4rzG~0Yt6Tj1ESRr5~quEEv5llJaiKpvaDxZwYHrmvEjvEc8bWmKp-3Jljsl48RTbxPLdocUShpQ~J9crI5BGvwVP6VKzIvWzshc44uYXkHyysvYgYptBZx0rXB6lVtAt~43n6jXHsR7PQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Lincoln, IL","date","2025-06-03T16:00:00.967Z","article","City Clerk Peggy S. Bateman told the Lincoln City Council on June 2 that the city insurance committee recommends switching the city’s group health insurance from Health Alliance to Blue Cross Blue Shield effective July 1, citing an 18-month rate guarantee and limited options as Health Alliance will stop writing large groups.

Bateman said the insurance broker and committee evaluated options from Blue Cross, UnitedHealthcare and Aetna. UnitedHealthcare quoted higher rates and added prescription limitations; Aetna could not write the city because it has too many retirees under age 65 on the plan. Blue Cross offered an 18-month rate guarantee if the city switched July 1, and the insurance committee — which includes union representatives, the mayor and staff — recommended that step. \"The committee went back to each union... and they felt that we should switch July 1 to Blue Cross Blue Shield,\" Bateman said.

Bateman said timing is tight because plan changes must be implemented for July 1 and that the committee requested authorization to proceed with implementation steps, with formal council voting to follow. She said the city will need to contact retirees (including those 65 or older as applicable) and active employees to allow plan selection and enrollment. Council members indicated support for moving quickly; staff said they would place the change on the next Committee of the Whole to complete the formal vote.

Ending: Council members signaled support for the committee recommendation and directed staff to proceed with implementation steps to meet the July 1 transition timeline; a formal vote will be placed on the Committee of the Whole agenda.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Regular City Council Meeting June 2nd, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City Clerk Peggy S. Bateman said the city's insurance committee recommends switching the city's group health plan to Blue Cross Blue Shield effective July 1 to secure an 18-month rate guarantee after Health Alliance announced it will stop writing large groups.","taxTitle","Lincoln, Logan County, Illinois","taxId",62037,"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},6218394,"City treasurer reports: general fund down about $600,000 year-over-year; pension withdrawals, transfers noted",315,1595000,1910000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3629149-2620991c07d87f5453d33e2cb6865024&start=1595&end=1910","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3629149-2620991c07d87f5453d33e2cb6865024/thumbnail_1595000.jpg","/articles/6218394/Lincoln/Logan-County/Illinois/City-treasurer-reports-general-fund-down-about-600000-year-over-year-pension-withdrawals-transfers-noted","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6218394-355d59219bfe03d6359f61b1526bb065/orig.mp4?Expires=1771195513&Signature=DuaH9K~lVOiPe0Y2m8JgBIbQaNXD7cowVFR2Y9GsKBGDUFaTKOkn~J2A4VxIVfYu6ILRHb5HryyDJryK2BleNJJtJu-HYIqOdvrBtXxUQu8eY3InEqjutlzksm3Ju1MIsqNCW2fR0OXvOnN7qjiLgSDbobhLK8FkRUjIBxopF5YHooDPpyXlCUG12wYRm6ASkZCos3TjrLFWa2HoIuSv2dqkb~YUyzi-PRdoLHcLRfFQWMV1capt~Z6--kngfD3CpsqTrNiFVzEoXF3DAzTijQ8-vTDL4XtPjc0Eh4-VvBqmmyf9KNLrtzKQlQ6nfTV2I5PrQKOwAJRB1XAXv20TPA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The city treasurer presented revised financial reports for May 2025 and annual reports for the fire and police pension funds, telling the Lincoln City Council the general fund is about $600,000 lower than a year ago and explaining several one-time and recurring factors.

\"It's down about 600,000 almost from where we were a year ago,\" Treasurer Conso said, adding that a large expense for demolition of a building on Sangamon Street — \"somewhere around there, $2.54, I think\" — accounted for a sizable portion of the change. The treasurer said the report reflects checks dated April 30 or earlier and that amounts were revised to reflect issued checks.

On pension funds, the treasurer reported that the city has consolidated some investments into state-managed pooled funds and has made withdrawals to cover pension payments during the fiscal year. For the fire pension fund, the net withdrawal from consolidated investments in the past year was about $539,000; the treasurer noted a transfer from the general fund of $195,000. For the police pension fund, the net withdrawal from the consolidated investment fund was about $956,100. The treasurer also cited payroll-deduction contributions: roughly $152,000 for firefighters and about $209,000 for police officers, and noted that the state sets limits on the payroll-deduction percentages.

The treasurer said detailed ledgers and the revised totals were distributed to council members and offered to answer follow-up questions. Council members asked clarifying questions but did not take additional formal action on the reports at the meeting.

Ending: The treasurer provided revised monthly and annual reports, highlighted the demolition expense and pension withdrawals, and offered to provide updated figures and corrected an identified minor error on the police pension consolidation numbers.

","Treasurer presented revised May 2025 financial reports showing the general fund balance is roughly $600,000 below last year (partly due to a roughly $254,000 demolition); the fire and police pension funds required withdrawals from consolidated investments ($539,000 and $956,100 respectively) and received transfers from the general fund.",{"_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},6218399,"Council approves Campus View sewer design work and Open Arms easement; one abstention on easement vote",225,2285000,2510000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3629149-2620991c07d87f5453d33e2cb6865024&start=2285&end=2510","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3629149-2620991c07d87f5453d33e2cb6865024/thumbnail_2285000.jpg","/articles/6218399/Lincoln/Logan-County/Illinois/Council-approves-Campus-View-sewer-design-work-and-Open-Arms-easement-one-abstention-on-easement-vote","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6218399-5245b56fa7a4050a2df717212fe7fdc5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771195513&Signature=FbwtwxRyPOSKgqoeeEkCi3kHZlizjQLZ9tL1e8tgTAKUEksyBw6whinnM4wSI9PD6QU2sAVCP6V5C5eZ~dTZGK2sNNPWHhH8klDl7rhV5nKR8APQstETmlpUNuPc6Ctjw3G56yFBgFWjGexTLx8q5ELaPdz8UgKdCEfbg2xJ0aBWYILnhUxIBrbFFkpv4ruymyBUsBhjF1Z8THtjwvxt6EFpW9cn6v1JLJM1B7sccTlzJHTekPAA0I9qHd3F9za8N4gLkGolwnyrYBmZeVgtYSREwgmfFCdv8j5X36-Tii0A9c7Nz~KWHZJjbNx7wE9-BpqQgsIJE1k5DBe5Zu8VqQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Lincoln City Council approved a work order for planning and design engineering for a Campus View Drive sewer project and separately approved a letter of understanding with Open Arms Fellowship that allows the city to relocate a sewer line onto Open Arms property to avoid replacing pipes located under private houses.

The council approved Crawford, Murphy and Tilley work order number 13 for engineering services related to the Campus View sewer project, in an amount not to exceed $100,000. The motion to approve the work order passed on a roll-call vote after council members clarified the scope: the project affects a section of Campus View Drive where previously the sewer served homes via a privately owned, shared line rather than a city-owned arrangement.

Council also approved a letter of understanding between Open Arms Fellowship and the City of Lincoln to secure an easement so the city can move the sewer main out of private yards and onto property owned by Open Arms. Alderman Sanders moved the letter and Alderman Bateman seconded. Pastor Larry of Open Arms had signed the memorandum of understanding prior to the council vote, and the city's copy was signed pending the council decision. Alderman McCollum abstained from the easement vote, stating she has a close relationship with Open Arms; other members voted yes.

Aldermen discussed sequencing: the council briefly withdrew an earlier motion to approve the work order so members could first confirm the letter of understanding and easement terms. After the letter of understanding was approved, the council proceeded to approve the engineering work order.

No final construction contract was approved at the meeting; the actions taken were limited to the engineering design work order and the memorandum of understanding to secure an easement. Staff indicated the engineering work order is intended to advance planning and design so the project can proceed once easement terms are in place and required approvals are secured.

Ending: With the design work order approved and an easement agreement authorized, staff can proceed with planning and design work; council members indicated additional permitting and property steps remain before construction.","The council approved engineering work for a sewer project on Campus View Drive and a letter of understanding with Open Arms Fellowship to relocate sewer lines; one member abstained on the easement vote because of a close relationship with Open Arms.",{"_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},6218404,"Lincoln council tables proposed code-of-conduct ordinance, asks for ethics committee work",802,748000,1550000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3629149-2620991c07d87f5453d33e2cb6865024&start=748&end=1550","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3629149-2620991c07d87f5453d33e2cb6865024/thumbnail_748000.jpg","/articles/6218404/Lincoln/Logan-County/Illinois/Lincoln-council-tables-proposed-code-of-conduct-ordinance-asks-for-ethics-committee-work","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6218404-f518f72975635769125f8f218425e306/orig.mp4?Expires=1771195513&Signature=Y9pogZPNrI-Wu9fBiXxaS5-BsqNPfkuON8KEDNyMSPTAenKcTib2oZBEqX7LZlhmffmHAJgNFETHl8NgbOZ7CckMz0e-Ret~ol20MM-DnFQ0ixrUM051gzFEG-bI-h7lHC5wBwMAzRTaVIH2XGKhMN5KFfDBjXNsmAc-9EN2r40ThFo~eV8Ft9yQ0SLz2XP74hRN5gGjN8ZgTaLKcvJtrNirEOEQZ22oQF7pWsGkayHoM4cw5C2oq2dqEGJ4WTi0LrEqcE~CvJrd3NEP20Cs5rO0kg5TRbYiOCjHSTW1mS0MM4AY6q94m-N62w~svPEuIKGxOBOatZT1lA03W3UYgQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Lincoln City Council on June 2 voted to table an ordinance to create section 1-6-10 of the Lincoln City Code, a proposed code of conduct for elected officials, and asked members to form a committee to develop clearer, enforceable language.

Supporters said the draft provides a useful framework but lacks definitions they consider necessary to make enforcement practical. \"I just felt like we needed to...nail that down,\" Alderman McClellan said, asking for explicit definitions of what counts as a meeting and what constitutes an \"unexcused absence.\" She moved to table the ordinance so a committee could craft those details; Alderman O'Donohue seconded the motion.

The ordinance as drafted was described as a council-specific code: City code chapter 1-6 designates city council provisions, and the proposed section 1-6-10 would set conduct expectations for elected council members. City staff and the city attorney explained that, as written, 1-6-10 would apply to the council; extending similar language to employees or other elected officials would require placing parallel provisions in other code sections.

Council members who spoke about the measure raised several recurring concerns. Several asked whether the code would apply only during formal meetings or in \"any capacity\" an elected official represents the city outside meetings. \"If you're an elected official, you're an elected official 24/7,\" Alderman Bateman said, arguing the language should cover conduct at all times. Others sought procedural clarity about how investigations would proceed and what protections would exist for officials under review. The city attorney and staff indicated the ethics committee would be advisory and that any formal censure or sanction would come to the full council after a committee recommendation.

Council members proposed concrete steps to make the document operational: write explicit definitions for meetings and unexcused absences; specify committee composition and whether it should include a public member; and set clear, enforceable procedures for investigations and recommendations to council. \"I think it would be good to codify an ethics committee, get a member of the public, at least one on it,\" McClellan said.

The motion to table carried on a roll-call vote. The mayor indicated the item will be brought back at the next Committee of the Whole meeting for further work and possible codification.

The discussion did not result in a final ordinance; instead the council directed further work on committee composition, definitional language and enforcement processes.

Ending: The council left the substance of a code in committee to allow precise, enforceable language to be drafted; members asked that the committee be formed promptly and return the item to the Committee of the Whole for consideration.","The Lincoln City Council voted to table an ordinance to create section 1-6-10 of the city code — a code of conduct for elected officials — and asked members to form or flesh out an ethics committee to develop enforceable language about meetings, unexcused absences and sanctions.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6218384,"Police to boost enforcement of e-bike and motorized-bicycle violations; impoundment possible",147,3018000,3165000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3629149-2620991c07d87f5453d33e2cb6865024&start=3018&end=3165","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3629149-2620991c07d87f5453d33e2cb6865024/thumbnail_3018000.jpg","/articles/6218384/Lincoln/Logan-County/Illinois/Police-to-boost-enforcement-of-e-bike-and-motorized-bicycle-violations-impoundment-possible","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6218384-5315ba98253ada3dca62e0ec3360edb2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771195513&Signature=XvM3GVZa-uI1t5u9a1vxWM3Oa-44ot2uz5y4K0eicleaNsv1OcuibVuIlwjznf9KGADcm~JQKEgVZnTBpL4EcwSLGmw4X1-sd8xd~2-4R8isVJJH9be9utxcz4zirx2mnlN33U3AYjSKeGyZaSpchi0Gf4VG9b8oXAOZMU~kChyeqWrC4I2SUc0Dy5N-c05woZMR8D~hAmqg9w9dVKrVXZSPwBwCBLNcn2BkREDa-jzs6AoPGlCeLj38hM0ogxgYj5t0FEZ7AseONK2P96Jz~yGu11S2ZBM57wBlQKsX8qTVALaxzl3pMghqHE115lIwjtlaF~R6d8--L1JBDUnp3A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lincoln Police Chief told the City Council on June 2 that the department has received complaints about electric and gas-powered bicycles traveling at high speeds, ignoring traffic controls and operating without required lighting.

\"I've instructed the department to boost enforcement,\" the chief said, noting officers have issued both city ordinance and state violation citations for unsafe operation. The department has added nighttime enforcement for pedal bicycles and electronic/gas-powered bikes and is tracking enforcement activity on the patrol room board.

If citation-based enforcement does not yield compliance, the chief said the department may begin impounding bicycles found in violation under existing city code. \"Our city code provides that if we find a bicycle in violation...we can impound that bicycle for up to 30 days,\" the chief said, describing impoundment as a compliance tool rather than punishment.

Council members asked whether the vehicles are licensed (they are not) and discussed safety education and enforcement balance. The chief emphasized that riders are subject to traffic laws and that enforcement aims to reduce dangerous behavior and collisions.

Ending: The police department will continue boosted enforcement and may impound bicycles in violation to encourage compliance; no ordinance change was proposed at the meeting.","Police Chief told council complaints about electric and gas-powered bicycles prompted a boost in enforcement of traffic rules and lighting requirements; the department may impound violating bikes for up to 30 days under city code.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City staff and insurance committee recommend switching city coverage to Blue Cross Blue Shield with 18-month rate guarantee

City treasurer reports: general fund down about $600,000 year-over-year; pension withdrawals, transfers noted

Council approves Campus View sewer design work and Open Arms easement; one abstention on easement vote

Lincoln council tables proposed code-of-conduct ordinance, asks for ethics committee work

Police to boost enforcement of e-bike and motorized-bicycle violations; impoundment possible