Council hears several employee-benefits and personnel-related vendor resolutions, including data-sharing, counseling and fitness-for-duty contracts

Multiple items related to employee benefits and personnel services were presented to the council for consideration.

A staff presenter described a proposed data-sharing and confidentiality agreement with Horizon Healthcare Services (d/b/a Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield) and Miller Man (the city’s medical and prescription broker). Staff said Miller Man would perform a no-cost audit of health claims to confirm dependent eligibility and other billing issues; the presentation characterized the arrangement as cost-neutral to the city.

Staff also presented Resolution 25-209, a professional-services contract with New Pathway Counseling Services to provide employee-assistance counseling through the city’s EAP. The one-year contract runs from April 1, 2025, to March 30, 2026, and is not to exceed $74,150.

Additional personnel-related items presented included a one-year renewal with Unicorn HRO LLC for payroll and human-resources services with a total renewal cost of $400,100 and a ratified award to the Institute for Forensic Psychology, P.C., for up to $51,000 to perform fitness-for-duty psychological evaluations for up to 30 civilian employees at $1,500 per evaluation if used.

Council members asked procedural questions about the counseling and evaluation services. Staff confirmed the EAP contract is standard and that the fitness-for-duty evaluations are used when there are concerns about an employee’s fitness to perform job duties. There was no final action at caucus; the items will appear on the formal meeting agenda for council consideration.

Why it matters: these measures affect employee health benefits, payroll/HR operations and personnel-management procedures, including how the city verifies dependent eligibility and assesses fitness for duty.