Kane County HR and finance updates: health fund strong; new risk manager to be measured; tuition reimbursement and EAP notes

County officials told the Kane County Human Services Committee on Feb. 4 that routine financial and personnel reports show stable performance and several near-term staff initiatives.

Jamie (county staff) summarized the financial picture, saying the health insurance fund "is strong" and that the county will use the fund’s favorable position when setting rates for the coming year. Jamie told the committee the staff has improved estimating and that current invoices are "within tolerance for this month." The committee did not change rates at the meeting.

The county recently hired a risk manager under authority the board previously approved. Jamie and other members said the position is funded from the insurance liability fund, a separate property-tax levy earmarked for insurance and liability costs. As Jamie explained, the goal is to reduce preventable claims (for example, trips and falls) and ultimately to have the position pay for itself through lower claim costs. Committee members asked that the department return next month with measurable metrics for evaluating the risk manager’s success.

Jamie and committee members also discussed inter-county cooperation and suggested using examples from neighboring jurisdictions. The transcript cites a risk manager named Chuck Meisner at the forest preserve as an example of a part-time hire that later became full time after demonstrating value.

On human-resources items, the committee reviewed tuition reimbursement rules and the program’s funding. Committee discussion identified the program’s budget as $50,000 and confirmed the funds are paid from Riverboat revenue. Staff described the policy: courses must be job-related (to county employment broadly), require department-head approval, and are reimbursed only after successful completion with a grade of C or better; repayment provisions apply if an employee leaves county service shortly after receiving reimbursement.

Members raised concerns about employee assistance program (EAP) service quality. Committee members reported mixed feedback from staff who had used the program; staff replied that the vendor changed on Jan. 1 and staff would review whether the negative feedback referenced the prior vendor or the new one.

Committee members also heard brief status notes on staffing, hiring activity and workers’ compensation. Jamie reported "lots of applicants for open positions" and that workers’ compensation figures remain within tolerance. The committee asked staff to bring back more detailed measures on the new risk-manager role and to continue sharing updates on insurance and hiring metrics.