Council approves side letter with police union to permit 2026 health-plan switch

The council approved a side letter of agreement with the Waukesha Professional Police Association to allow union members to access the city's new 2026 health plans during open enrollment.

City staff said the tentative successor agreement with the police union remains under negotiation and will be presented to the council at the Nov. 18 meeting, but open enrollment had opened and the union needs interim access to the new plans. "Open enrollment opened yesterday... we are switching over to a health insurance plan by the name of Santeev," the city administrator said while describing two plan options (Wisconsin 1 and Wisconsin 2) tied to the new carrier.

The side letter is an interim administrative step to allow the union to enroll in the new plans pending final approval of the successor bargaining agreement. The council voted unanimously to authorize execution of the side letter.

Sources: City administrator's presentation and motion recorded during the Nov. 4 council meeting.