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Council holds work session on employee benefits, deferred compensation and regional dispatch options
Summary
In a work session following the regular meeting, staff reviewed proposed handbook changes including stipend adjustments for employees who decline city insurance, potential increases to employee premium shares, a recommended employee contribution to receive deferred-compensation matches, and options and costs tied to regional dispatch (Westcom) consolidation; council requested comparative data from peer cities and an employee survey to inform changes.
Windsor Heights council and staff used a March 16 work session to review employee-benefit options and to discuss the city’s involvement with regional dispatch (Westcom).
On benefits, staff proposed adjusting handbook language so employees who decline city-sponsored health coverage (but maintain alternate coverage) would receive a $150 payment; employee-only coverage stipends would be adjusted from current levels and some employee premium-share increases are anticipated in the near-term budget. Staff also recommended requiring an employee contribution to receive a city match in the deferred compensation plan (a common municipal practice) and reviewed merit-pay eligibility, longevity pay and PTO carryover. Council members asked for comparative data on what neighboring metro cities require employees to pay for premiums and said they would like an employee survey to prioritize benefit trade-offs before finalizing changes.
On public safety dispatch, staff presented a white paper summarizing Westcom membership issues, citing concern among member cities about paying both county property taxes for dispatch and Westcom per-capita fees—what staff described as "double taxation." Options discussed included seeking county reimbursement, countywide levies, alternative PAP governance models (Polk County Emergency Management), or state-directed consolidation of PAPs; staff warned that technical and infrastructure harmonization across platforms would require tens of millions of dollars and multi-year planning.
Council did not take formal action on either topic but asked staff for more comparative compensation data, an illustrative total-benefits line item for a typical employee, and follow-up materials ahead of future strategic planning sessions.
