Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council backs maintaining benefits; pays for coverage with higher renewal cost
Summary
After staff presented options, council members agreed to accept a projected 10% health plan renewal that preserves GLP‑1 medication coverage rather than eliminate it to save costs; staff also reported progress on a multi‑year pay study and an employee survey to address retention and burnout.
City staff told the council Feb. 4–5 that personnel costs and benefits are a central driver of the FY2027 budget pressure and presented options to contain insurance costs.
HR Director Alisa Quick said the City belongs to the North Carolina Health Insurance Pool, which helped blunt prior double‑digit renewals. For the 2026–27 renewal the pool presented two main options: a 6% increase that would exclude weight‑loss GLP‑1 medications from coverage, or a 10% increase that would maintain existing coverage. Quick said about 15 employees use GLP‑1s for weight loss and 30–40 employees use them overall, including diabetes treatment. Council Members Hunter Thrift and Lisa Shell described personal positive health outcomes from similar medications; Council Member Payton Williams urged retaining full coverage for employees. The council expressed consensus to accept the 10% renewal and retain benefit coverage while staff evaluates pre‑authorization and wellness‑support strategies to manage program costs.
Quick also detailed the year‑two portion of a three‑year revolving pay study administered by the Piedmont Triad Regional Council. Year two covers public works and utilities construction positions; PTRC is completing position‑description analyses and market comparisons with results due to management and council in March–April. Deputy City Manager Eddie Bowling previewed an employee survey planned for March to measure retention drivers, workplace civility, and burnout risk; prior survey participation was 86% aided by modest incentives and resulted in projects to improve employee interactions with the public.
Council directed staff to continue analysis and return with detailed fiscal impacts and implementation options for benefits and pay adjustments; no formal ordinance or binding action was recorded at the workshop.
