Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Ely hires new building official and approves $5,000 COBRA assistance to bridge coverage
Summary
The Council approved hiring Chris Flannery as Building Official to start Jan. 12, 2026, and authorized a one‑time $5,000 payment to cover two months of COBRA coverage so his family would not experience an insurance lapse.
The Ely City Council approved a personnel action on Dec. 11 to allow Chris Flannery to start as the City’s Building Official on Jan. 12, 2026, and to provide up to $5,000 to cover two months of COBRA insurance (February and March 2026) so the employee’s family would avoid a lapse before the City insurance became effective.
Mayor Nathan Robertson explained the request: "what he's requesting is the delay of the start date to January 12th and an extra $5,000 to be paid on top of the moving expenses we've already agreed to pay him to cover those COBRA costs," noting the family had timing and immediate medical concerns that made continuous coverage important. Councilmembers discussed the need for stability in the Building Department and the unusual nature of the request; they approved the motion unanimously.
Councilman Trask and Councilman Perea asked for future policy clarifications to handle similar requests more consistently, but supported this one‑time accommodation to bring an experienced official to Ely.
