BY JENNIFER BAILEY
Commercial-News
DANVILLE —
Contract negotiations and arbitration and a new Vermilion County Circuit Court filing fee is causing the city to budget more in legal services.
The city council’s public services committee Tuesday night recommended approving five budget amendments.
Final action by the full city council will come next month.
City officials are increasing legal services by $30,000 for contract negotiations and creating a filing fee line item of $10,000 for “a new cost that the county has passed onto the city,” Mayor Scott Eisenhauer said.
There is a new $116 filing fee on municipal cases fined in circuit court.
The number of municipal cases that are appealed or go onto the higher level varies greatly year to year, Eisenhauer said.
Funds for the legal services amendment come from the general fund reserve.
Other budget amendments included: in the city clerk division for liquor ordinance violation revenues; personnel and human relations division for fire promotional exams; and parks and public property division to reflect a tennis club grant for energy-efficient lighting.
Committee members also recommended Tuesday authorizing an agreement for voluntary dental insurance. The city will solely provide the means for individual employees to obtain coverage on an individual voluntary basis. The employee or retiree will be 100 percent responsible for the monthly premium. The one-year trial contract is with The Guardian Dental Insurance, starting Oct. 1.
Delta Dental, which the city had last year, increased its rates by 14 percent, according to Risk Manager Kathy Courson. It paid $42,000 in claims last year.
Courson also reported it remains a bad year for health insurance, with claims being up. Also of five worker’s compensation injuries in July, only one was heat related.
In personnel news, two firefighters, Todd Bailey and John Comrie, have retired. Eisenhauer said they reached their level of maximum benefits.
He said per the firefighters’ union contract, only one firefighter was replaced.
