City of Charleston SC Committee on Real Estate, 3 Aug 2023

Previous Meeting

Next Meeting

⏯

youtube image

►

From YouTube: City of Charleston Committee on Human Resources 8/3/2023 part 2

Description

Committee on Human Resources 8/3/2023 part 2

A

All right and Mr, chairman I think okay.

B

A

B

Thank you, uh Madam chairman. um uh We will resume our budget discussion. uh There were no decisions of what made in our executive session.

A

um And Mr chairman I think there just needs to be a motion in second to officially come out of Executives. Yes,.

B

Come out of executive session, second moved him properly seconded all in favor, say: aye aye aye. uh Let's now resume our uh budget discussion Jolene! Yes,.

C

um Did anybody have any other questions regarding the budget.

B

I had one quick question: it seems on the um firefighters, Mental Health Coverage. Do we have similar coverage for our Police Department.

C

um I'll I'll refer this defer this one to Kay, because she's more familiar with how this was set up.

D

um Yes, thank you Jolene. um Yes, uh councilmer Greg this we we don't. This was a a specific program that was set up after the um catastrophic fire we had um in 2007. When we lost nine firefighters, we, um as you I'm sure you can imagine, we've we've had we had some some issues that, as a result of that, and this program was set up with Charleston Dorchester mental health.

D

To um so that firefighters, who were here at the time in the fire, could access mental health coverage and it did not have to does not have to apply to their deductible. So basically, they get first dollar coverage right away, because we just- um and you know that group the group- that's utilizing that coverage, of course, is you know over the years has gone down, but we do still have a fair amount of firefighters in that category who do utilize that um that benefit and it for it.

D

You know it's also for it's for firefighters, and you know, members family members of the um the sofa tube restore fire. You know who who lost their lives um as well as retirees who are here at the time, so that that is what that is a very specific benefit that was set up as a result of that tragedy.

E

Okay, thank you for the explanation. Yes,.

D

B

You uh Jolene: what's what's our total savings here.

C

Well, the overall, um the gross savings for the cost is five hundred and sixty thousand dollars. Eight twelve is what we're estimating and like I S, like um I, think I told you the other day. um These are an estimates, though, so it's just because we don't really know what our claims are actually going to be until you know we're into the year. So you know I, you know, I would just assume we're gonna save about um five hundred thousand dollars. You.

B

C

B

C

Yes, okay, all right so well, I mean every year. It'll go up.

E

Because claims.

C

Do go up, but um one thing: I didn't the that's not on this sheet. That I wanted to make sure everybody knows before you vote on the budget and the contracts is that um we are not raising employee rates or retiree rates.

C

um The only small increase will be for the retiree Dental, because um the Cobra rates increase three point: nine percent. So since the retirees pay 100 of the dental cost, they um they will have a small increase, but but the medical retiree medical stays the same for premiums as well as all the employees.

F

Thank you. This is Jim.

B

Yes, councilmember, where two.

F

Questions the the retiree- let's not have anything to do with this budget, but how many years an employee has to work with the city to qualify for medical insurance and retirement I.

C

F

C

Right here, yeah.

E

And they do have to retire. They couldn't work 15 years with us and go to another employer. They'd have to retire through FIFA, okay,.

F

And then uh the second thing do we know what kind of I'm gonna say: corporate citizen that Cigna is as far as participating with other City initiatives like Toledo and international African-American Museum do.

E

F

We I think we've done business with Cigna before.

C

I think they they do, they do provide funding to the community. um I I, wouldn't want to miss, miss speak about exactly what they contribute to, but they do. They do have a program where they do contribute to community communities.

F

Okay, all right, thank you.

B

Any other questions on the budget, if not do I, hear emotion.

E

Move for approval.

B

Second, moved in properly seconded that we approved the 2024 budget as submitted all in favor, say aye.

E

B

The eyes have it: uh is there anything else? um Okay, uh if.

D

B

Like to come before the body.

D

No sir I don't have anything else at this time. I just want to thank everyone for your patience and going through this process um with us every year. I appreciate it and um you know I hope. Hopefully, everyone got the follow-ups from the last meeting. I think Cassandra said something about the police department and then there was also a question.

D

um You guys had asked us to send um some um some reporting on um in the makeup of the Departments as.

B

Far as diversity.

D

And we forwarded that as well, so, as always, please feel free to. Let us know we're happy to provide whatever information we can to this committee um so anyway, just appreciate your time today. Thank you.

B

And we appreciate you and your team thanks a lot. Thank.

D

You, sir, thank.

B

You all right bye-bye thank.

E