Holiday bonus for workers on county health plan

Wayne County government employees participating in the county’s self-funded health-insurance program will receive a holiday bonus.

During their Nov. 5 meeting, the county commissioners unanimously voted that those employees would not pay December premiums, although the county will still pay its monthly premium share. Employee-paid premiums total about $80,000 each month.

As of Nov. 5, the insurance program had about $2.9 million in unencumbered reserves, providing the county an opportunity to put a little extra money in employees’ pockets around the holidays. Commissioners have been monitoring the reserves in anticipation of providing the employee holiday benefit.

Dunn & Associates, the county’s insurance administrator, holds the reserves for claim payments.

Other actions

• Commissioners approved increasing employees’ maximum pretax payroll deduction for dependent care to $7,500. The Internal Revenue Service raised the allowable amount from $5,000.
• Commissioners also approved interlocal agreements with volunteer fire departments in Abington, Boston, Centerville and Dublin involving radios the county purchased. The radios, which are part of the county’s transition to 800 megahertz emergency fire communications, will become property of the fire departments. The interlocals were also approved Nov. 5 by Wayne County Council.
• Adam McQueen, the county’s chief probation officer, presented contracts with Woodhull for the lease and maintenance contract for two Ricoh copiers. Commissioners approved the five-year lease at $129 per month and the five-year, $5,740 maintenance agreement.
• Recorder Debbie Tiemann presented commissioners a $5,960 annual contract for computer software services that commissioners unanimously approved.
• Jeff Plasterer, representing commissioners; Beth Leisure, representing county council; and Pat Ozechowski were reappointed to the county’s tourism bureau by unanimous commissioner vote.
• Commissioners rescheduled three weekly Wednesday meetings and canceled their Dec. 3 meeting. They will now meet on three Tuesdays: Nov. 25, Dec. 23 and Dec. 30. All of those meetings are at 8:30 a.m.
• Commissioners set the public hearing for the sale of 916-918 E. Main St. for 8:30 a.m. Nov. 25. Eric Dimick Eastman made the winning $25,000 bid for the vacant land during an Oct. 22 auction.