MONROE — The Monroe Common Council meeting began roughly 10 minutes late Monday after there was an effort to track down a sixth member to ensure a quorum. 

As 6:30 p.m. approached, only five members, Mickey Beam, Donna Douglas, Rob Schilt, Ron Marsh and Richard Thoman were seated for the second meeting of September. Aldermen Jeff Newcomer, Michael Boyce, Brooke Bauman and Chris Beer were absent. But as city administration attempted to contact members of the council, Beer walked in and the meeting began. 

Council members heard a presentation outlining a recent audit of health insurance conducted by Associated Bank affiliate Associated Benefits and Risk Consulting. 

Employee Benefits Consultant Andy O’Halek explained that the city could no longer use a plan in which an exchange-traded fund, which is an investment fund treated much like stock, for health insurance plans. He said ETFs “just can’t provide in the face of emerging trends because it’s a uniform benefit across the state” with little options for deviation and it limits freedom of choice. By contrast, a Health Savings Account, a tax-exempt savings account that pairs with a high-deductible health plan, gives choice to insured employees, he said. In allowing people to have control over money in an account they can oversee, O’Halek said people will take more care in their use of the funds and seeking health care.

Later in the evening, an agenda item outlined that they were to decide which plan to use for employees, but City Administrator Phil Rath said the group would actually have time to consider its options because a choice could be made during the Oct. 1 council meeting. 

Rath said that during a meeting earlier in the day, staff had questions over whether they would need to switch doctors or facilities to receive health care if the city changes providers. Rath said the plan is to poll staff to understand their attachment to locations versus the costs associated with plans. 

The council also:

 Witnessed the swearing in of two Youth in Government appointees: Marissa Vosberg and Triniti Siedschlag.

♦ Appointed Jeff Maliszewski to the Plan Commission to fill unexpired term of Chuck Schuringa 4-2 after a failed motion by Douglas to postpone the consideration until October. 

♦ Reconfirmed appointed members of the Redevelopment Authority due to a leaving member for terms through April. Assistant City Administrator Sam Liebert said all members were contacted to explain the time commitment required of the committee and expressed interest in completing their terms.

♦ Held a public hearing regarding rewrite of city code polling place which no members of the public attended. Council approved the measure 6-0.

♦ Heard an update from Rath in response to a question from Schilt regarding the three finalist candidates for Parks Supervisor. Rath said the matter was pushed to the finance committee to discuss as part of budget process.

♦ Scheduled public hearings for repealing and rewriting city code regarding the issuance of dance licenses, solid waste hauler licenses, animal control licenses and permits, sidewalk cafe permits and taxicab business licenses on Oct. 15.

♦ Created a no parking zone in the 500 block of 22nd Ave., on the east side 200 ft to the north of 6th Street at the request of Monroe Clinic. 

♦ Heard a request from Marsh asking that Comptroller Bridget Schuchardt and administrators look at departments which look to be overextended in budget by the end of year and some which he said already appear to be.

♦ Combined the city wards for the 2018 general election and established the Nov. 6 polling place to be City Hall.