The Tyrone Borough Council approved a switch in insurance carriers last night at its meeting.
According to Borough Director of Administration Phyllis Garhart, the switch will save the borough money.
“With the switch to Health America from Geisinger Health Plan, it will save the borough $24,445,” said Garhart. “We searched to find a comparable plan or better. We met with the union representatives and received positive feedback. The AFSCME union voted unanimously to approve the change on April 30 and the police union approved it on May 1. We’re shooting for an effective date of June 1.”
When asked about the retired police officers, Garhart told The Daily Herald, “They’re going to have to switch coverage. MEIT, our carrier, will not underwrite Blue Cross and Blue Shield if you don’t have active participation. We have an obligation to provide them with healthcare and we are doing that.”
According to the contract that the retired officers worked under, “the borough shall continue to provide each full time police officer adter retirement the Blue Cross/Blue Shield hospitalization and major medical plan in place at the time of their retirement or a comparable plan selected by the individual. This coverage shall continue until the said officer reaches age 65.”
“The attorneys are working with the union on this issue,” said Garhart.
The council voted to approve the change in carriers by an 8-0 vote.
Borough council also voted unanimously to approve the 2003 street and alley improvement project and the 11th street storm sewer improvements.
The work that will take place on the street and alley improvement projects will be on Belmont Avenue, Herald Street, South Lincoln Avenue, 9th Street, Tacoma Road, Short Street, Alley A, Market Alley, Oak Alley, Garfield Street, Alley O, Riddle Avenue, Garden Alley and 11th Street.
Council voted 8-0 to deny a request for a handicapped parking space on Columbia Avenue.
“There is access to off street parking at the residence,” said Tyrone Borough Police Chief Joe Beachem. “Based on the policy we have, I can’t recommend approval.”
Council agreed to set up a public hearing for vacating a portion of Love Street to Donald Parks between Alley A and River Avenue.
“The way the streets were laid out, the developer dedicated the roadways to the borough,” said borough solicitor Larry Clapper. “The borough has 21 years from completion to accept the roadways. There were a lot of alleys that the borough has never accepted or maintained. This portion of hasn’t been maintained by the borough.”
In the public comment prior the meeting, Bill Fink asked the mayor if Tyrone Borough has participated in talks with ABCD concerning the Westvaco property and a Keystone Opportunity Expansion Zone?
“We have talked with them (ABCD),” said the mayor. “When time comes to take the appropriate action, we will probably do it. We have talked with both ABCD and got the feelings of the school district because all three entities, the county commissioners, the school district and the borough have to be in favor of it.”
Fink asked, “Are you promising that?”
The mayor chuckled then said, “We’ve been working on that. I have been a big proponent of the KOEZ for a long long time because I felt that we didn’t have a fair shot at competition. We can’t compete when you have someone two miles down the road who has a KOZ and we have no KOEZ and couldn’t compete. I have been a big proponent of that.”
Mayor Stoner also spoke of the video project that will be shot in Tyrone next week. She has asked that all the windows downtown be washed, the sidewalks be swept on Monday and the street sweeper will come through town early to give Tyrone the best presentation possible.
Stoner also announced that she will be testifying in Harrisburg sometime in the month of August when there are more hearings for transportation enhancement projects.
Tyrone Borough Council meets again next Monday evening at 7 p.m.
