Delphi to adopt health savings plan
By Debbie Lowe

A wise person once said the only thing constant in the world is change. That idiom held true for the Delphi City Council and city employees at the Monday night meeting as council members voted unanimously to adopt a health savings plan in lieu of continuing with the Arnett Health Care program. Council members John Hampton and William Miller were not present for the vote.

The new plan will support higher deductibles and be able to save the city a significant amount of money.

"I think this is a plan we should adopt," council president Carolyn Pearson said in support of the action.

The decision to assess employee contributions for the coverage was delayed from the Monday night meeting until the final council meeting of the year scheduled for Dec. 27 at 7 p.m.

"Hardly any employee receives health coverage without some sort of co-pay," Pearson added.

"Insurance is not going to continue as we know it," Delphi Mayor Lee Hoard said in summary.

Other business

Council members unanimously adopted Ordinance 2006-07 by passing the measure on second and third readings, with a suspension of the rules.

The ordinance sets elected officials salaries for 2007 and can be viewed in the city clerk/treasurer's office in the city building.

Approval to use $20,978 from Economic Development Income Tax to enlarge drainage pipes for the Area IV Senior Housing Project was given.

The parks department is working with the Main Street group to re-energize the Adopt-A-Spot program.

Parks department director Richard Farrer reported the park board has chosen a "good solid structure" to use for a skate board park. He said the new activity is expected to be ready to use in the spring.

Farrer said the gazebo in Riley Park is "inches of being done" and will be ADA accessible.

Hoard announced the Hoosier Heartland project is "progressing very rapidly." He said the money is in the bank to fund the project completely and property acquisitions could begin by the end of 2007.

Volunteer Fire Chief Bill Schock, in his last city council meeting as chief, reported 239 fire department runs through the end of November. Nine runs and six fire prevention and/or miscellaneous incidents occurred last month.

Schock announced John Patterson will be the new chief beginning Jan. 1.

The final council meeting for the year is Dec. 27 at 7 p.m. and the next regular meeting is Jan. 8 at 7 p.m.

Board of Works

Delphi Board of Works members Pearson and Hoard voted to accept a land gift for the parks department. The land is a wooded ravine on the west side of city park in the east end of town.

"I think this will be a nice addition to city park," Hoard said.

"I think it's a very generous offer," Pearson said.

A water department employee was granted pay for 18 hours of compensatory time, which was built by earning one-and-a-half hours for each hour worked past the usual shift.

Chief Ed Chapman was given permission to purchase a new police car from Bloomington Ford. Money for the car will come from an insurance settlement for a unit which was wrecked in November plus from the garage and motor account.

The next board of works meeting will be Dec. 20 at 5:30 p.m.