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Contract renewed for health benefits for city employees

By Staff | Oct 18, 2010

City Council approved renewing the contract with Blue Cross and Blue Shield to provide health and dental benefits to city employees, city charter school employees, city retirees and Community Redevelopment Agency employees Monday.
The renewal provides rates and benefits through 2011, and is the renewal of the contract negotiated in 2008.
Benefits Manager Bonnie McFarland said another Request for Proposal for insurance coverage will go out next year once the renewal expires. The city has been with Blue Cross and Blue Shield since 1996.
“Next year we are going to do a full bid,” McFarland added.
In other news, city council approved the sale of an “irregular” shaped piece of land at the corner of Chiquita Boulevard and Southwest 32nd Street for $26,500.
The purchaser, Shawn R. Maesal and Maritime Properties Inc., agreed to assume all outstanding utility assessments on the property.
The irregular piece of property, at 15,860 square feet, will be combined with property directly to the north for possible future commercial use, according to Dawn Andrews, the city property broker.
Councilmember Erick Kuehn wondered if the city was losing money on the sale. Kuehn ultimately supported the sale with his vote, but thought Maesal and Maritime Properties was getting “a heck of a deal.”
Councilmember Chris Chulakes-Leetz thought differently.
“It’s not government’s job to buy real estate and hold it based on market analysis,” he said. “It’s my responsibility is to get that property up and working for the citizens of Cape Coral.”

Concern about new
waste service provider aired
In other news, resident Lyndia Bradley said her mother was seriously injured while moving the new Waste Pro garbage containers to the end of her drive way recently.
Councilmember Kevin McGrail is still preaching patience when it comes to the new containers, and that he was working with Waste Pro — in particular Vice President Keith Banasiak — to resolve the issues.
McGrail said he was meeting with Banasiak Tuesday.
“Hopefully we can get these issues addressed,” McGrail said.