Smithville employees enrolled in the city’s state sponsored health insurance program who use tobacco products may be assessed a monthly $50 surcharge if they don’t kick the habit.
Mayor Taft Hendrixson addressed the issue during Monday night’s city council meeting. “I guess all of you who are participating in our state sponsored insurance got this letter. What it says is that as of July 1st, anyone that uses tobacco in any way, smoking, dip, or chewing, will be assessed a $50 per month charge and that’s for any employee that uses it (tobacco).”
“I think what most agencies are doing is they will help you quit (using tobacco) with some medicines, patches, gum, or whatever and it will be (cost) almost nothing if you want those aids to help you quit”
“I don’t know all the ramifications if you say you’ve quit but you haven’t quit by July 1st and something happens where you would need the insurance. I don’t know what happens then. That remains to be seen”
“Members who do not use tobacco will not have to pay the surcharge. Also members who quit by July 1st, 2009 will not have to pay the surcharge. However, members who use tobacco on or after July 1st will have to pay the surcharge starting January, 2010. It also goes on to say that members who pay the surcharge and then kick the habit can qualify for a quitters refund.”
In other business, Secretary-Treasurer Hunter Hendrixson reported that the city will only grant one sewer bill adjustment for filling up customers swimming pools this year.” Usually this time of year, everybody starts filling up their swimming pools. A lot of times, we’ll adjust their sewer rates because its (swimming pool water) is not going through the sewer. We’ve been doing it more than once a year but we’re going to stop that and do it only once a year. So anybody who has a swimming pool, you will only be getting one sewer rate adjustment per year.”
Hendrixson also gave a brief report on engineering plans for the water treatment plant rehab project. “We met with them (Wauford Engineering Consultants). It was just a 50% meeting. It was still a rough draft but it went pretty well. We’re going to get all new pumps, three at the intake and three at the treatment plant. We will be working the water fluoridation in to it as well. They had to go back to the drawing board to work that in but I don’t think it’s going to be much of an issue. We’ll be hearing back from them (Wauford) probably within a month at a 75% meeting.”
Concerning the water fluoride issue, Mayor Hendrixson added “Until we get it (fluoride) back in the water system, if the public is concerned then you probably need to consult your dentist or your physician.”
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