The meeting was called to order by Adam Goldstein at 4:01 p.m.

 

A request was made to add an agenda item regarding consultant services. A motion was made by Kelly Shepherd and seconded by Gregg Elder to adopt the agenda as modified. The motion passed as unanimously.

 

A motion was made by Gregg Elder and seconded by Molly Ringo to approve the minutes from the December 14, 2016 meeting as written. The motion passed with the abstention of Jeff Moore who was absent from the December meeting.

 

Darla provide the November financials and reviewed the information with the group. The Trustees discussed the decrease in the fund balance and asked Darla if the amount was as expected. She noted it was and that December might be a bit higher but that was also to be expected. Darla also shared that Union Bank has changed the Trust’s banking status from a bank analysis account to a fee basis account which has reduced the monthly fees by $60 to $100. Jeff and the Trustees thanked Darla for her attention to detail.

 

Darla added that the state auditors are currently on site conducting the district’s annual audit. Because the Trust is listed as part of the district’s financials, the auditors will also review the Trust’s financials. There is no additional cost to the Trust for this audit. She explained that next year’s Trust audit may have additional state requirements. Darla will present any possible changes closer to the time of the annual Trust audit.

 

The rate review for the annual Fiduciary Liability Insurance renewal from Chubb should be available for the Trustees’ review at the February or March meeting. The renewal is due by April 1, 2017.

 

Shelly provided for the Trustees’ review an estimated budget of Wellness Program expenses for 2017 using the monies allocated by Aetna. She reported that the ESEBT Wellness Program was once again approved to receive the fit friendly workplace award from the American Heart Association. She has created a Wellness Program Facebook page that offers answers to questions for district staff and a place to share Wellness activities.

The group discussed the estimated budget and provided feedback. Concerns were expressed regarding incentives and potential tax implications. It was decided Darla and Shelly would meet to discuss concerns regarding incentives and expenditures and report back to the Trustees at a future meeting. Shelly will also solicit input regarding incentives from schools and provide recommendations.

Randi reported that open enrollment was completed. She thanked everyone involved this year and said that overall it was very successful. Randi provided a document that indicated the insurance plan changes that district staff made during open enrollment. The group reviewed the information and provided feedback.

 

Randi also wanted to bring to the Trustees’ attention updated information regarding dual coverage members. She said the human resources (HR) team and the Aetna team meet every Monday and that they have been very responsive to the needs of district staff. As a result, Aetna and the district worked together to modify a glitch that occurred for dual coverage employees. Cris emailed those employees affected with the updated information regarding processing claims. In addition, Aetna also called the affected employees and connected with them via email. Because of the close working relationship with the HR team and the Aetna team, this issue was caught and corrected early. HR and Aetna will continue to work with these employees to assist as needed.

 

The Trustees asked about staff concerns or complaints regarding the switch to Aetna reported in January. Cris said it has been remarkably quiet. She said they learned a lot from the experience with United HealthCare and Aetna was prepared and aware of the potential issues that might occur.

 

EAP report

Randi reviewed the most recent EAP report with the group. Overall utilization is up over the past few years. She is still sending out brochures to schools and staff are recommending the EAP to each other. The Trustees asked how Everett Public Schools’ usage compared to that of other districts. Randi noted that unfortunately Magellan does not provide that information.

 

After last month’s meeting, Susan received a letter regarding Medicare from herself that she was not aware of. She was wondering how the Trustees know when their names will be used in district communications. Randi noted that the Medicare letter is a yearly Federal requirement. Sometimes the communication is provided by the insurance vendor but not always. If not from the vendor, the letter will be provided by the HR department/benefits team on behalf of the Trustees. The group discussed the information provided and asked that in the future, when communications are being mailed to staff on behalf of the Trust, that the Trustees be made aware of the mailing in advance.

 

Consultant services

Molly shared that there have been several conversations regarding the Trust’s relationship with longtime consultant Mercer. She noted that with the changes in Mercer’s team recently, this may be a good time to solicit requests for proposals (RFP) from other consulting firms to meet the Trust’s needs. Melanie has assisted with this process in the past. The Trustees asked how long the Trust had been with Mercer. Molly said since the inception of the Trust.

 

The group discussed the information and provided feedback. The Trustees agreed that this was probably a good time to see what was out in the marketplace. While they felt loyal to Mercer, they agreed it was a good idea to get different perspectives. For example, the possibility of the state taking over healthcare.

A motion was made by Jeff Moore and seconded by Molly Ringo to begin an RFP process for other possible consultant vendors for the Trust. The motion passed unanimously. Next steps include Adam and/or Jeff reaching out to Melanie to begin the RFP process.

 

The Trustees reviewed agenda items for the February 15, 2017 meeting. Additional items discussed include:

·   ACA responsibilities

·   Reimbursement process to the district

Communications clarification

At the December meeting, the group discussed communication concerns between the HR/benefits team and the Trustees. Randi said that in follow-up to that discussion, she wanted to provide clarification regarding her role as the spokesperson for the benefits team. She asked how the Trustees would like the benefits team to communicate in the future. The group discussed this and noted the benefits team is here to support the decision-making of the Trustees and to provide as much information as possible in their area of expertise. The group discussed the possibility of having recurring meetings with the HR/benefits team outside of the regular Trust meetings, to offer a less formal conversation regarding benefits, communications, etc. The Trustees thanked the benefits team for their clarity.

 

Trustee leaving the Trust

Jeff shared that this would be Molly’s last meeting with the Trust. Due to assignment changes and workload, Dr. Cohn released Molly from her responsibilities as a Trustee effective January 25, 2017. Molly was appointed to the Trust on July 1, 2001. The group thanked Molly for her many years of service on the Trust and said they hoped she would attend a portion of the February meeting so the Trustees could honor and celebrate her. Dr. Cohn appointed Larry Fleckenstein, Assistant Superintendent of South Region Schools to fill Molly’s position as Trustee.

 

The meeting was adjourned by Adam Goldstein at 5:21 p.m.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

 

Jeff Moore

Secretary

 

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