Woods retirees object to proposed
benefit changes at council meeting
Retired and soon-to-be retired Grosse Pointe Woods city workers concerned about changes in their health plan flocked to Monday’s (March 15) City Council meeting to make their voices heard.
Former Public Safety Officer Thomas Hunke, who sent a letter of complaint to the city, was first to the podium. Hunke said the group came to the meeting to protect the retiree benefits they had earned as city employees, benefits that were not only promised but guaranteed by their contract.
Hunke, who retired in December 1998, said retiree benefit coverage is being disputed because city officials are considering changing the Blue Cross Blue Shield coverage to a PPO (preferred provider organization) and prescription coverage to a step program.
Under the proposed PPO, coverage for in-house rehabilitation would drop from $738 in case of a heart attack, stroke or accident to $128, Hunke said. “So just figuring $200 a day, which is very low for in-house rehabilitation, that’s $122,000 of potential loss should one of us need that,” he said.
Hunke added that employees accepted lower pensions in the past with the understanding that the city could change carriers and become self-insured as long as that coverage was equal to or better than their current coverage. “We don’t want the city suffering any pain from keeping our benefit as is, but we feel we’ve earned it,” he said.
Mayor Robert E. Novitke said that while the council members could listen to the points made at the meeting, they could not respond because of a threat of litigation sent via letter and e-mail.
The council also discussed the findings of the Department of Public Safety annual report presented by Director Alfred J. Fincham.
Novitke cited an increase in some criminal offenses but stated that overall the city was one of the safest in the tri-county area.
Fincham agreed, while acknowledging that larceny from auto is still one offense that keeps the department busy. “As you know with that type of crime, one individual may be responsible for five, 10 or 15 incidents,” he said. “So even though we see an increase in that category, it doesn’t mean we have 20 criminals committing that crime.”
Fincham said an increase in crimes such as drunken driving and narcotics possession is a direct result of the aggressive tactics of patrol officers. “Although that category has increased it’s a good thing, because they are out there doing their jobs and they’re making more arrests,” he said.
Council member Todd A. McConaghy commented that, coming from a criminal justice background and remembering all of the crime reports that he read in college, he is impressed by how safe the city is. “While I don’t keep up-to-date reading (on other cities), I was very pleased with what I saw,” he said.
Fincham said his department is using a better system that captures crimes more accurately.
