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Galesburg council authorizes another forgivable loan to replace 550 water service lines

Galesburg Aldermen approved the authorization of another $2 million forgivable loan from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to replace lead water service lines.

The loan that’s through the Public Water Supply Loan Program will totally reimbursed by the IEPA, with the city not needing to provided any principle or interest.

City Manager Todd Thompson says this would move the city closer to their goal of replacing all the town’s lead water service lines.

“This would allow us to replace approximately another 500 to 550 lead water service lines,” Thompson told aldermen at the Monday meeting. “So coupled with the phase 1 one and phase two replacements we would be able to have had replaced about half of the lead service lines in town.”

Aldermen also approved changing city employees’ group health insurance plan by a 5-0 vote.

They’d been using the Local Government Health Plan through the Illinois Department of Central Management Services since 2015 however rate increases and diminishing benefits prompted administration to look for other options.

Thompson says after several increases in previous years, this year they were told that there would be increases of 11 to 14 percent.

Thompson said there were also fewer benefits, with more deductibles and out of pocket costs.

As a result they solicited a quote from Blue Cross Blue Shield.

“For an 18 month period, September 1 through the end of 2019, we estimate we could save between $1.3M and $1.4M with those savings being shared on a percentage basis with the employees.”

He said with the plan approved Monday night, city employees should have benefits similar to what they’re accustomed to.

Thompson added that city worker unions had tentatively agreed to the Blue Cross Blue Shield plan.

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