By MEGHAN BRADBURY
news@breezenewspapers.com
McFarland said. She said through PeopleSoft, employees have the option to purchase different insurances, which will be calculated on the fly to show how much they would spend out of pocket based on a selected plan. “You can do that as often as you would like in the open enrollment period,” McFarland said. The district is entering the Invitation to Negotiate for the 2024 open enrollment for medical, dental, vision and disability short-term and long-term insurance; group legal plan and employee assistance program. McFarland said when they go to the market there will be a request to match current plan designs; proposed enhancements to current plan designs and to propose alternative plan designs. There will also be a medical insurance request for self-insured, fully-insured, prescription carve-in and carve-out options. The carve-in and carve-out plans provide an option to mix and match a medical plan with a prescription plan. McFarland said they can take those two and make a plan for the district. The Invitation to Negotiate process will ultimately end with open enrollment 2024. She said the options will be brought before the board to vote upon in September or October. “This is sort of a promise made and a promise kept,” Bernier said. “This is a complicated issue, the market in which we shop our insurance.” Board Member Chris Patricca said the district has difficulty in how it shops its insurance because the market is so limited due to the structure of Lee Health. “It does make it tremendously difficult to get real competition in Lee County because of the structure of Lee Health,” she said.
On Jan. 30, the Florida Department of Health in Lee County issued health alerts for the presence of a red tide bloom. An alert level of red tide was found near Buck Key at Blind Pass and Gasparilla Island State Park at the Boca Grande Pass. This was in response to water samples taken on Jan. 25. In addition, a caution level was found near Lighthouse Beach on Sanibel and Lynn Hall Park on Fort Myers Beach. A cautionary notice indicates low levels (less than 10,000-100,000 Karenia brevis cells per liter) of red tide detected in sampling. This was in response to water samples taken on Jan. 25. The public is advised to take the following precautions: ∫ Look for informational signage posted at most beaches. ∫ Stay away from the water, and do not swim in waters with dead fish. ∫ Those with chronic respiratory problems should be especially cautious and stay away from the locations as red tide can affect your breathing. ∫ Do not harvest or eat molluscan shellfish, or distressed or dead fish from the locations. If caught live and healthy, finfish are safe to eat as long as they are filleted and the guts are discarded. Rinse fillets with tap or bottled water. ∫ Wash your skin and clothing with soap and fresh water if you have had recent contact with red tide. ∫ Keep pets and livestock away and out of the water, sea foam and dead sea life. If your pet swims in waters with red tide, wash it as soon as possible. ∫ Those living in beach areas are advised to close windows and run the air conditioner, making sure that the A/C filter is maintained according to manufacturer's specifications. ∫ If outdoors near an affected location, people may choose to wear masks, especially if onshore winds are blowing. The DOH-Lee encourages the public to review the following tips to stay safe on the beach: ∫ In Florida, red tide is caused by a naturally occurring microscopic alga called Karenia brevis. Red tide algal blooms can change rapidly, staying in one place for months or just a few days or weeks. ∫ Symptoms from breathing red tide usually include
coughing, sneezing and watery eyes. For most people, symptoms are temporary and typically go away when the person leaves the area. Wearing a particle filter mask may lessen the effects, and over-the-counter antihistamines decrease symptoms. ∫ Those with chronic respiratory problems, like asthma, should avoid areas with active red tides. People with symptoms that persist should seek medical attention. ∫ Pet owners are advised that red tide poses a risk to animals brought to the beach. Red tide can affect animals if they drink affected water, lick their wet paws or fur, or breath marine aerosols. ∫ Those sensitive to red tide and living in beach areas affected by blooms are advised to close windows and run the air conditioner, making sure that the AC filter is maintained according to the manufacturer’s specifications. ∫ Seafood, including shellfish, in restaurants, hotels, grocery stores, and markets is safe to eat. Cooked shellfish — oysters, clams, mussels — thoroughly to prevent exposure to Vibrio vulnificus. Shellfish should not be harvested or eaten from areas with active red tide. Beach-goers are encouraged to check conditions before going to the beach as they can change daily.
What is red tide? Red tide is one type of harmful algal bloom caused by high concentrations of the toxic dinoflagellate Karenia brevis (K. brevis), a type of microscopic algae found in the Gulf of Mexico. It typically forms naturally offshore, commonly in late summer or early fall, and is carried into coastal waters by winds and currents. Once inshore, these organisms can use nearshore nutrient sources to fuel their growth. Blooms typically last into winter or spring, but in some cases, can endure for more than one year.
Is it harmful? K. brevis produces potent neurotoxins (brevetoxins) that can be harmful to the health of wildlife and people. Wind and wave action can break open K. brevis cells and release toxins into the air. This is why you should monitor conditions and use caution when visiting affected water bodies. People in coastal areas can experience varying degrees of eye, nose and throat irritation during
a red tide bloom. Some individuals with chronic respiratory conditions, like asthma or chronic lung disease, might experience more severe symptoms. Red tide toxins can also affect the central nervous system of fish and other marine life, which can lead to fish kills and increased wildlife strandings or mortalities. Eating contaminated seafood can cause neurotoxic shellfish poisoning in humans. Symptoms include nausea and vomiting; tingling of the mouth, lips and tongue; and slurred speech and dizziness. To find current information about Florida's water quality status and public health notifications for harmful algal blooms and beach conditions, visit ProtectingFloridaTogether.gov and floridahealth.gov/environmental-health/aquatic-toxins. For local shellfish harvesting status, visit the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services at https://www.fdacs.gov/AgricultureIndustry/Aquaculture/Shellfish-Harvesting-AreaClassification.
Where to report issues related to red tide? The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission collects and analyzes red tide samples and results are updated multiple times daily at MyFWC.com/redtidemap/. Status updates are issued twice weekly during blooms at https://myfwc.com/research/redtide/statewide/. To hear a recording about red tide conditions throughout the state, call the toll-free hotline at 866-300-9399. To report fish kills, contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute via the FWC Reporter App, call 800-636-0511 or report online at https://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/health/fish-killshotline/. Report symptoms from exposure to a harmful algal bloom or any aquatic toxin to the Florida Poison Information Center. Call 800-222-1222 to speak to a poison specialist immediately. Contact your veterinarian if you believe your pet has become ill after consuming or having contact with red tide-affected water or contaminated marine life. For other health questions or concerns about red tide blooms, call the DOH-Lee at 239-690-2100.
Fort Myers Beach Observer
DOH-Lee issues red tide alerts for islands, more
fortmyersbeachtalk.com
School District of Lee County employees will have more money in their paycheck, thanks to the Lee County School Board paying the employee’s base plan entire cost, while adding an additional $4,000 for dependent care. Insurance and Benefits Management Director Bonnie McFarland said in a presentation dated on July 25 the bottom line showed that the district had the lowest total premium for insurance out of governmental insurances, as well as the lowest employer contribution and the highest employee cost for insurance. “Changes have begun,” she said, adding that the board contribution has increased. That increase went from $8,104.80 to $9,213.60, plus $4,000.80 for dependent subsidy, equaling $13,214.40 for those who have dependent coverage. McFarland said that more than $13,000 goes towards the entire coverage on an annual basis. According to a press release, employees pay just $26 a month for a higher plan. That increases to $41.21 when adding children to a plan a month for the base plan, or $83.76 a month for a higher plan. The presentation broke down the employee savings based on the three different plans. The employee savings per paycheck ranged from $114.50 to $318.05. “We are making significant progress in the realm where other employees are,” McFarland said. Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier said the board did a fabulous job in not only raising the amount of
money for employer contributions, but took care of additional costs associated with medical inflation. “Compensation package, it doesn’t always come in a straight raise. This is a legitimate money in a person’s pocket they can utilize,” he said. With the new employer contribution, the district surpasses Broward County with employee only and family funding at $8,919.60. The district comes closer to Polk County with employee only and family funding at $9,288; Collier County with an employee only and family funding at $9,681; and Orange County with employee only and family funding at $9,288.60. Although Hillsborough County and Pinellas County have lower employee only funding at $7,934.28 and $7,862, their family funding is $18,643.20 for Hillsborough and $23,176 for Pinellas. As far as other Lee governmental entities, the district still lags behind. The city of Cape Coral has a $11,806.32 employee only funding and $13,823.40 for family funding; Florida Gulf Coast University has a $9,161.98 for employee only funding and $20,252.40 for family funding; Lee Government has $13,908 for employee only funding and $21,960 for family funding; and the Lee County’s Sheriff Office has $10,064.04 for employee only funding and $20,707.92 for family funding. McFarland said open enrollment for 2023 ends on Feb. 10. She said only 25 percent of the district’s employees have completed their selections. “We need to get that number a little higher,”
Page 5 ■ Week of Wednesday, February 8, 2023
School district raises benefits for employees