The
Graphic - Advocate Wednesday
| September 11, 2013|Volume 124| Issue 37
Rockwell City Office 712-297-7544 • advocate@iowatelecom.net - Lake City Office 712-464-3188 • lcgraphic@iowatelecom.net SCC Fall Sports Preview in this week’s issue
County reviews health law impact
In memory of Allen Feld
An electronic sign was recently completed at the South Central Calhoun Middle School, the Rockwell City/Lytton High School when Allen J. Feld graduated from there in 1997. He passed away in 2011 at the age of 32. Funds for the sign were raised in his memory. Pictured are SCCMS Principal Marc DeMoss, SCCHS Principal and former RCLHS Principal Randy Martin and Allen’s parents Sandi and Paul Feld. His parents noted that the project was not only a project of the family, but also a community project involving many people who knew Allen. (Graphic-Advocate photo by Ken Ross)
Lohrville buiding decision slated The Southern Cal School Board has scheduled a meeting on Wednesday, Sept, 18, at 6 p.m. at the EMS building in Lohrville, with only one action item on the agenda – approve or deny bid to sell Lohrville property. The school district closed the school building in Lohrville at the conclusion of the 2011/12 school year as part of the consolidation process between Southern Cal and the Rockwell City/Lytton districts. The districts will complete the consolidation process on July 1, 2014 when they become the South Central Calhoun District. Bids for the building were opened
$100
www.thegraphic-advocate.com By Ken Ross Graphic-Advocate Editor Phil Waniorek, president of Benefits, Inc., had an “educated guess” as to the approximate increase in health insurance costs – 20 to 30 percent – and some general predictions as to what will happen as the result of the Affordable Care Act, but he informed the Calhoun County Board of Supervisors that the actual impact will not be known until full implementation begins. The county, like public and private employers everywhere, is trying to get a grasp on what the impact of the law, sometimes referred to as Obamacare, will have. Calhoun County uses Blue Cross/Blue Shield to provide health coverage and Waniorek doesn’t recommend changing providers unless significant savings can be realized by changing. That is a possibility. “Your plan will not make a whole lot of changes until July 1 of next year, that’s when your renewal takes place,” He said. “There will be a lot of new things come out next
year because people will try to find ways around this new law and when they do, people will try to go that direction but there will always be minuses when there are pluses.” Some provisions of the law go into effect on Jan. 1, 2014, one being that employers on that date have to include anyone working 30 hours or more in health insurance coverage. There will also be a federal fee for each insured person of about $15 per person, meaning $60 for a family of four. The cost can be paid for by the employer, by the employees or split in any way agreed upon by the parties involved, but there is no way to avoid the fees. One of the few cost saving options, accrding to Waniorek is to do what UPS is doing by requiring the spouse of an employee to take health insurance coverage from the spouse’s own employer if that is available. Currently many employers, including the county, leave it up to the family to choose what available heath insurance plan to use.
Whether an employee or employee family member has other coverage, the individual can opt out of health insurance if there is any cost to the employee for the coverage. There is a health insurance cost for all county employees. The well-publicized delay of implementation until 2015 of some parts of the law will actually have little or no impact on most Iowa employers, according to Waniorek. People who are avoiding the impact of the law passed by Congress are the members of Congress. “The folks in Washington decided it was too expensive for themselves and the staff so they had an executive order coming down from the president saying they don’t have to abide by it,” Waniorek said, “It’s called the Affordable Care Act but I don’t know what part of this is affordable. If people in Congress say it is too expensive for them to deal with, what do they think about the average Americans out here?”
in May of this year with two bids submitted. Citizens of Lohrville raised concerns about the viability of each bid, and the Lohrville City Council voted to recommend that both bids be rejected. The concern expressed by Lohrville citizens is that the buidling might eventually become the responsibility of the city to demolish, possibly with anything of salvage value stripped from the building. The matter has been the topic of discussion both at community meetings in Lohrville and at school board meetings since the bids were opened in May.
Working on the pond
The pond at the city park at the north end of Rockwell City, near the County Expo grounds, is currently undergoing renovation including excavation of decades of sediment build-up. The pond, often referred to as the Duck Pond, was originally formed after clay from the site was used at an on-site brick and tile plant. Tom Anderson, a local contractor, operates the excavator, donating time and equipment for the civic improvement project. There will later be stonework done at the edge of the pond and the pond will be restocked by the DNR. (Graphic-Advocate photo by Ken Ross)
Lake City moves toward pool bond
National Discover Your Optimal Health Day
Carol Gower was present as Lake City Mayor Gary Fahan signed a proclamation declaring Sept. 12 Discover Your Optimal Health Day in order to raise awareness of the need to fight obesity.
Fishing on Saturday
By Ken Ross Graphic-Advocate Editor The Lake City Council, meeting Tuesday, Sept. 3, approved an Urban Renewal District designation for the area of Goins Park where the swimming pool is located and where a major swimming pool upgrade is planned. The council set a public hearing date for the next regular meeting, Monday, Sept. 16, to discuss a possible general obligation bond for an amount up to $1 million toward an
Tyran Holst, age 12, prepares to cast his line at the Hwy 4 Recreation Area just south of Rockwell City during a fishing event sponsored by the ISU Extension and the Calhoun County Conservation Department. (Graphic-Advocate photo by Ken Ross)
approximately $2 million swimming pool renovation. The city is not required to hold a referendum on the bond and does not anticipate holding one prior to approval of a bond. A Lake City pool project citizens’ group has raised funds toward the project over the last few years and will continue in fundraising efforts. The fund raising had a strong initial response but the momentum slowed after the first year and the city council decided to use bonding as a
way to go forward on renovation of a facility that is more than 50 years old. *** The city council approved the first reading of a social host ordinance that will establish a fine for a property owner or person responsible for the property (tenant or resident of the property who is at least 18, in the absence of the owner), for knowingly allowing the consumption of alcohol on the property. This is based on a county ordinance
Champion helps SCC Boosters
approved by the Calhoun County Board of Supervisors earlier this year. The Rockwell City Council has also approved such an ordinance on first reading. In the absence of such an ordinance, the only way a person could be held accountable for underage drinking on the person’s property is if that person furnished the alcohol. The ordinance is expected to be brought before other city councils in the county.
For the third year, a fundraising event before a home football game of the South Calhoun Titans provided a fundraising opportunity for the Titan Athletic Boosters while providing fans a chance to test drive a new Dodge vehicle. Champion Chrysler Center sponsored the event in which those test driving a vehicle earned $20 for the SCC Boosters for a total of $5,000. (Graphic-Advocate photo by Ken Ross)