These are extra benefits that employees value most MARCY HEATH

678-821-3508

marcy@be inoventive.com

Besides health insurance and a 401(k) plan, other benefits that employees value highly are generous paid time off and flexible or remote work, according to a new survey.

But for the first time, an annual study by employee benefits provider Unum found that the younger generations are not on the same page with their older peers when it comes to what they value most in their benefits package.

Although the generations differ in their top priorities, when opened to the top five, there is one common denominator: emergency savings.

Emergency Savings

Sixty-four percent of employees surveyed said they don’t have access to an emergency savings option through their employer. This benefit ranks third for boomers (25%), third for Gen X (32%) and second for Gen Z (37%). Emergency savings plans can help prepare your employees for unexpected expenses without dipping into retirement funds or using credit cards.

Employer sponsored emergency savings accounts help workers save for financial failures, significant seepage, scouring of the outfall grading, and inadequate drain systems.

14.request for purchase of Distribution Isolation Valves to replace non-functioning valves within current system. Cost would be a budgeted item of $49,663.57.

15.request for $17,500, budgeted, to repair Water Treatment Plant Basin where a void was discovered under the walkway that will cause sidewalk to settle and further damage the basin. Repair will also stabilize walkway.

16.request for $78,485 (budgeted) to purchase the final component of the system-wide update, West Plant Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Upgrade. SCADA is a lifeline of communication to the lift stations and plant operations

17.request to approve increased customer sanitation rates due to GFL’s 5.2% rate increase effective June 1, 2023. The new Villa Rica Customer Rate will be: First cart $17.48, Second Cart $9.39, and the Low Income Senior Rate will be $13.11.

18.request to approve Budget Amendments #154-155 to move funds of $25,000 to Professional Services for a Solid Waste consultant.

19.request for Mayor and Council signatures on Presentation of the Project Framework Agreement (PFA) for Downtown Streetscape Project between Villa Rica and the Georgia Department of Transportation, GDOT, outlining the project scope and funding for this project. Once the review from GDOT’s Office of Procurement Compliance is released, city will put project out for bid.

20.request to approve an application for additional GDOT Local Maintenance & Improvement Grant (LMIG) funds to resurface the “Share and Ride” lot on Highway 61. GDOT has offered up to $225,000 to resurface the lot. City will be required to sign a Maintenance Agreement to maintain the lot. GDOT will cover 70% of the resurfacing cost. City’s share will be around $100,000. Councilmember Leslie McPherson asked that since the lot has never been full of Share and Ride cars, can the city possibly request some emergencies by automatically deducting an amount from each paycheck and depositing it into a separate account. If they need to cover a bill or cash gets tight, they can draw from this fund to bridge the financial gap.

The Worker Wish List

Here are the top non-insurance benefits workers crave:

- Generous paid time off program

- Flexible/remote work options

- Paid family leave (Childcare or caring for an adult family member)

- Mental health resources/support

- Emergency Savings

- Professional Development

- Financial planning resources

- Fitness or healthy lifestyle incentives

- ID theft prevention

- Student loan repayment benefits

- Pet friendly offices

- Sabbatical leave

A Final Word greenspace there in place of some of the pavement?

There are so many benefit options available that it’s important to opt for the ones that your employees actually want. Most non insurance benefits are very low to no cost for employers to offer employees. Consider polling your workers about which benefits they would like and talk with one of our Advisors to get a strategy for implementation.

If you would like more information, call Marcy Heath with Inoventive Benefits Consulting at 678-821-3508.

21.City Manager Tom Barber asked council to approve GDOT’s offer of utility relocation funds related to roundabout at Highway 78 and Connors Road. He said GDOT will fund an estimated $169,280 to relocate the “necessary” utilities, and city’s share will be an estimated $228,515 for what GDOT defines as the “betterment” portion of the relocation.

“This is similar to the water line relocation we made for the mini-roundabout at Highway 61 and Punkintown Road,” said Barber who recommended accepting this deal because it is “better than paying the entire cost of relocating utilities in the event something happened to the city’s water line that caused the City to have to go under the roundabout to fix at a later time”.

22.request to approve a Waste Pit Easement agreement with the Astra Group, which GDOT has contracted to build a new road in Villa Rica. Barber informed council that this construction is going to generate more than 100,000 cubic yards of dirt and blast rock which the city could provide Astra with a place to store, so the city can crush the rock and use both the rock and the dirt for not only the road project, but for other developments that need fill or road base. Barber said the city has 75 acres of unused land where this Waste Pit could be located.

23.request to approve a Food Service Permit for the Mirror Lake HOA to have food trucks available at their Memorial Day, May 29th, event.

Finance Director Jennifer Hall presented the Financial Update as of March 31st, 2023, with all areas “performing very well” with the exception of the Enterprise Fund of the Water/Sewer activity, which is currently at a loss due to lack of residential growth requiring tap fees.

Sales Tax for both Carroll and Douglas Counties are showing increases, property taxes have been 100% collected, and the self-funded insurance shows year-to-date savings of $315,775.

Total cash was at $34,107,585, a 13% increase over this time last year.

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