By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
Whitewater officials are moving forward with a plan to contract with a third-party firm to assist employees with the menu of benefits options before them.
The Common Council on Oct. 4 approved an agreement with Hartland-based Diversified Benefit Solutions Inc. to oversee municipal employees’ flexible spending benefit accounts.
The city is offering the option to its employees, and persons opting to use it will pay DBS any administrative fees associated with developing plan documents and other related services.
Whitewater’s agreement with DBS covers a two-year term that begins Jan. 1 and sunsets Dec. 31, 2018.
In other recent business, the Common Council:
- Approved an ordinance concerning future development decisions. It touches on how a number of pieces of infrastructure should be designed, including driveways, median openings, interchanges and street connections.
The document, which went through a second — and final — reading at the Oct. 4 meeting, is aimed at improving public safety and increasing efficient traffic flow.
- Approved applicant Arthur Stritzel’s request to rezone a home at 426 W. Whitewater St. from the technical designation of single-family to residential overlay. The change gives Stritzel, who owns ARKI LLC, the authority to have up to four unrelated persons living within the home.
The rezoning request also was a second reading, and was finalized with the council’s action.
- Heard a report from Whitewater Unified School District representatives on outreach efforts related to the upcoming facilities-related referendum question on the Nov. 8 ballot.
Mark Elworthy, district administrator, and Nathan Jaeger, business services director, discussed with the council the rationale behind the question. If approved, it will give district officials the authority to take out $23.5 million in general obligation bonds for a range of improvements.
