Matthew Carpenter is the newest addition to the Effingham Fire Department. The new full-time firefighter was sworn in at Tuesday’s Effingham City Council meeting by Fire Chief Joe Holomy. Carpenter has “a great deal of experience,” according to Chief Holomy, and will start with the department next month.
During the meeting Mayor Jeff Bloemker presented Paul Gutman, of Legacy Harley Davidson, with the Business Appreciation Award. The motorcycle dealership opened in 2005 and has since continued to grow and expand. “It’s been and absolute pleasure and an honor to watch Paul Gutman and his team at Legacy Harley Davidson come to Effingham and the take the Harley Davidson Brand to a level I don’t think any of us could have expected”
Gutman said that it is his employees that make the dealership shine.
The Council also heard from Dan Bledsoe, of the Joint Labor Management Insured Benefit Committee, on a possible wellness program. The PUSH for Wellness Program, which is offered by IBPC, would offer incentives for city employees who opt into some sort of wellness plan, such as an exercise regimen. Based on estimated the numbers, if the city had 25% employee participation, meaning employees meeting preset monthly goals, they could receive up to $100 back per employee. Bledsoe said the benefit of participating in a wellness program is that city employees will be healthier, therefore reducing the overall cost of healthcare for the city. The city council responded skeptically to the idea and tasked the Benefit Committee with surveying city employees to see if there’s actually interest in the program.
Director of Public Works Steven Miller presented a possible resolution that would allow a maintenance contract for the Water Treatment Plant with R.E. Pedrotti to be renewed. According to Miller, the up-to $10,000, contracts are routine in nature.
The Council also discussed renewing a con tract with Bodine Electric for traffic signal maintenance and a Downtown/Southtown rehabilitation project for A-1 Food Mart using TIF funds.