MANSFIELD — The City of Mansfield will pay its workers to settle union grievances related to health insurance contributions, Richland Source has learned.
Sources close to the settlement said the amount could be as high as $400,000.
Mansfield City Council unanimously voted Tuesday night to approve settlements with four of its unions — AFSCME Local 3088, FOP William Taylor Lodge#32 command and patrol officers, and IAFF Local 266.
The money will come from the city’s insurance reserve fund. Lawmakers went into an executive session during their caucus session to discuss the settlement and then approved it during the council meeting without comment.
Mayor Tim Theaker declined Wednesday morning to discuss the settlement.
“I can’t comment on that. We discussed that in executive session and we were all sworn not to discuss it,” Theaker said. “If you want that information, you would probably have to put in a public records request.
“Eventually, it will come out, but I would prefer not to be the one to divulge it.”
Richland Source filed such a public records request late Wednesday morning.
The mayor also declined to say what steps the city has taken to avoid such problems going forward.
“That was discussed in executive session,” he said.
The wording of the settlements approved by council said legislators authorized the Safety-Service Director and Public Works Director to “enter into settlement agreements with the unions on behalf of the City to issue payment to the interested parties.”
Richland Source, which obtained copies of the settlements, learned there are four separate agreements, each paying 53 percent of alleged employee overpayments in 2017 and 2018 in both single and family insurance plans. Based upon that, the alleged employment overpayment could have approached $800,000.
Each employee under the settlement will receive lump sum payments ranging from $450.54 to $1,143.59, depending on their insurance plans and how long they were enrolled in the plans.
Each of the settlement agreements with the four unions contains the following language:
“Due to the inherently complex and ambiguous language of the various bargaining agreement’s insurance articles, a dispute arose over the proper amount of the employee contribution to the cost of health insurance. There remains a good faith disagreement of how much or whether the employees overpaid for their contribution. In order to settle the grievances of the unions without delay and excessive cost of time, money and resources, the parties have entered into this Settlement Agreement.”
During the public comment portion of the council meeting, AFSCME Local 3088 President Danny Mapes addressed the settlement.
“I’d like to go on the record to the law director’s office and (offer) many thanks for getting this thing settled and getting it behind us,” said Mapes, who recently retired from the city, but continues to lead the union.
“I think what needs to be addressed now is who is responsible for these miscalculations and what the accountability is and the total number of what it’s gonna cost to have this money paid back,” Mapes said.
However, under the terms of the settlements, there will be “no admission of wrongdoing. The Parties have entered into this Agreement solely to resolve disputed claims on disputed facts and to avoid the costs and risks of litigation. Neither the fact of this agreement nor any of its parts shall be construed as an admission of wrongdoing, liability or that any fact or allegation asserted by either Party is true.”
In other action Tuesday, City Council:
— Tabled an $18 million plan for a city-wide water meter replacement program, pending the finance department’s efforts to improve funding methods for the work.
— Gave first reading to a plan to change Mulberry Street to two-way traffic from Second Street to Fifth Street.
— Approved administrative and operational guidelines for the Downtown Improvement Advisory Board.
— Accepted a total of $850 for the Parks and Recreation Department’s 2019 movies in the parks program. Donations came from Taylor Metal Products, Donaldson Law Offices and Heck Law Offices.
— Accepted a $31,500 donation from the National Association of Police Athletic/Activities League to be used by the Mansfield PAL.
— Approved demolition of properties at 98 S. Foster St., 195 Glessner Ave., 317 S. Diamond St., 328 Orange St. and 473 Sherman Place.
— Spent an hour in a public affairs committee meeting discussing the annual Community Development Block Grant funds and HOME funds. Council made no decisions and scheduled a special meeting on the topic for Monday at 7 p.m.
