Predictably, the Sequoia Healthcare District Board of Directors, approved an increase in health insurance premiums for employees and Board Members from $1,200/month to $1,500/month effective January 2013. Yours truly proposed that the benefit for Directors be eliminated and replaced by a much more modest stipend for meeting attendance. There was no second to my motion.
Directors Kane, Griffin and Faro stand to benefit by the increase.
I raised the question as to whether sitting board members could grant themselves such an increase in compensation, suggesting that it should apply only to future board members. District counsel, Mark Hudak, will research the issue and report his findings.

Another beneficiary of the increase is Pamela Kurtzman,listed on the District website as Director of Healthy Youth Initiatives (this is to be confused with the Healthy Schools Initiative Program). Pamela, who was a beneficiary of the overpayment of $400/month in-lieu benefits for Health Insurance, (see:
Web Link has opted out of the in-lieu benefit and instead will have her $1,267.21/month family health insurance premium paid by the District while she continues to pay back her in-lieu overpayment of $9,046.

In an earlier post, I raised the question as to whether sitting board members could grant themselves such an increase in compensation, suggesting that it should apply only to future board members. District counsel, Mark Hudak, was to research the issue and report his findings. This Director has not been informed of any findings.

In spite of that, payments for Boardmember health insurance premiums as reported in the latest Cash Disbursements Journal, show the following:
Boardmembers:
Kim Griffin $6,000 for coverage from 1/1-4/30/2013
Art Faro/spouse $1334.06 for Jan 2013 Medicare Supl. TBD
K. Kane/spouse $1334.06 for Jan 2013 Medicare Supl. TBD
J. Hickey $668.63 for Jan. 2013 Medicare Supl. TBD
Shefren nothing reported yet

Employees:
P. Kurtzman/family health premium Jan. $1,266.72
J. Johnson health premium Jan. $667.03 + 364.99 Medicare Supl.
G. Nielsen nothing reported yet
J. Gabet nothing reported yet

I have just received a Mememorandum from Mark Hudak to Lee Michelson dated 6 December. This memo was NOT included in the meeting information posted on the District's website. I have requested that it be uploaded to that website. I will post a link when it is available.

I totally disagree with the opinion of District Counsel. Sitting Directors must not benefit from increased compensation upon which they have voted. Mr. Hudak suggests that it is not "compensation".
The facts suggest otherwise.