OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Joint Greenville City Council and Utilities Commission Meeting - September 22, 2025

City Council — Monday, September 22, 2025
BodyGreenville, North Carolina
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, September 22, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
1:17

All right, good evening.

1:18

Uh I'd like to call the September 22nd, 2025 joint meeting of the Greenville City Council and Greenville Utilities Commission board to order.

1:26

I'm Mayor P.

1:27

J.

1:27

Conley presiding over the meeting on behalf of the city council.

1:30

I'd like to turn over to Chair Gardner.

1:33

Yes, I would like to call the September 22nd, 2025 meeting Greenville Utilities Commission in joint session with the City Council to order.

1:43

All right.

1:44

We'll move on to the approval of tonight's agenda.

1:47

Mr.

1:47

Manager, any recommended changes?

1:49

No changes, Mayor.

1:50

No motion to approve.

1:52

So moved.

1:52

Second.

1:53

All right, motion is been made by Councilmember Blackworth by Mayor for Tim Daniels.

1:56

All those in favor say aye.

1:57

Aye.

1:57

Opposed to say nay.

1:59

Motion passes six year.

2:00

Thank you.

2:01

Very good.

2:03

Same question.

2:04

Um GUC.

2:08

Like to ask Executive Secretary to the Board Amy Wade to call the roll and ascertain quote.

2:19

Uh Chair Garner.

2:20

Here.

2:21

Commissioner Blunt?

2:22

Here.

2:22

Commissioner Carr.

2:24

Here.

2:24

Commissioner Fuller.

2:25

Here.

2:26

Commissioner Godley.

2:27

Here.

2:27

Commissioner Swain.

2:28

Here.

2:29

Commissioner Shaw.

2:30

Here.

2:30

Commissioner Gowen.

2:32

Here.

2:33

And uh we do have a quorum.

2:35

Thank you.

2:36

All right.

2:37

I'd like to request the same from our city clerk.

2:40

Madam Clerk.

2:41

Absolutely.

2:41

Mayor Connolly?

2:42

Here.

2:42

Mayor Pro Tem Daniels.

2:44

Present.

2:44

Councilmember Foreman.

2:45

Here.

2:46

Councilmember Blackburn.

2:47

Present.

2:47

Councilmember Scully?

2:49

Here.

2:49

Councilmember Robinson.

2:50

Here.

2:50

Councilmember Willis.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Personnel Matters█████████████████████████████████████████████63%
Procedural█████████████18%
Budget Equity Analysis███████████15%
Community Engagement███4%
Summary of Proceedings

Joint Greenville City Council and Utilities Commission Meeting - September 22, 2025

The Greenville City Council and Greenville Utilities Commission (GUC) Board held a joint meeting on September 22, 2025 at 6:00 PM in City Hall Council Chambers. Mayor P.J. Connelly and Chair Garner presided. The meeting covered approval of prior minutes, health and dental plan renewals for 2026, a new community service and school involvement leave policy, and an update on a compensation study. All votes were unanimous.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Agenda: Motion carried 6-0 by City Council and unanimously by GUC after roll call confirmed a quorum.
  • Approval of Minutes from April 14, 2025 Joint Meeting: City Council motion approved (6-0); GUC motion approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No members of the public registered to speak. The 30-minute public comment period was concluded with no comments.

Discussion Items

2026 Health and Dental Plan Benefits

  • Joe Harden (Partner, Mercer Consulting) presented the medical and dental insurance renewals. Medical plan rates require a 9.4% increase due to higher claim volumes (15 claims over $100,000 in 2025 vs. 6 in 2024, including two claims exceeding the $300,000 stop-loss limit). This increase is below the national average of nearly 11%. Employee per-paycheck impact ranges from $0.67 (lowest-cost plan, lowest salary band) to $33 (full family, richest plan). Dental costs are increasing 3.5% (total $23,000), with minimal employee impact. One plan change: Cigna is narrowing its transplant network to high-volume centers; nearby facilities (Duke, UNC, Wake Forest Baptist, Atrium, UVA, MUSC) remain included.
  • Councilmember Blackburn asked about HSA plan structure, deductibles ($750 individual/$1,500 family), out-of-pocket maximums ($3,500 single/$7,000 family), and whether employees are informed about stop-loss coverage (they are not, per standard practice). A GUC commissioner asked if the plan covers GLP-1 agonists for weight loss (no) and whether it follows Medicare reimbursement for biologics (generally yes).
  • City Council motion carried 6-0; GUC motion carried unanimously.

Community Service and School Involvement Leave Policy

  • Leah Trill (Director of Human Resources, City of Greenville) presented a new policy approved by the joint committee on September 11, 2025. Full-time employees get 8 hours of paid leave per calendar year for volunteering with government entities or 501(c)(3) nonprofits (e.g., tutoring, Habitat for Humanity, food banks, school activities). Employees working 3/4 time get 6 hours; half-time get 4 hours. Leave must be pre-approved by a supervisor, used during normal work hours, and is forfeited if not used by year-end. Unused leave cannot be shared. The policy is voluntary. State law requires 4 hours of unpaid leave for employees not covered (e.g., those in probation or part-time without benefits).
  • Councilmember Foreman expressed strong support and suggested tracking utilization to potentially increase hours in the future. A GUC commissioner asked about eligibility for unpaid leave per state law.
  • City Council motion carried 6-0; GUC motion carried unanimously.

Updates

Compensation Study Update

  • Rich Trice (Director of Human Resources for GUC) provided an update. The City and GUC engaged Siegel (a consulting firm with 80+ years of experience) via RFP to conduct a comprehensive compensation study. Data collection and peer organization identification are underway. Recommendations are expected in spring 2026 so that approved changes can take effect July 1, 2026. No action was needed; this item was informational only.

Key Outcomes

  • The meeting adjourned at approximately 6:40 PM (not specified, but inferred from agenda flow).

Meeting Transcript

All right, good evening. Uh I'd like to call the September 22nd, 2025 joint meeting of the Greenville City Council and Greenville Utilities Commission board to order. I'm Mayor P. J. Conley presiding over the meeting on behalf of the city council. I'd like to turn over to Chair Gardner. Yes, I would like to call the September 22nd, 2025 meeting Greenville Utilities Commission in joint session with the City Council to order. All right. We'll move on to the approval of tonight's agenda. Mr. Manager, any recommended changes? No changes, Mayor. No motion to approve. So moved. Second. All right, motion is been made by Councilmember Blackworth by Mayor for Tim Daniels. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed to say nay. Motion passes six year. Thank you. Very good. Same question. Um GUC. Like to ask Executive Secretary to the Board Amy Wade to call the roll and ascertain quote. Uh Chair Garner. Here. Commissioner Blunt? Here. Commissioner Carr. Here. Commissioner Fuller. Here. Commissioner Godley. Here. Commissioner Swain. Here. Commissioner Shaw. Here. Commissioner Gowen. Here. And uh we do have a quorum. Thank you. All right. I'd like to request the same from our city clerk. Madam Clerk. Absolutely. Mayor Connolly? Here. Mayor Pro Tem Daniels.

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