Manitowoc Personnel Committee Meeting – September 8, 2026

The Personnel Committee of the City of Manitowoc met on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at 5:00 PM in the Council Chambers and via Zoom. The meeting was called to order at 5:00 PM and adjourned at 5:32 PM after a closed session. All five committee members (Norell, Sitkiewitz, Schlei, Beeman, Benzinger) were present throughout. No public comments were submitted or offered.

Consent Calendar

• 26-0755: Approved the August 3, 2026 Personnel Committee minutes.
• 26-0756: Reviewed legal fees billed through August 2026.
• 26-0757: Reviewed the health plan report (Medical & Dental through July 2026).
• 26-0758: Received the Human Resources office initiatives report for September 2026.
• 26-0759: Received the City Attorney’s office initiatives report for August 2026.
• The consent agenda was approved unanimously by a 5–0 voice vote.

Discussion Items

26-0760: Update on Benefit Plan and Performance from McClone Tera Nelson from McClone presented an overview of the past year’s highlights and upcoming changes for 2027. Key points included:

• A planned move to United Healthcare as the self-funded third-party administrator (TPA) from Health Partners in 2027, citing improved network discounts and in-house knowledge.
• The transition to National RX Pharmacy in 2026 resulted in over $20,000 in additional rebates in the first quarter of 2026 alone.
• The city’s transplant policy helps mitigate high-dollar claims risk.
• Medicare education meetings were scheduled for later that week to assist employees over 65.
• The Manitowoc Clinic partnership saw a cost avoidance by adjusting the city’s share based on actual employee utilization rather than the school district’s higher usage.
• Future considerations: introducing tiered employee contribution structures (beyond single/family), adding an ID theft program (Aurora) in 2027, potentially changing the EAP vendor back to Aurora, and possibly moving to a new HSA administrator with better technology.
• No action was taken; the update was placed on file. A committee member asked about what Medicare-eligible employees should bring to the education meetings; Nelson advised they would already have premium data and employees could bring medication lists for detail.

26-0669: Discussion and Recommendation on Compensation-Performance Management Human Resources Director Jessie Lillibridge presented a proposed revision to the city’s performance management process, shifting from an annual review tied directly to compensation to a quarterly check-in coaching model. The goal is to strengthen performance management, provide clearer expectations, and allow timely coaching. The compensation maintenance strategy reflects input from alders. Committee members expressed strong support:

• Alder Schlei called the quarterly check-in concept “fantastic” and emphasized the importance of two-way feedback.
• Alder Sitkiewitz stressed that proper education and training for managers are critical to implementation, noting the previous plan lacked that component, and hoped the mayor would include funding in the budget.
• The motion to approve and refer to Council passed unanimously (5–0).

26-0770: Recommendation to Suspend Elements of 2026 Performance Lillibridge explained that suspending certain elements of the current performance process is needed to prepare for the new plan launching January 1, 2027, including setting new deadlines and training managers. The motion to approve and refer to Council passed unanimously (5–0).

26-0761: Retiree Insurance Discontinuation Beginning January 1, 2027 Lillibridge outlined the rationale: very low participation in retiree insurance plans. The recommendation is to grandfather current retirees but discontinue offering retiree coverage to employees leaving the city after January 1, 2027. COBRA coverage will still be available. The motion to approve and refer to Council passed unanimously (5–0).

26-0762: Request to Approve Building Inspection-LTE Job Description, Pay Rate, and Ability to Fill the Open Position Fire Chief Ben Kraynek explained that due to an unexpected four-to-eight-week absence of the city’s sole commercial building inspector, a limited-term employee (LTE) position is needed to keep projects moving. The plan is to contract with a former commercial building inspector. The motion to approve and refer to Council passed unanimously (5–0).

Closed Session

At 5:20 PM, the committee voted unanimously to enter closed session to discuss:

• 26-0763: Fire Department 48/96 schedule extension through 2027 (under Wis. Stat. §19.85(1)(e)).
• 26-0769: Unpaid leave of absence request for a Police Department employee (under Wis. Stat. §19.85(1)(c)). The closed session lasted 11 minutes; the committee reconvened in open session at 5:31 PM.

Key Outcomes

• 26-0763: Approved the recommendation to extend the Fire Department’s 48/96 schedule through 2027 (side letter) and referred it to Council. No open discussion. Vote: 5–0.
• 26-0769: Approved the unpaid leave of absence request for the Police Department employee. No open discussion. Vote: 5–0.
• All actions requiring Council referral will appear on the Common Council’s non-consent agenda.