By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Hays city commissioners will be looking ahead to 2016 during their meeting tonight.

Agenda items include adoption of the 2016 Employee Pay Plan and Job Classification–the 2016 budget contains the recommended $2,050 annual pay increase–along with health insurance for next year.

Human Resources Director Erin Giebler has also recommended adding $1,050 to the bottom of the pay range.

City staff, with the approval of the Wage and Benefit Committee, recommends providing employees with a dual option health insurance plan through Aetna. The base plan will be provided to employees and their families at no cost. Employees enrolling in the premium plan would pay 8.3 percent of the premiums.

Although the Aetna premium plan is comparable to the city’s current plan with United Health, it is approximately $150,000 over budget, necessitating the employee premium contribution.

Commissioners will also conduct a public hearing about vacating a portion of a drainage dedication in the Golden Belt Estates 3rd Addition, at 4500 Van Buren Drive, and will consider a contract for auditing services with Adams, Brown,Beran and Ball for the 2015 audit year, with the option to renew the four subsequent fiscal years.

The complete Nov. 12, 2015, meeting agenda can be seen here.

The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. in Hays City Hall, 1507 Main.