OIL CITY, Pa. (EYT) — Oil City will see more than $100,000.00 in savings in its workmen’s compensation insurance next year.

According to city manager Marks Schroyer, the city will change providers going from PennPrime to Westco/AmTrust, which bought out AmeriHealth and will save $112,000.00 in 2018.

“It’s a significant savings to the city,” Schroyer said. “The staff deserves credit, and this is directly related to the work of the safety committee and helping to reduce the number of claims we have had as a city.”

Schroyer also mentioned that the cancer exposure law for firefighters, which he called a “stupid law” that increased workmen’s compensation expenses for many municipalities, has stabilized some.

In additional insurance news, Schroyer also mentioned that the city will see about a $2,000.00 increase in property insurance due to an “uptick” in the value of some of its assets.

SEWAGE PLANT SALE TO BE DISCUSSED IN JANUARY

Schroyer also reported that an estimate of the value of the city-owned sewage plant has come back and that a more detailed discussion, including from outside representatives, will take place at the Jan. 11, 2018, meeting.

According to Schroyer, it appears the sewage operation could be worth $30 million dollars — the city still owes $10 million on a loan taken out.

“The numbers of paper look attractive (to selling it),” Schroyer said.

Schroyer said he understands the concerns of some residents that sewage rates will go up if the city sells the system to a private company, and he acknowledges they probably would to a small degree considering Oil City’s rates appear to be some of the lowest in the area — which in Schroyer’s estimation also makes the system an attractive buy.

“Any rate increase would have to go through proper channels and be approved by the PUC (Pennsylvania Utilities Commission),” Schroyer said. “In addition, rates and other things like employees, etc, can be part of the negotiations.”

MAIN STREET PROGRAM RESOLUTIONS PASSED

A couple of resolutions concerning the Oil City Main Street Program were passed.

The first resolution gives the city’s acknowledgment of the creation of the vision statement and the five-year action strategy devised by the Program as required by the Keystone Community Program guidelines and supports those documents as the current plan for the revitalization of the central business district of the City of Oil City. As part of that, the City agrees to provide $40,000 in 2018 to the Main Street Program and that sum could continue beyond next year.

The second resolution authorized both the continued operation of the Main Street Program and its Steering Committee and the extension of a cooperative agreement between the City and the Oil Regional Alliance of Business, Industry and Tourism (ORA) for operational support support of the Main Street Program as detailed in the new Municipal Main Street Cooperation Agreement (MMSCA). The MMSCA basically defines the scope of services and the time of performance of the ORA.

CITY TAKES OUT TAX ANTICIPATION NOTE

The council agreed to have the City take out a tax anticipation note of $500,000.00. The note will be taken from First United National Bank (FUN Bank) with an interest rate of 1.35 percent.

OTHER BUSINESS

In other business the council: