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Lansing Community Library board member Marlaine Darfler petitioned the Lansing Town board Wednesday for advice on providing health insurance for an employee.  Library officials have been providing the librarian with insurance through Healthy New York, a 'fallback policy' offered by the State for New Yorkers whose salaries fall below a capped income level.  With the Lansing librarian's salary rising above that cap, library officials are scrambling to find an economical policy.

"By January we need to find an insurance option," Darfler said.  "Our first hope is to go through the school.  For a school district library it seems to make sense.  Two years ago the school said no.  But they are now considering it through BOCES."

Darfler noted that Groton is the only other 'school district library' in the county and their librarian does receive benefits through TCT BOCES.  She said the issue is on the TCT Boces fall agenda.  She said that the Town policy's premium is exactly what the library pays for their Healthy New York policy currently, but the $6,000 deductible would be an issue.   She said that she had inquired about group policies at the Finger Lakes Library System, which the Lansing Library is part of, but that insurance is not offered for member library employees. Darfler said she is simply fact finding at this point, and that the legality of including a library employee on the town or school policy is being investigated.

But Town Board members said that they do not favor extending health insurance to the library.

"Because the library is its own taxing entity I feel that the Town certainly shouldn't get involved in giving benefits to other entities," said Town Supervisor Scott Pinney.  "Not only would that open the door for the library, but possibly other entities that would want us to carry things.  Even thought the bill would be paid by your board, I think it's better that we don't carry benefits for you."

Darfler said the policy only covers librarian Susie Guttenberger, and does not extend to other staff.  She noted that even if another municipal organization allows them to join their group, the library will cover all the costs of the policy for Guttenberger.

"It's a very good policy," Darfler said.  "We don't have exact numbers on what that would cost us, but I don't think it would be more than we are paying.  Healthy New york is very expensive, and it's not such a great policy."

Darfler asked for any ideas or advice on finding a suitable policy.  

"My suggestion is that you try to go through the school district," said Deputy Supervisor Connie Wilcox.  "If you are on the BOCES agenda and if Groton is doing it a precedent is already set.  So I would think that they would approve that, but I am not in favor of the Town supplying insurance for the library staff."

Wilcox also suggested contacting Tompkins Insurance at Tompkins Trust Company, which provides insurance for the Town.  Resident Kelly Kheel  said that she buys her own insurance, and that people in small businesses are forced to pay large amounts to cover their families.  

"If she's making too much for Healthy New York, perhaps she can afford to buy insurance herself," she said.

Darfler said that costs abuot $1,000 per month, and the salary isn't really sufficient to consider that as an option.

"The bottom line is that librarian is not a particularly high paying job," Darfler said.  "But to have the benefits helps guarantee that we're going to keep people.  It will become a very attractive job with a mediocre salary and good benefits."

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