MEDINA – County commissioners approved a new health and wellness plan for county employees that they hope will pay dividends for both county workers and taxpayers.

The agreement approved Nov. 29 will pay Be Well Solutions of Cleveland up to $50,000 a year to institute a new incentive program which encourages county employees to adopt more healthy habits.

The Be Well program includes health risk assessments as well as coaching on weight loss, nutrition and tobacco cessation. Employees who take advantages of the health assessments and prescriptions for better health will get the financial benefit of a reduction in their contributions to their employee health care plans.

Be Well will be paid $72 for each county employee who participates in its various programs. County Administrator Scott Miller said that money will come out of the county’s health care fund.

“It’s a good deal for both the employees and the county,” Miller said. “The county will save hundreds of thousands of dollars in health care costs for every heart attack or cancer that is prevented.”

Literature from Be Well Solutions states the overwhelming majority of cancers, strokes, heart attacks and cases of diabetes are preventable. Its program is intended to reduce the risk of preventable disease and promote strategies for healthy aging. That in turn should lower the overall health care costs of its client organizations.

Leadership academy

Kyle White, an educator from the Ohio State University Extension, informed county commissioners of a 11-week training program her agency is planning for new government officials. The Medina County Local Government Leadership Academy will meet Thursday evenings beginning Jan. 19 at the A.I. Root Community Room in Medina.

Workshop topics to be covered include effective meetings, social media, crisis communications, ethics, zoning and conflict resolution. The cost is $275 for the entire program or $40 per class. More details about the academy can be found at medina.osu.edu.

Brownfield coalition

County commissioners agreed to partner with the City of Wadsworth in an application for grant funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to do brownfield assessments of commercial and industrial property. The assessment of possible chemical contaminants is a prerequisite to clean-up and redevelopment of some commercial land.

Appointees

Commissioners approved the appointments of new members to a series of volunteer boards and committees.

Sandra Thomas Fain was reappointed to a four-year term on the Medina County Board of Developmental Disabilities.

David Centner, Jeffrey Vogel, Cliff Nowak, Patricia Nahrstedt, Walter Schaedel, Louis DeLoss and Kent Patterson were appointed to two-year terms on the Medina County Drug Abuse Commission. Matthew Hiscock was appointed to serve as the City of Wadsworth’s alternate representative on the MCDAC.

Ralph Copley was reappointed to a one-year term on the executive committee of the Emergency Management Agency.

County Administrator Scott Miller was appointed to represent commissioners on the Medina Municipal Airport Zoning Board of Appeals.

Gino Faciana was appointed to a three-year term on the board of the Medina County Port Authority.

James “Cliff” Bellar was appointed to a one-year term on the board of Community Action Wayne/Medina.

Wayne Carroll was appointed to a four-year term on the Medina County Board of Developmental Disabilities.

Workers' compensation

Midwest Employers Casualty Company won a bid to provide the county with excess insurance for its self-insurance program for workers’ compensation. The annual premiums for the excess insurance are $64,650.

Personnel expenses

Commissioners authorized the expenses for several county employees to attend a series of out-of-town meetings and training seminars. Among them were $750 for Commissioner Pat Geissman to attend a three-day conference in Columbus, $450 for a Juvenile Court employee to attend a meeting in Columbus, $170 for two employees in the Planning Department to attend a workshop in Mayfield Village and $140 for a worker in the Office for Older Adults to attend a seminar on dementia in Cleveland.