AUGUST 28-SEPT. 1, 1980 ,
City'didn't pay bill; insurance·.cancelled
B1 Ber1aice KrII .....
The Benton Harbor City
Commission, Monday, August
20, put d mage control at the
top of its eeklyagenda.
City official found out last
eek their employee had no
life insurance hen the widow
of former public afety direc­
tor Fred Relli complained sbe
could not collect on a S5,000
poticy provided police and
firefighters .:
Seems tbe city didn't pay
the premium and have been
without coverage since Oc­
tober ..
. The commi sion gave the
City' Finance Director,'
Michael Vance penni sion to
go ahe d and get temporary
life in urance from tbe Con­
necticut-ba ed Travelers In-
urance Company for no more
than 30 days, until the city has
time to get bids out. The in­
surance would co t the city
about SI,400 a month, dou­
bling the fee what the city was
paying previou ly.
VA CE 'AID liE ques­
tioned he th r to ge t tem­
porary coverage in ca e a
claim wa filed or should the
city wait and bid it out, which
will take about another 30
days.
Commi ioner George'
Wy inger said he wa not
going to it another 30 days
without coverage to ave a
"nickel and dime".
The City was insu ed ith
the Fort Dearborn Life In­
surance Co. of Cbicago, but
wa cancelled for non-pay­
ment, according to Commis­
sioner George Wysinger.
"This' S 1 ,400 per month i
extremely high in my opinion,
but the rates for Fort Dearborn
Life might have increased bad
the company not discontinued
the policy at the beginning of
the year," id Vance.
The commission learned
about the insurance problem
whem Ci ty Manager Steve
Manning ked for consens
approval at a previous com­
mission or hop to pay a
S5,000 claim that was filed by
a deceased city employee'
wife. The claim was paid from
the city coffers.
COMMISSIO 'ER Ralph
Crensha said "bei ng in the
situation that the City is in,
they should get some kind of
coverage as oon as possible."
"I just don't think it's good
judgement to sit back and say,
, 'Let's take a chance. '" he aid.
"This is the worst piece of
business handling that I've
seen si nee I have been on this
commission." aid Commis­
sioner Charles Yarbrough.
"This is totall y uncalled
for, we had the money to pay
these premiums - why in the
hell isn't it paid for." he said.
"Whoever had this job ought
to be fired and run out of town
rShop
��74 74 WALL STREET
CHl.MENS HAIR� ��J·=CUT All STYLES
� - ClR. - WASH & SET - WOMEN'S EYEBROWS ARCHED
ClR..S BY APPOINTMENT
on a rail."
ayor William Wolf ac­
cused Yarbrough of calling tbe
pres and contacting Fort
Dearborn Life Insurance
Company.
"I believe those commis­
sioners ho called the media
and the insurance company
did a disservice t the city,"
said Mayor Wol f.
IN OTHER BUSINESS
tbe commis ion voted to ac­
cept $424,800 from tbe
Micbigan Department of
Natural Resource to pay for
improvement to Ea tbank
Riverfront Project on River-
view Drive. .
The $424,800 will be used
for the development of park­
ing area and sidewalk,
boardwalks, boardwalk exten-
sions, lighting and handrails,
fishing deck, picnic shelter,
table and benches, irrigation
system and various site im­
provements.
The commission also voted'
to approve:
- A Rental Rehab grant for
Ruby Burks at 643 E. Main
St., for he amount of S11,210
to cover one-half the cost to
rehabilitate ber property. The
loan is contingent upon Mrs.
Burks' obtaining matching
funds. G.B.M. Construction'
Company won tbe bid to do
the rebab.
- To accept propertie that
are being returned from the
City's Homestead Program at
833 Edgecumb, 475 Paw Paw,
525 E. Empire nd 571 Niles
Ave.'
Agreement' restores
service to poor
8y Bernice Brown
Co"espondenl
BENTON HA BOR -In an
effort to restore ervice
formerly performed by the
now defunct and bankrupt
area Action Agency to erve
low income pc n in Berrien
County, the city and Benton
Charter Town hip became
partner. .
On Monday, August 20, the
Benton Harbor City Commis-
, sion voted to enter in an inter­
local agreement with Benton
Charter Township to e tablish
and operate a countywide
Community Service Agency.
The agreement shall be in
effect for five years from the
effective date of agreement
unless terminated by either
party upon giving otice in
Continued 0
WILLIE'S
APPLA CES
(616) 926-1936
303 pjpe to Road - Benton Harbor, I 49022
lEASI G
,u 110.
Cannady .
28190 troit Rd .• Niles. . hig.n
616-683-5913
s
ATTOR EY and COUNSELOR AT LAW
K. ORRI GAVI
GENERAL PRACTICE OF LAW
C II 616/92 7143
505 E. E
ICHIGAN CITIZEN: PAGE 15
I
, .
AD oms
plan lunch
BENTON HARBOR-The
MAD oms Inc., (Mothers
Again t Destruction) will
have a membership campaign
luncheon on Saturday, August
25, from 11 a.m. to 1 :30 p.m.
in the Benton Harbor Public
Library Auditorium, 215 Wall -
Street.
The purpose of the lunch­
eon is to solicit members and
to discuss the. most common
concern which affect women
and children.
Donation for the luncheon
is $3.00.
The main purpose of MAD
Moms is to: .
- To educate against the
effects and danger of drug
abuse, both illicit drugs and
alcoholism.
I
- To ease the tension of
Black on Black crime, youth
violence and treet violence.
- To protect and defend
African American children
through prevention and inter­
ventional mea urers.
- To mobilize at-ri k
Black youth into a rna
movement to defray the death
penalty of life violation.
- To rally on a monthly
ba i , educating the Black
community to involve them­
e lve in liberation revolu­
tionary 'truggle for human
improvements.
- To encourage all con­
cerned women in the welfare
of Black youth nd th overall
communHy. 925-7239.
I,
Come 011 do .... to:
JOE'S II81'II"
uty
161 P on
For the BEST hlliT Ctft ••
Mon& Tue &&Thur- M
OOMd w.dnnday
CURlSPECW..
DICKEY
REALTY
GROUP