ASG elescions are next week
Poway couple keeps the beat
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Page 5
Volume 44, Number 2
Palomar College in search of new insurance policy
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By Fred Tracy News Editor
GETfiNG A
FA.CE·,L · IFT Top: Cement trucks came on to campuslast week to pour the foundation for the Bookstore's new wing. Bottom: Workers smooth out the freshly-laid foundation. : (Phot08' by ,Michael Bags tad)
Bookstore expansio'n~' under way . By Todd .Anderson
Schaeffer also stated that "nearly 2,500 students a day pass through theBookstore during the Staff Writer rush."Thatmeans nearlylO.OOOstudents a week Good news has. arrived from the Bookstore: pass through the six. registers that the store has for there shouldn'tbe any reasonforstudentsto wait textbook sales. This is the main reason for the in the "Disneyland~" style line to buy books next bottleneck experienced when buying books. semester, like the .line that was experienced this The renovation should make the task ofbuying semester; books quicker "without a price increase on either The first of a two-phase Bookstore renovation the text books or the storemerchandise," Schaeffer project is expected to be complete by Nov .15, said. "Through negotiations with the College's according to Mike Schaeffer, asssistantdirectorof Go-yemingBoard and Mike Gregoryk;vice presithe Bookstore~ and to be fully operational by dent of finance and administrative services, the . .. . . . ·•·• Bookstore will not raise prices (to pay for the Jan.15, 199 L As de~cri6edinplans submitted to the Associ- renovation)." atedStmlent Governmentlast se1TI.ester, the reno- . . The.Bookstore stafffeels that ..iherestructuring . .rati.9P w~1lbti!lg addition ()f§,QQO squarJieet . itself should bring in additional sales, which would to the rear of the bliilding, wffich will beCome the>·. help payfor the renovation qtiickei·." Phase two of nev,f textboo~ ~tof#ge and sales area. The ilew.·. theprojectcannotbeginuntilphaseon~has!Qtall)' .• builging will houseJ6 propOSed . cash . paid for. . . .·.·. .. tegjster$,whicij is~oliblewh*th¢ storehasri.ght ·lf we<tthe(condition~ pennit,. the .J:!oo~to~ tt9\Y,solelyJorpurposeoftextboO"'saies. .·.· should~ fm~hed and operationalbyJan. 15 at
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Tensions were relieved Wednesday following a meeting between College staff and administration over the College's impending health insurance problems. The College was faced last year with unexpected and catastrophic claims that have nearly depleted the available claims fund for this year. The meeting was called to address faculty and staff concerns about proposed increases in health benefit costs, and potential decreases in benefits. Mike Gregoryk, vice president of finance and administrative services, told the staff that the College will search for other insurance providers to provide quality services at minimal costs to the employees. Gregoryk said that during the last three years the College chose to give employees raises instead of making additional payments into the claims fund. Gregoryk said there isn't enough money in the claims fund now to carry the College through the rest of the year. College officials are proposing changing insurance companies to cut costs. At the meeting on Wednesday, staff conceded to a change, but demanded that the College stick with its current providers through the end of the year.
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Gregoryk also said staff mem· bers, including himself, were concerned about losing their Blue Cross cards over another, lessknown insurance plan.
Health concerns raised by personnel at library By Tracy Wilson Editorial Page Editor Palomar College has ordered another study of the working conditions in the Library and have ordered employees working there to keep daily health logs. These logs will be analyzed to determine any possible action, including correcting the ventilation in the building. Since 1984, a year after the Library opened, employees began to report health problems incurred while working in the building. The College has made several attempts over the years to discover the rea~ sons and a solution to these health
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Between now and then, the College should seek-out other options for insurance. Gregoryk was pressed to find financial resources in the budget to be able to cover claims through the end of the year. "How do we get through the end of the year?" Gregoryk asked. "We're going to have to do something by Dec. 1, and I don ' t know what that something is." Gregoryk said that the College ' s Budget Advisory Committee would have to meet to find money from the budget and funnel the money into the claims fund. A task force on health insurance will meet to recommend plans in finding other insurance providers. Concerns were raised at the meeting about finding an insurance carrier to provide quality services without employees having to pay more than what they are paying now. Palomar offers a self-insurance plan in conjunction with Blue Cross, and health maintenance organization options (through Kaiser and Peak). Gregoryk said the costs of having Blue Cross administer the self-insurance plan ' is too high.
problems. Judy Cater, director of the Library, attributes the reported illnesses to "sick building syndrome," a condition normally associated with enclosed buildings that lack adequate ventilation. Environmental toxicologist Dr. Michael Sullivan has been hired by the College to compile a record of the daily health conditions of the staff working in the Library. Each worker fills out a form at the end of each work day which records the presence and degree of symptoms that are experienced on a daily basis. According to Jane Engleman, (see HEALTH-page 3)