Fort Oglethorpe City Council has approved a health insurance contract for the city's employees that will see a 4.5 percent rise in health-care costs to the city.

"The original offer was for a nine percent increase,” city manager Ron Goulart said during the council’s May 11 meeting. “However, our claims history was really good and that allowed us to bargain for the lesser cost."

Co-pays and deductibles will remain the same as last year for individuals and their families.

The rise represents a total cost of $1,129,669 to the city budget.

The individual cost breakdown was $1,065,104 for health insurance; $40,318 for dental (a 2.6 percent rise); $10,435 for vision (a 4 percent increase); and $13,722 for life insurance (no change).

The city will have a new carrier for its commercial insurance in the coming year. Goulart said it was a choice between Selective and Travelers. "Travelers actually gave us better coverage on sewer backups," said the city manager.

Selective has a cap of $500,000 with $50,000 per incidence, while Travelers' cap is $1 million without a per incidence total.

In other business at the May 11 council meeting:

· Seven citizens were presented with certificates marking their successful completion of the police department's Citizens On Patrol (COP) program. These were: April Holmes, James Cameron, Jason Willoughby, Tim Nelson, Kimberly Benitez, Randall Dyer and Kaylyn Wade.

Officer Phil Langston is the supervisor of the Citizens Police Academy. Participants were able to see how crimes are solved, receive an understanding of the day-to-day operations of the department and receive firearms training.

With the recent arrests in two separate armed robberies over Memorial Day, several council members voiced their appreciation for the police department. Charles Sharrock said, "We lie between two very corrupt cities, Chattanooga and Dalton. And it's moving our way. I am very proud of the Fort Oglethorpe Police Department."

· These people were reappointed to the appeals board: Kenneth Dodd, Clarence Crump, Bryan Malone, George McDowell, John Davis and Ronald W. Bethune, alternate.

· The council reappointed these members to the Planning and Zoning Commission: Ed Kirkland, JoAnne Ezell, Don Payne and Steve Dennis.

· Council members voted to cancel the June 25 regular meeting due to the majority of its members attending the Georgia Municipal Association convention.