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Home My WebLink About34-City Attorney ORIGINAL CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO - REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION From: JAMES F. PENMAN Subject: Request from former Police Detective Gina Meyer City Attorney For Payment of Lifetime Medical Expenses. Dept: CITY ATTORNEY Date: January 4, 2007 M/CC Meeting Date: January 8, 2007 Synopsis of Previous Council action: None. Recommended Motion: Adopt either Motion A, B or C. Motion A: Grant the request of former Police Detective Gina Meyer to pay 100% of her lifetime medical expenses which will also maintain and strengthen the morale of the City's police officers and other City employees; or Motion B: Approve the payment of former Police Detective Gina Meyer's entire monthly medical insurance premiums for a period not to exceed three years, without further approval by the Mayor and Common Council, which will also strengthen and maintain the morale of the City's police officers and other City employees; or Motion C: That the request for assistant former Police Detective Gina Meyer be denied. (CL Signature Contact person: Stephanie D. Easland Phone: 5355 Supporting data attached: Staff Report Ward: FUNDING REQUIREMENTS: Amount: Source: Finance: Council Notes: Agenda Item No. SDE/ed/RCA[MeyerGina.RCA.wpd] //9/0 -7 STAFF REPORT Council Meeting Date: January 8, 2007 TO: Mayor and Common Council FROM: James F. Penman, City Attorney DATE: January 4, 2007 AGENDA ITEM: Request from Former Police Detective Gina Meyer for Payment of Lifetime Medical Expenses On or about October 12, 2006 and December 14, 2006, the City Attorney received a verbal request from former Police Detective Gina Meyerthat the City assume the monthly payments of her health insurance plan. According to Human Resources, Ms. Meyer's monthly health insurance premium is $410.35 of which $80.80 is paid by the City and the remaining $329.55 is paid by Ms. Meyer. Next year, the City's contribution will be $99.00; however, based on past years, the total health insurance premium is expected to increase in an unknown amount, with the current premium amount being a 9% increase over last year's amount. Based on the current amounts, the approximate cost for Ms. Meyer's health insurance benefits for the next three years is $14,772.60. Subsequent to this verbal request, Ms. Meyer submitted a written request for payment of 100% of her lifetime medical expenses which is attached as Exhibit 1 to the Staff Report. Also attached as Exhibit 2 is a letter from Timothy Cloughesy, M.D. submitted in support of Ms. Meyer's request for assistance with her health insurance costs. Also attached to the Staff Report as Exhibit 3 is an authorization signed by Ms. Meyer allowing the Mayor and Common Council to discuss her medical condition in open session at the January 8, 2006 Council Meeting. Any action taken by the Mayor and Common Council to assist a former police officer with an exemplary record, such as Ms. Meyer in her unique and unusual circumstances, would be based on the benefit of maintaining and strengthening the morale of the City's police officers and other City employees. The following motions have been prepared for consideration by the Mayor and Common Council: Motion A: Grant the request of former Police Detective Gina Meyer to pay 100% of her lifetime medical expenses which will also maintain and strengthen the morale of the City's police officers and other City employees. SDE/ed/StaffReports[MeyerGina.StaffReport.wpd] 1 Motion B: Approve the payment of former Police Detective Gina Meyer's entire monthly medical insurance premiums for a period not to exceed three years, without further approval by the Mayor and Common Council, which will also strengthen and maintain the morale of the City's police officers and other City employees. Motion C: That the request for assistance by former Police Detective Gina Meyer be denied. Attachments i SDE/ed/StaffReports[MeyerGina.StaffReport.wpd] 2 EXHIBIT 1 December 29, 2006 To Mayor Patrick J Morris and City Council Members Dear Mayor and City Council Members, Refer: My Medical Benefits I am imploring you to consider my request for 100% Lifetime Medical. I am now requesting 100% lifetime medical. Medical expenses have continued for the past six (6) years and are expected to continue as long as I can continue to fight the cancer. I retired in October, 2000 on an Industrial Retirement, with 16 years of service My diagnosis as well as prognoses did not look good. As I was diagnosed with Gliobiastoma Multiforme in stage 4 (malignant brain tumor), my life expectancy at the time was less than three (3) months. Being a single mother of two very small children (ages 2 & 3 '/2) I felt and urgency to make decisions. The damage to my brain from the cancer, surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy did not allow me, nor was I capable of making decisions especially long term, should I be lucky enough to beat the odds that were against me. Please note that I was an officer whom was assigned to work the Cajon Pass/Duffy Train wreck and served search warrants on Narcotic Labs and such. Refer to my work history attached to this letter. Thank you, _ L Gina Feola Meyer EXHIBIT 1 Work History for Gina Feola Meyer City of San Bernardino Police Department 1984- 1989 Patrol Officer 1989 - 1991 Patrol Officer with the Community Response Unit (CRU) While working CRU I was assigned to work the Cajon Pass/Duffy train wreck along with 4 fellow officers, Whom also were diagnosed with cancer and have since died. 1991 - 1996 Undercover Narcotics Unit Buying and selling narcotics, serving search warrants Including residential, commercial and labs. 1996- 1997 Promoted to Corporal /Detective 1997 — 2000 Detective Bureau 1 . EXHIBIT 2 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA,LOS ANGELES UCLA ?LEG EIVED "Y A T_UR IN E BERKELEY-DAVIS-IRVINE-LOS ANGELES-RIVERSIDE-SAN DIE O!.S CI �j �� SANTA BARBARA-SANTA CRUZ ttt- 9'J s �a uc�r. TIMOTHY CLOUGHESY,M.D. UCLA SCHOOL OF MEDICINE ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR of NEUROLOGY REED NEUROLOGICAL RESEARCH CENTER DIRECTOR,NEURO-ONCOLOGY PROGRAM 710 WESTWOOD PLAZA,Suite 1-230 LOS ANGELES,CA 90095 December 22, 2006 Re: Gina Meyer UCLA#244-12-26 To: Mayor Patrick J. Morris and City Council Members Gina Meyer is a patient under my care in the UCLA Neuro-Oncology Program with a gtioblastoma multiforme (malignant brain tumor). Ms. Meyer is currently status post treatment with surgery, radiation therapy, and multiple chemotherapies. Due to Ms. Meyer's condition she suffers from chronic neurologic deficits that are not expected to change over time and she will require lifelong medical care for this condition. Ms. Meyer has limited power to the right upper and lower extremities. Ms. Meyer also has right foot drop which requires her to use an ankle-foot-orthotic device as well as a four point cane for safety. Ms. Meyer's gait demonstrates right sided hemiplegia and circumduction on the right leg, as well as increased tone and spasticity on the right side. Although Ms. Meyer has continued to demonstrate evidence of stable disease since 2001, her condition is guarded and the prognosis for glioblastoma is poor. If you should need any additional information regarding this case please contact my office at (310) 825-5321. Sincerely, It. Timothy F. Cloughesy, M.D., Associate Professor UCLA Department of Neurology, Neuro-Oncology Program Received: Jan 4 2001 05:00pm , JAN-04-2007 04 =48 PM BRIAN FITCH 91093729817 P. 01 rQA, EXHIBIT 3 AUTHORIZATION TO RELEASE MEPICA.L RECORDS I C � MEYER, hereby authorize the release of medical information as follows: 1 Entity who mny disclose Mform,ation: City of San.Hemardvno. 2. Medical information to be disclosed: Letter dated December 22, 2006 to Mayor Patrick J. Moms and City Council.Members fion�,Timothy V. Clougshesy, MAD., Associate Professor, UCLA )Department Of Neurology, Neuro-Oncology Program, my letter dated December 29, 2006 to the Mayor and City Council, and zy furthar inform t requested by the Mayor and Common Council in consideration of�tio my request to the City of San 13mardino for payment y life inaedical expenses. 3. Persons or entity who are to receive information: Mayor and Common Council of the City of Sao. Bernardino at the open session of the January 8, ?.007 Council Meeting. 4, Purpose of information received: To support my request to the Mayor. and Comm on Council to approve payment of my medical expenses fir the duration of my life. This authorization expires on: February 8, 2007. I have been advised of my right to receive'a copy of this authorization,. DATED ' ilia Meyer uU11 AUVI JU,jl�jjj rul(Ij if SDFi/rA�'v�eyer.MotR�loaeo,>Vuthonx�tion) i I i