Fitbits for Marion city employees get council OK

MARION - The Marion City Council, on a 5-2 vote Thursday, agreed to spend more than $19,000 on electronic fitness tracking devices for employees, but not without questions from some council members about whether taxpayers should be footing the bill for such incentives.

As part of the city's well-being program for full-time employees, workers who complete initial activities such as a health screening would receive a Fitbit fitness tracking device and a $100 bonus. City Administrator Lon Pluckhahn said well-being programs have been shown to reduce insurance costs for businesses, and that's the goal with this one.

Fitbits are worn on the wrist or belt and use mathematical calculations to measure the body's movements digitally. That information then is used to show patterns of movement - the number of steps taken, the distance traveled, the amount of calories burned and sleep quality.

The program also has potential to reduce property taxes for Marion because the city's employee benefits are tied to the employee benefits tax levy, he said.

'One of the things to keep in mind is that the intent of the well-being program is to reduce taxpayer expenses by reducing future health insurance cost increases,” Pluckhahn said at the City Council's work session Tuesday.

But council member Mary Lou Pazour and Mayor Snooks Bouska both objected, saying taxpayer money shouldn't be used to give Fitbits to employees.

'I am really against this,” Pazour said. 'I don't believe taxpayers look at this as ... their money being well spent.”

Bouska said it's unfair for taxpayers to pay for something that will benefit only a small number of people - city employees.

'City employees will be fittest in the city and the populace will be paying for it,” Bouska said.

Council members in support of the incentive said the program could result in lower health insurance costs in three or four years.

'The employees of our city are important, and I think we should be investing to help make them better,” council member Joe Spinks said.

In other business Thursday, the council approved a pole attachment agreement with Verizon to install small, can-shaped antennas on light poles, believing them to be less intrusive than tall cellphone towers.

Locations for the antennas haven't been determined. The city council set a public hearing date on the agreement for Sept. 17.