a monthly e-newsletter of the Young Professionals Network   |   February 2011

2011 MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS Voters throughout the area will have an opportunity to weigh in on important local races with the 2011 Municipal Elections. In South Bend and Mishawaka, voters this year will choose the Mayor, City Clerk, and all nine City Council positions. The same holds true for all other cities and towns in Indiana. The local races are already grabbing the attention of the voters, with the South Bend Mayor's race getting the most attention due to an already crowded field in the Democrat Primary Election. As of the date of this publication, no Republican candidates have filed to run. Announcing their intentions to run on the Democrat side are: • Ryan Dvorak, a five term State Representative and attorney at May Oberfell Lorber • Mike Hamman, a current St. Joseph County Councilman and former County Commissioner • Pete Buttigieg, a former candidate for State Treasurer • Reverend Barrett Berry, of the Pentecostal Cathedral In Mishawaka, Mayor Dave Wood has announced his intention to run on the Republican ticket, and State Representative Craig Fry has announced he will seek the Democrat nomination. The Chamber and YPN want to make sure both young professionals and the community have an opportunity to get to know the candidates prior to casting their vote and will host a Mayoral Forum for South Bend Mayor Candidates on Tuesday, March 29, 2011 in the Bendix Theater at the Century Center. In addition, another Mayoral forum will be held in the fall to include both South Bend and Mishawaka Mayoral candidates. The Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, May 3, 2011. Last day to register to vote for the Primary will be Monday, April 4, 2011. The General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 8, 2011. The last day to register to vote for the General Election will be Tuesday, October 11, 2011. You can register to vote by visiting the Secretary of State's website at: http://www.in.gov/sos/elections/2403.htm. EMPLOYERS FEEL IMPACT OF HEALTHCARE REFORM Insight provided by: Klaus Knuth, Keystone Insurance & Benefit Group, LLC (Mishawaka) Employees covered under their employers health plans started hearing about changes to their coverage brought about by healthcare reform last fall. Klaus Knuth of Keystone Insurance & Benefits Group, LLC in Mishawaka talks about three of the biggest issues employers are faced with under these changes. Starting in October 2010, healthcare reform changes what employers can provide for their employees' benefits. Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), there are many changes near the horizon, with the biggest changes coming in 2014. Contiguously, some of the changes will be relatively minor, while others may have more of an impact. The issue of whether or not a group plan will be able to retain their "Grandfathered Status" is an excellent example of a level of expertise most employers did not have at Christmas. The myriad of changes that go into effect before renewal for most employers means that the short-term costs of health care will be significant. The three biggest areas of concern are: Grandfathered status – Being able to avoid complying with many (but not all) of the immediate mandates require an employer to make very few changes to their benefits or expecting higher contributions to the health plan cost from your employees. The complex balance between losing status and higher costs of compliant health insurance will be one of the most difficult aspects of staying in compliance over the next three years. Dependent Children Coverage – the new law provides for your employee's children to be covered through the parent's health plan until they turn 26 years old. The scope of this requirement includes both providing notice to your employees of this new rule and reminding your employee of the scope of that coverage. But allowing a married child, who may even have children of their own, on to your health plan is something that makes many employers nervous due to higher costs. Preventative Testing at No Cost – this new benefit requirement (which only applies to non-Grandfathered plans) will be the most expensive aspect of PPACA. While encouraging earlier identification of high-cost medical conditions such as cancer, the mandate that these tests be provided at no cost to the employee or dependent will result in higher costs for health benefits.   Upcoming Events   YPN Power Lunch: Is South Bend Really Dying?  Thursday, March 24   |   11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. ITT Technical Institute $10/person   Newsweek magazine listed South Bend as #8 in its list of dying cities but is it really? Join other YPs in learning about the challenges our area faces as well as exciting things to look for in the future! Guest speakers, Karl King (who recently completed the Benchmarking South Bend Report) and executive director of Project Future, Pat McMahon, will focus on where South Bend stacks up compared to other cities. They will provide an update on where South Bend is headed as well as some of the real opportunities we have as a community in the future.   REGISTER Community Center DodgeBrawl Tournament February 19 - DodgeBrawl is a dodgeball tournament benefiting the Youth Service Bureau. The Adult Division is from 10 a.m - 4p.m. on Saturday, February 19 at Holy Cross College. More information can be found at www.ysbsjc.org. Downtown South Bend First Fridays: Carnival March 04, 2011 - Explore downtown South Bend's art galleries, restaurants, museums, shops, boutiques, salons and more. For a complete list of participating business and their specials and more information on their interpretation of this month's theme, visit dtsbfirstfridays.com. St. Paddy's Tent Party & Pub Tour March 11, 2011 - Kick-off your St. Patrick's Day celebrations in downtown South Bend. This year's party features live performances by Blessed Engine and Stillshot, a pub tour, festive drinks, food and fun. Click here for more info. On the River to Host Information Session March 2 - On the River (August 5-6, 2011) is seeking the help of a diverse group of people who desire to not only make a difference in their community but also those who wish to have a ton of fun in the sun! Come join On the River from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at Legends of Notre Dame for snacks, socializing and some information about how you might be able to get involved. Attendance at this meeting requires no additional commitment; however, at the conclusion of the session you will be given the opportunity to express how you might want to be involved. Please RSVP no later than February 23rd to info@ontheriverfest.com

Young Professionals Network
The Chamber of Commerce of St. Joseph County
401 E. Colfax Ave., Suite 310, South Bend, IN 46617