WILDOMAR ---- A Northern California-based insurance provider, Nocito Benefit Insurance Services, will help the city of Wildomar's future employees secure medical, vision and dental benefits.

Nocito Benefit ---- based in the Sacramento suburb of Carmichael ---- was one of two firms that were identified by city staff as qualified to provide a "full array of benefit programs for current and future city employees."

The other firm, San Bernardino-based Pacific World Insurance Services, features a representative who lives in Wildomar, Jerome Mostero, but a subcommittee of City Council members Marsha Swanson and Sheryl Ade, determined that Nocito Benefit was a better fit for the city.

The rest of the council approved the subcommittee's recommendation during Tuesday's regular meeting, voting 5-0 to ink a deal with Nocito Benefit.

The city has not yet hired its first employee but the city's director of administrative services, Terry Fitzwater, has been tasked with preparing the city for that eventuality.

During the discussion before the vote, Mayor Bob Cashman asked where Nocito Benefit is based.

Cashman was told by Swanson and City Manager John Danielson that the main office is a "plane ride away."

But they said the location of the office won't have an effect on the ability of the city's employees to use local doctors, dentists and health care providers.

That was a key consideration for Swanson, she said during the meeting.

Swanson on Friday said the subcommittee tried to "stay local" and she called Mostero a "very nice gentleman," but she said the only program mentioned by Mostero during the interview was Kaiser Permanente's suite of health plans and services.

In comparison, Vince Nocito of Nocito Benefit offered three different health management organization and preferred provider organization plans.

"It was so much more complete; he gave our employees so much more choice," Swanson said. "At some point, some of these things will come back, but until then, we're looking for the best price and the best people to get us on solid ground before we make some of those changes."

Nocito, contacted Friday at his office, said he will be an advocate for the city's employees, answering any questions about their benefits.

As an independent broker, Nocito said he can offer the employees a wide variety of programs, from medical and dental to vision and long-term disability.

Talking about the distance separating his office from Wildomar, Nocito said it won't be a big deal.

"They selected the firm that they thought could provide them with the best solutions and added value benefits representing the city," he said.

Paula Wilson, owner of a Temecula-based health insurance agency and a member of the Inland Empire Association of Health Underwriters, said she has clients in the Bay Area, so managing benefit programs for a company on the other end of the state shouldn't be a problem for Nocito Benefit.

Wilson said computer programs allow her to look at forms on her clients' computer screens, guiding them through anything that might be confusing while discussing the issue on the phone.

Contact staff writer Aaron Claverie at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2624, or aclaverie@californian.com.