DECATUR - The Decatur City Council will vote today on a deal to sell the Decatur Conference Center and Hotel to a Forsyth developer.

Under the proposal, Steve Horve, president of Horve Hospitality Management Inc., would become owner of the complex on Decatur's far-west side.

In October, the council voted 4-2 to allow Horve to manage the hotel while it looked for a buyer, and Horve expressed interest in purchasing the property within a year.

The council voted 4-3 in August to purchase the financially distressed hotel for $6.5 million, ensuring that it would not go on the auction block.

The total cost of the purchase is $7.225 million, including improvements, capital reserves and financing costs.

Mayor Paul Osborne has said the city would recover "every penny" spent on the hotel under the deal.

Horve would like to secure a franchise name for the hotel and is investigating the construction of a water park to flank the complex.

In other business, the council also will vote on a new health insurance plan for city employees.

The council last week reviewed insurance bids from Decatur-based Consociate/Dansig and Behnke & Co., and Springfield-based Troxell & Co.

City Manager Steve Garman has recommended Consociate's proposal, saying it would be less expensive than competitors' plans.

But several union leaders back Behnke's proposal, saying it would offer cost savings.

Council members gave few clues at a study session last week about which plan they are backing.

The council also will vote on a cable franchise agreement with Insight Communications today.

The city has been negotiating a cable franchise agreement with Insight Communications since an agreement expired in 2003.

Under the agreement, the city will receive about $750,000 to go toward public programming over the next decade, Assistant City Manager Billy Tyus said.

The city council last year rejected a cable franchise agreement with Insight.

The previous agreement lacked adequate funding for public access programming, among other shortcomings, council members have said.

The council also will repeal an earlier cable franchise agreement with AT&T.

A recent state license supersedes the city's agreement with AT&T, Tyus said.

Mike Frazier can be reached at mfrazier@herald-review.com or 421-7985.