Statue Update and Healthcare
Jailer Randall Shive telling the court about county insurance problems. Photo by PJ Martin
By PJ Martin
Editor
The Herald-News
The Metcalfe County fiscal court met on Tuesday, March 11th in what is considered a special called meeting due to the date change. All magistrates were in attendance.
The agenda and after a moment of review the minutes from the February 27th meeting were approved.
The Metcalfe County Sheriff’s Office access fees were presented by office manager Lynn Lunz.
“Excess fees that we have, we have two checks for you. One is for the House Bill, 577, which is $10 you all get for each paper that we serve that one’s $3,220 and that leaves $28,856.64.”
The motion to accept the excess fees was made by Magistrate Kevin Crain, seconded by Magistrate Harvey Hawkins, and approved.
Next on the agenda was an update on the Tom Emberton statue.
Treasurer / Fiscal Court Clerk Page Edwards gave the update. “I spoke with Jason Neighbors earlier last week, and the Community Foundation had sent us out a check for $30,000…And we did get an invoice from the sculptor, where $20,000 is one payment and $10 is another. So that takes care of the second and third payments. We’ve paid down $5,000, so it originally started at 99 so this would be a total of $35,000 that we’ve paid on. Jason also said that both of Judge Emberton’s children have visited with the artist and discussed their excitement in the project.”
“He (sculptor) has sent me some pictures if you all want to look at them later. Just to keep in mind, this is not what the finished project will look like it’s a small-scale piece, to get a better idea on the posture of how the statue will be sculpted upon hands and face will be sculpted in clay before it’s cast.”
And just a reminder, the artist she works in the Smithsonian Museum…I’ll be sending that $30,000 check out today…This was raised and sent to us from the Community Foundation.”
The next item on the agenda concerned the health insurance for county employees and Jailer Randall Shive asked if bids could be taken, “I don’t know why we couldn’t. I don’t. Might get a better deal. Open it up for a bid, a health insurance instead of what we got.”
Edwards explained that if they choose another health insurance provider besides KACO, they would be required to stay out of the KACO plan for a length of time before they would be allowed back.
Shive explained his issues with the current insurance. “Last year, I paid $3,750 for my medical and then about $700 on my doctor bills. Insurance couldn’t help any of because we’ve got a $5,000 (deductible) last year I went to Pedigo Lessenberry, and he priced me a personal plan for $595 a month for $1,500 deduction, $5,000 maximum out-of-your-pocket. And at that rate, if we’re paying $1,000 a month for insurance, that would save $400 per employee. And if you got 20 employees, that’s $100,000 here, and save the county on insurance, I think it’s worth taking just a look at it.”
“…when I started, we had pretty decent insurance. It was through Mark Linkous down here, and then when we went to KACO, our insurance went to nothing,” exclaimed Shive.
Shive was asked if he had shopped around for a pharmacy and he replied, “Yes, I’ve got two different pharmacies that I deal with. Well, Walgreens out here, and medical arts, and both of them told me that I had the worst insurance of any county, state, or school employee that they had ever seen…I’ve got one bottle of medicine that I buy out of my pocket, because if I run it through my insurance is $128 a month every three months. If I buy it out of my pocket, it’s $19 something for three months prescription.”
Magistrate Ronnie Miller spoke up, “I don’t see the harm…I’ll make that motion that we take bids on the health care plan.”
The motion was seconded by Magistrate Daniel Bragg and it was approved.
The February financial statement and the budget transfers were approved. The planned closed session was canceled due to no changes in the property acquisition from the last meeting.
The inter-fund transfers included a matching amount of $1,146 for a spay and neuter grant received at 50/50. The inter-fund transfers and claims were approved.
Miller asked, “Are we making money or losing money on the recycling, or where we’re at?”
Edwards replied, “Well, we’re doing better than we have in a long time…Kim’s done a good job on trying new outlets and just different things.”
Solid Waste Coordinator Kim Jandt explained that the recycling center can now take the #1 plastic jugs such as milk jugs, clear water jugs and bottles, soda bottles, and anything clear. A load has already been sent and a load of mixed paper such as magazines, catalogs, and shredded paper was sent earlier and the payment has already been received.
Jandt is also working with the city to schedule a county-wide clean-up date sometime in April.
With no other business, the meeting adjourned.
