Commissioner R. Payne Resigns

The Jasper County Commission convened for its regular monthly meeting Tuesday, with just three commissioners present.

Commissioner Ronnie Payne had e-mailed the others that morning saying he resigned, citing health reasons. A call to Mr. Payne Tuesday evening confirmed the resignation.
Commission Chairman Carl Pennamon said a special election will be held in November to fill the vacancy.
Commissioner Charles Hill had a work conflict and could not be at the meeting.

The commission named the four finalists for County Manager. They are Keith Daniel, Dennis Recker, Mark Eckert, and Josph Boyle.

Commissioners met in closed session to discuss personnel and pending litigation. When they came out they voted to give Larry Kaiser a 30-day notice that his services would no longer be required. He is to continue overseeing the Pitts Chapel Road project in the upcoming 30 days.
{{more}}

During the agenda comments portion of the meeting, Tim Horn said he recently purchased land on Loyd Cemetery Road. He said he has complained about the condition of the road, and that his complaints have fallen on deaf ears, and only Commissioner Alan Cox has shown any interest. It is a one lane road he said, and something needs to be done.

He said if you don’t have four-wheel drive you can’t get down the road, and he just wants it drivable. He said the county came out and graded it once, but the first time a dump truck rolled over it, the road was back like it was. He said it seems like the Public Works Director doesn’t care. “I need some help,” he said. He went on to say he paid taxes on the property once, and will again this year.

Later in the meeting when the commissioners discussed transportation, they agreed to try outsourcing some road maintenance, admitting that the county employs a limited number of people, and does not have the equipment needed to properly take care of the roads.

Commissioner Mary Patrick said that 90 percent of all complaints the commission gets is about roads. She said the people in the county have no confidence in the road department. She suggested the county consider getting RFPs (Requests for Proposals) from private contractors to do the work.

Commissioner Cox said he agreed with Mrs. Patrick and suggested they ask for a per mile cost of grading and for the cost of a truckload of crush and run.

County Attorney Jim Alexander reminded commissioners they had already done that when they accepted the unit price bids some months ago. He suggested they try using the unit price approach on a project or two and see how it worked.
The commissioners agreed the district commissioner would contact Public Works Director Larry Thurman who would contact the acceptable bidders and have them confirm what their cost would be to do the job. Commissioners agreed to move forward on Loyd Cemetery Road and Lane Road. (The bridge on Lane Road washed out last winter and has not been replaced.)

During the work session, commissioners discussed zoning ordinance amendments.

The commission had approved a text amendment initiated by a request from Lauren Warren that would allow a tack shop in an agricultural district. In discussing the text amendment, commissioners understood it would be approved as a special exception, each of which must come before the commissioners. However, when the new ordinance was passed, with the just approved amendment, apparently it allows a tack shop as a home occupation.

Mrs. Warren apparently immediately began work on the shop which will be located on her property at Hwy. 11 south and Goolsby Road.

Commissioner Patrick said she was almost accosted in the grocery store about the business. Mrs. Warren is apparently moving forward with her home occupation. Commissioner Patrick said the set-up is not what most people envision as a home occupation. The building is a quarter-mile from her home, said Commissioner Patrick. In addition, is had 1240 sq.ft. of heated space, and 1400 sq.ft. of unheated space. She said it seems one story was told to Planning & Zoning and other to the commission.

She said that when they approved it, they clearly said it was just for tack. Commissioner Patrick said that in the paper the shop is advertising livestock supplies.
There is a 2,000 sq.ft. limitation on accessory buildings for a home occupation. The commissioners weren’t clear if it is a special exception or home occupation.

In addition, as the commissioners discussed it, they said the foundation had been poured on Tuesday before the building permit was issued on Friday.

Mr. Alexander suggested they instruct code enforcement to put a stop work order on the building until they figure out what is going on.

(The commissioners asked Code Enforcement Officer Raymond Rogers to go out and measure the building during the meeting Tuesday. Mr. Rogers said he did, and it is 20×40, 2,000 sq.ft., just like the ordinance allows. Furthermore, he said, the commissioners were looking at the wrong building permit when they questioned the size of the building.)

Also during the work session, commissioners heard two proposals for the county health insurance from Kelly Fox, an insurance agent who works with the county to negotiate better rates and help employees to understand the insurance. Mr. Fox explained that because of the county’s loss ratio—109 percent last year, and never under 100 percent, several companies would not bid on the coverage. He said the county’s best option for the 2009-2010 insurance year was to stay with United health Care. He explained a few options to the commissioners, including one that is similar to what the employees now have and one that is a Health Savings Account.

He suggested that the county reduce its participation in the dependent coverage. Currently the county pays 100 percent of the premium for employees and 50 percent for dependents. Mr. Fox’s recommendation was for the county to pay only 33 percent of the dependent coverage.

He told them that United only allowed two options to be offered, so the commissioners agreed on the one that is similar to the current coverage and the HSA. This year, the commissioners will fund the HSA for employees at $1,000.
Under the HSA, there is a $1500 deductible, which is why the county is giving employees the $1,000 to take it. After the deductible the plan pays 100 percent. However, there are no co-pays, so when an employee or dependent goes to the doctor, he or she would have to pay the full amount until the deductible is satisfied. The concept with the HSA is that it puts the employee in charge of his insurance.

Under the other plan, employees only have to pay 10 percent out of pocket for services in network.
He also told them several products, such as life insurance and dental insurance, are not increasing in cost.
The county will not see much savings in cost this year, but next year plans to only offer the HSA which will result in a cost savings.

The last item on the work session agenda before the regular meeting was Courthouse Communications/AT&T, Giddens Consulting.

Chuck Giddens had first come to the commission last spring. He explained how the commissioners could save money by changing phone systems and reducing the number of DSL lines it is paying for while actually increasing capability. He said his pricing included “barracuda” an anti-virus software that would protect the county’s computers. He said the county would save $1,628 a month.

The plan he proposed would allow one phone system for the Courthouse and accessory buildings such as Planning and Zoning, and another system for the jail, 911 center, public works and senior center. He said if cash flow is a problem, they could do one at the time.

A representative of AT&T was also at the meeting. She confirmed what Mr. Giddens told the commissioners, and said she would work with him through the changes. They explained that during the changeover there would be no interruption in service. They will issue “dummy” numbers for testing the system before going live with it. Commissioners asked Mr. Giddens to come back with firm numbers.

Commissioners considered irrigation bids for the recreation complex. The recreation board had recommended one bid, but another bidder, Barry Young, was at the county commission meeting and asked that his bid be considered. He said his bid was $9,000 lower than the recommended one.

The bids ranged from a low of $36,800 to a high of $59,000, not counting Mr. Young’s which was not included in the bid documents commissioners received before the meeting. Recreation Director Ira Warnock said he felt like the recommended bidder was the most experienced, and could do the best job. He then went on to say that the low bidder would be doing it part-time, and that it would take too long. The commissioners questioned him extensively, maintaining that $19,000 savings is worthwhile. Mr. Warnock mentioned that there were a lot of fly-by-night people out there who wouldn’t stand behind their work. In response to a question about one bidder, Mr. Warnock said, “I don’t know them.”

The commissioners agreed to send it all back to the recreation board for re-consideration.
In other action at Tuesday’s meeting, commissioners:
•Named Gene Welch to the Board of Assessors to fill the position left vacant when Jody Claborn resigned.
•Reappointed John Moore to the Planning & Zoning Commission.
•Agreed to sign an intergovernmental agreement for 911 to complete its upgrade. Commissioner Patrick questioned shouldn’t the 911 authority stand on its own like the water authority? Emergency Services Director Ed Westbrook said that the state only allows $1.50 per phone to be charged, and that the fees cover about half of the 911 budget, and tax dollars cover the other half. Commissioner Patrick said then they guess they have no choice if the people want 911 service

•Agreed to advertise for landfill engineering services, asking for a Statement of Qualifications from engineers.
•Heard from Wes Chester about the lack of professionalism in the county by not preparing specs for bids.
•Appointed Planning & Zoning Board members to serve on the committee to study the flood plain maps.
•Heard from Commissioner Patrick on what a great job Lathaydra Sands had done in helping her compile the information she needed about curbside.
•Heard from Juanita Gazaway of the Alcovy Shores

Water/Sewage Authority. She said he had in mind to ask for the same amount of money from the county that the county had given the Jasper County Water and Sewerage Authority. But, shes went on to say that she had researched the County Commission minutes and other documents and could find no where that the commissioners approved any money for JCWSA.
She said the commissioners have a moral and legal obligation to the taxpayers of Jasper County, and expressed her opposition to the county funding JCWSA.