In the September 10th Clarke County Board of Supervisors meeting, the board voted to hire Benefits Management Group to handle the county employee insurance instead of Clarke County Insurance Agent Mike Williams who’s held the county insurance for 22 years.
The new plan will change the employee medical insurance from United Health Care to Blue Cross Blue Shield and will save the county $36,000. Under the new plan and with the added gap plan, employees will have a $0 deductible and no co-insurance. Along with the new plan, employees and their dependents will have the added benefit of telemedicine visits with board certified physicians 24/7/365 days of the year at no cost to the employee. This will save time off work and potentially avoid ER visits.
Tax Assessor Hope Herrington informed the board that all of her reports, along with Chancery and Circuit records that are stored on the AS400, which is the server for the courthouse, somehow disappeared. These reports went back to 2012, and many of these records are still used. She noticed this about three weeks ago and informed Slade Barnett, computer manager for the county, but stated his office has not looked into the problem as far as she knows. She stated she has received no updates from them and has had to call several times to try to get information on the problem. Barnett stated on the phone in the meeting that his team has worked on solving the problem but has had no luck yet.
Public Defender Kathryn McNair resigned as of August 29. Michael Grace was then hired to fill the position. Grace stated in a letter to the board that he decided not to accept the position of public defender due to slanderous statements and comments made about him and his ability to practice law by certain members of the board and the sheriff’s department. Grace advised those individuals to seek legal advice regarding personal liability and defamation litigation. Due to an emergency situation, Judge Wright wanted to extend McNair’s contract through this court term. The board approved a motion to rescind their prior motion to accept McNair’s resignation and reappoint McNair as public defender at the request of Judge Wright.
Other items on the agenda included:
• Acknowledged that Todd Kemp hired Jason Bridgeman full time. He has been working for the sheriff’s department part time for four years.
• Supervisors, along with Economic Development, got an appraisal on the old Quitman Knitting Mill building to decide if to sell it to Jason and John Smith with Quitman Tank Solutions. The appraisal was for $1,050,000. Jason advised that the roof still leaks and needs a new roof and to take this under advisement. A new roof will cost $500,000.
• Approved the cremation of a person that died in the county and that had no family who would claim the body.
• Approved EMA Director David Sharp checking with the fire departments to see if they would consider being a shelter during hurricanes or other weather emergencies. Sharp would oversee the shelters if ever the case.
• Approved purchase of an ice maker for EMA office, fire turnout gear and a cell phone for Sharp, and 10 radios for EMA at $2739 each.
• Director Sharp is checking into a grant that would help pay for equipment that would provide a text to 911 software, and also a mobile mapping software for the E911 address office. The total cost will be over $80,000. The grant from MEMA would give $45,388. The county’s cost would be around $40,000. The board approved for Sharp to move forward with the project.
• Director Sharp requested the board purchase a contract with a company that would provide local emergency texting services that they could send out emergency information to county residents. The contract would cost $5300 yearly. Supervisors approved moving forward with the project.
• Approved to purchase Class A and Class B foam for firetrucks $8691
• Sharp advised the board that the fire truck specs they had previously approved is not sufficient. He advised the chiefs wanted E1 firetrucks which can be purchased under state contract for Quitman, Clarkdale, East Quitman, Shubuta, and Harmony. These trucks would be purchased through a CAP loan through East Central Planning and Development. The supervisors took this under advisement.
• Accepted the resignation of Payroll Clerk Susan Bonner after a heated discussion between Supervisors Darrick Marshall, Mickey Long and Bonner. During discussion over the county insurance, Bonner confronted the board over waiting until the last minute to decide insurance and needing a decision that day. She also stated in the meeting that Long previously hollered at her and she will not tolerate it anymore. After heated discussion between her and Marshall, Bonner resigned. When Bonner asked if she needed to finish payroll before leaving, the board immediately stated they accept her resignation, with the exception of Joel Speed who voted against, and Paul Mosley who was absent.
Supervisor Lorenzo Carter accused Speed of having meetings with other employees about county issues and not including all Supervisors.
“There are meetings with other supervisors that we are not getting all the facts and information. There have been meetings in that office in there, and we had no idea what was going on,” added Carter.
“You accused me of something that is not the truth. The only thing I have talked to her (Bonner) about is the Cares Act money and the percentages for the meeting I’m going to tomorrow so I wouldn’t be lost, and truthfully, that wasn’t very nice of you saying I was having secret meetings,” stated Speed.
Carter apologized to Speed.
“It would probably be easier for us to make decisions if all five supervisors were given the same information,” stated Long.
After a longer heated discussion between Speed, Long, Carter and Marshall, the meeting was recessed to Friday, September 10.
• Approved to hire Porsha Jones as payroll clerk
• Approved changes to the employee handbook
• Approved the fee-in-lieu agreement from Cane Creek Solar
• Approved to hire Horne CPA Group to oversee the Cares Act money spending
• Approved to hire McKenzie CPA for the Clarke County Airport audit
• The board discussed the upcoming fiscal year budget that is required to be approved by September 15. The supervisors will cut the budget instead of raising taxes 2 mills.
• Approved for Beaverdam Water Assoc to use the Beaverdam Fire House for their annual meeting
The Clarke County Board of Supervisors meetings are open to the public. They are held every first and third Monday of each month at 9 a.m.
