Commission OK's New Health Plan

September 22, 2005

HUNTSVILLE — County Commission Monday night voted to offer a new health insurance coverage option for county employees, approved three resolutions paving the way for the Northeast Railroad Authority, and re-elected County Mayor Murphy and Commissioner Mike Slaven to leadership positions for the new year.

Those and several other matters were dealt with as the county legislative body met in regular monthly session at the Scott County Office Building.

After hearing a lengthy and detailed report from Commissioner Rick Keeton, who chairs the Insurance Committee, the commissioners voted to drop its existing provider and go with what was termed a “four-tier” policy offered by Cariten.

“We looked at various proposals . . . to see what was in the market place,” Keeton told his fellow commissioners. And the Cariten plan was felt “to best suit the personal needs” of county employees.

The goal, Keeton said, was to “make it affordable and to give access to health care without outrageous out-of-pocket expenses.” He added that the Cariten plan “was well received by employees.”

One option being offered, Keeton said, will allow for a single plan for just $80 a month (with $192 being contributed by county government).

Commissioners adopted a series of resolutions related to the formation of the Northeast Railroad Authority — to be composed of Scott, Anderson and Campbell counties and aimed at thwarting Norfolk Southern Railroad’s plan to abandon the former Tennessee Railroad line from Oneida to Devonia.

Resolutions approved included one to notify Tennessee’s Secretary of State of Scott County’s intention to participate in the railroad authority; another related to the formation of a board, which will have County Mayor Murphy and Huntsville’s Don C. Stansberry, III, as Scott County’s representative; and a third to ask the Tennessee Department of Transportation for grant funds which Mayor Murphy said were “essential to reopen rail service” in the event that National Coal Co. is able to purchase the line from Norfolk Southern.

The first order of business Monday night was to select a chairman and chairman pro tem of the commission for the upcoming year. Mayor Murphy and Commissioner Mike Slaven were reelected by acclamation to fill those two positions.

In other business Monday night, the commission:

• Voted to reject an ambulance from Wheeled Coach due to failure to meet specifications and to re-bid the unit;

• Voted to establish a $10 fee for criminal background checks done by the Scott County Sheriff’s Department, which matches the fee currently being charged for the service through the clerk’s office;

• Approved the use of a surplus school bus by General Session Judge Jamie Cotton’s Drug Court, which transports several adults to counseling sessions in Knoxville each week. Fuel will be provided by county government and the Drug Court will provide a qualified driver for the bus, according to the resolution;

• Approved the appointment of a six-member Task Force to explore ways Scott County can reduce fuel consumption. The Task Force members include Mayor Murphy, Ambulance Service Director Jim Reed, Finance Director Keith Jeffers, Commissioner Mike Slaven, Road Superintendent Dick Sexton and Sheriff Jim Carson;

• Voted to replace medal siding and insulation at the Scott County Ambulance Authority building in Oneida;

• Voted to remove a log play structure at the county-owned recreational park adjacent to Scott High School and purchase swing sets to replace it;

• Approved the adjustment of an “in lieu of performance bond” for inflation for the old Scott County Landfill in Helenwood;

• Approved adding a two-tenths of a mile section of Lonesome Dove Road near the Scott County Airport to the Scott County Road List, and giving Mayor Murphy the authority to accept the deeds to the property from the landowner;

• Voted to reappoint Norina Litton, Sharon Keeton and John Tate to the “Team 21” Economic Advisory Board; Joyce Keeton and Rodney West to the Scott County Seniors Board; and Vivian Smith to replace Connie McKinley on the Solid Waste Board;

• Approved the reappointment of Ron Keeton to a new two-year term as Scott County’s Veterans Service Officer;

• Approved appointments and created staggered terms of office for the 10-member Airport Board. Board appointments and terms were: Mack Byrd, first district, two years; John V. West, second district, four years; Ruth Brawner, third district, one year; Palm T. Phillips, fourth district, two years; Wayne King, fifth district, five years; Brom Shoemaker, sixth district, one year; George Taylor, seventh district, five years; Chuck Losey, at large, four years; Wayne Hughes, at large, three years; Dr. Tom Hall, at large, three years; and Commissioner Rick Keeton, one year;

• Voted to allow employees of the Senior Citizens Center in Oneida to be brought in as Scott County employees, with their salaries and benefits funded on a reimbursed basis to Scott County by the Senior Citizen Board;

• Awarded janitorial bids to three firms on a line item basis, with the lowest bid price being awarded the bid on that particular line item;

• Voted to ask Scott County Hospital officials to begin offering dialysis services upon the completion of a new hospital building;

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