Sep 19, 2022
STEUBENVILLE – Jefferson County commissioners are going to share the wealth with employees in November and December, covering their health insurance premiums for the final two months of 2022 with some of the money they’ve been able to save through more prudent management of the once-beleaguered fund.
Commissioners said the payment waiver is only possible because the county’s self-insured plan is posting a surplus — currently about $6 million, but most of that they hold in reserve as a buffer against “unfortunate, catastrophic illnesses” among insured employees. Commissioner Tom Graham said.
Nearly two decades ago the county didn’t have the fund backstopped and it ended up $10 million in the red.
“The reason we have (the surplus) is for catastrophic illnesses,” said Graham, who chairs the county’s health insurance committee. “We didn’t do that before, that’s why we had to borrow money and went into debt. We’ve changed the plan so we have money left over for catastrophic illnesses, unfortunate catastrophic illnesses, but we don’t want it to get to such a point where it’s huge (surplus) so that’s why we’re able to give back.”
He said they need to keep at least a $5 million balance to cover those big-ticket costs.
“I give Commissioner Graham a lot of credit,” Commissioner Dave Maple said. “This was really starting to get fixed before I ever took office, but (the deficit) was big news. One of the worst things was how it hurt the county – at one time it was hurting our credit rating, it was hurting our ability to borrow, so to see it in such healthy condition, I appreciate Commissioner Graham’s involvement and continued involvement, it’s come a long way. It’s also the behavior of employee, we appreciate them doing the best they can do to stay healthy and when they aren’t, they’re doing the best thing to get healthy.”
Graham said his health insurance committee meets every other month to monitor the plan’s health “and make adjustments when necessary.” He said they haven’t had to boost employee premium rates in three years, and said this is the first time in three years the county has been positioned to grant a premium waver.
“I think it’s fantastic,” Commissioner Tony Morelli said. “It shows good management of our health plan which, every year, is of more importance to every family. (The waiver) shows we’re well run and well managed, like Commissioner Graham said. “I’d like to see who else is waving their premiums for two months, there can’t be a lot of them.”
Graham said the waiver will be a welcome break for employees.
“With inflation the way it is, right around Christmastime it’s going to be a good break for our employees who’ve made sacrifices with healthcare.”
Commissioners also discussed the success of the 2022 county fair and the need for a new small animal show barn addition at the fairgrounds, and authorized McKinley & Associates to design the structure, advertise it “and go forward from there to get it done.”
The proposed 7,200 square foot structure is currently figured to cost around $250,000, though the Fair Board’s Debbie Hukill said they’re hoping that, somehow, bids come in below the McKinley & Associates estimate.
The fair board’s Debbie Hukill said they envision a metal building, with one side used primarily for rabbits and the other with chickens. A pavilion would divide the spaces.
“I did some research, we have 863 projects that go through that barn,” Hukill told commissioners. “Right now we are just jamming them in down there. It’s really not that safe for the animals, it’s a constant battle to keep them cool.”
Hukill said when 4-H’ers show their rabbits and chicks, “literally, we just have people everywhere. The area is just too small for what we need to do.”
She said the pavilion area would allow year-round use, “not just fair week.” The space would be used for dog training and meetings.
“It would be utilized all summer, and it would open up the building it’s in right now for storage,” she added.
Hukill said the fair board was “lucky enough to get a $45,000 grant from the state that we plan to put toward this,” but that money doesn’t have to be spent until 2023.
Maple balked at the idea of a $25,000 lump sum design fee.
“I’m not against the $250,000 estimate,” he said. “That’s OK. It’s just the $25,000 lump sum.”
But Graham pointed out they have to have the design to put the project out for bids, and Morelli said he wouldn’t mind trying to find an architect to find out if that’s too much money to pay for the design services, “but (costs) would just go up again.”
“That $250,000 not real yet, it’s an estimate,” Morelli said. “I’d like to see what the cost is.”
Maple said he’d rather the payment be “10 percent of the estimate, rather than a lump sum. but I guess we can deal with that when they bring the contract (to us).”
Hukill, meanwhile, told commissioners they had a “great fair.”
“Last year we built a new draft horse barn with state money and our money, we added 50 stalls,” she said. “We have 75 stalls for junior fair horses – this was the first time in history those stalls were full except for two stalls. We had an open class horse show last (12 hours), it was the biggest show there.”
Hukill said the fair’s reach is growing, “but every year it’s contingent on weather.”
They figure at least 30,000 people passed through the gates.
Also during last week’s meeting:
* At Department of Job and Family Services Director Michelle Santin’s request, signed off on her plan for spending a $91,000 state award meant for recruitment and retention of employees within the Children Services Department.
Santin told commissioners she’d like to earmark $40,000 for retention bonuses for the 30 employees now on staff; offer 10 potential new hires a $2,000 signing bonus; and spend $10,000 on recruiting staff, $7,300 for “agency culture and climate initiatives, and offer $500 bonuses for the first-time employee referrals. She also wants to purchase three virtual reality headsets.
The plans have to be submitted to the state by Sept. 30. Santin said the funds have to be spent by June 30.
* Authorized Jefferson Water and Sewer District Director Mike Eroshevich to “put a contract together” so Empire officials will be able to turn off water service to households that aren’t paying their sewage bills.
Maple said Empire residents have sewer service through the village but not water, “so when people don’t pay their bills, they have have no recourse without county involvement.”
“We do it in Mingo Junction,” he added. “It really will help Empire control their losses due to people not paying their bills.”
* Learned the county broadband task force has chosen a consultant. The task force, being steered by Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission, chose Reed Consulting for the job.
Morelli said the firm is “very well known in the state as far as doing mappings, having knowledge of broadband in the state.”
“Part of his job is to go out and secure funding, secure grants,” Morelli said, adding they’d scheduled an emergency meeting to discuss a grant opportunity the company already identified.
Morelli said the price tag for getting broadband to every household that wants had previously been estimated at more than $50 million, “so we’re going to be at the mercy of getting some of these grants.”
“It’s a big number, but it’s doable,” he said. “These days there’s a lot of money out there for that.”
He pointed out broadband has become a higher priority for a lot of people, including the state of Ohio, since the pandemic, when school children had to work at home, “so we’re making progress.”
He said the task force and Reed will develop a project list and go after funding accordingly.
“Part of their job is to see how many of these projects there are, what they think is the best and most economical way” to get them done.
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