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BUCKHANNON -- The Upshur County Commission voted to return to PEIA insurance effective with the next fiscal year, a move that is expected to result in more savings in future years.
The county had been part of a self-insurance risk pool since 2012 but costs had risen to $2 million in the most recent fiscal year.
At the most recent commission meeting, commissioner Sam Nolte made a motion to go with PEIA beginning with the next fiscal year which was seconded by commissioner Kristie Tenney and passed unanimously.
County administrator Carrie Wallace said the employees will have their choice of the seven plans under PEIA although Plan C, as discussed in a recent meeting, is the most economical.
"When you offer PEIA, you have to offer all seven plans and the employee gets to choose," she said. Based on the last fiscal year costs, under EBSO, the deductible was $500 for single and $1,000 for family coverage. The maximum out-of-pocket cost was $2,495 for single and $4,990 for family.
With plan C of PEIA, the deductible is $1,400 for single and $2,800 for family. The maximum out-of-pocket cost is $2,500 for single and $5,000 for family. However, the county will contribute $2,000 for single and $4,000 for family to the HSA/HRA account.
Plan C is also the only one that has the HSA and HRA.
Wallace said any savings will likely not be realized in the next fiscal year.
"In the FY21 fiscal year, they are probably not going to save anything," she said. "Because they are self-insured right now, they are liable for claims from this fiscal year all throughout the following fiscal year. Our acceptable billing practice for physicians is 12 months so if you go to the doctor this year, the insurance may not process that payment until next year. We will have to carry our insurance for both EBSO, our self-insurance, and PEIA next year. After that, it could save a substantial amount of money. Our estimate is in the low $800,000 range and currently we are anywhere between $1.4 and $1.8 million at our worst case scenario."
The commission also accepted the resignation of Hunter Ryan Fletcher as deputy sheriff, effective immediately.
Sheriff David Coffman said Fletcher had been hired in October and was accepted to go to the West Virginia State Police Academy this month for 16 weeks of basic training where he failed their physical agility test and could not complete the academy.
"The very first thing those men and women do when they report there is a physical agility test," he said. "It's basically the same test we give them before we hire them here. He didn't pass it last week."
Deputy Cole Bender is at the police academy now.
The commission approved Thursday to allow Coffman to move forward with creating a civil service roster for future hires.
The testing will be advertised for three consecutive weeks and Coffman said the physical agility test will be administered Feb. 29.
For those who pass the physical agility test, they will then be given the written exam the same day.
"We will probably not have a [civil service] list until the middle of March," he said.
If the person hired from the civil service list is not a certified police officer, then that person would need to complete the police academy as well.
"It could be a very long process," Coffman said.
Carey Wagner, representing the Elkins Road PSD, and Cary Smith, representing Region VII Planning and Development Council updated the commission on the expansion in its district.
The project consists of a new office building, refurbishing two water tanks, extending water to Winery Road, Radabaugh Ridge, Handy Camp, Upper Sand Run, crossing under Route 33 and picking up Wolf Ridge, a communications system and extending water to the Route 151 side of Route 33 including Burnt Ridge Road, Osburn Road, Hawkins Road and Beech Run Road. Five existing pump stations will be getting emergency generators.
There will also be the replacing of valves near Union Elementary on the Heavener Grove Road to move from the roadway to the side of the road.
The project will allow Elkins Road PSD to pick up 76 customers and provide more water pressure for the Ellamore Volunteer Fire Department.
"It's going to loop Ellamore to where the Ellamore VFD will have much better pressure to where they can fill up at the station and not have to go to one of our better fire hydrants," Wagner said. "It's a long awaited project for multiple reasons.
Wagner said they hope to start the project in the fall and there are four separate contracts.
Laura Meadows, executive director of the Upshur County CVB, gave the quarterly report and showed off new Upshur County viewfinders and rack cards for Audra State Park.
The Event Center at Brushy Fork hosted 37 events year-to-date bringing in $17,239. In December, the Event Center was forced to turn events away due to being full.
The CVB has set aside $10,000 to fund advertising grants to local tourism businesses with each business receiving up to $1,000.
Also in the works for 2020 is an interactive mural.
In other business, the commission approved on second reading, changes to the Upshur County Floodplain Ordinance.
The changes were effective Jan. 16.