1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 KERR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT 9 Special Session 10 Friday, July 31, 2015 11 9:00 a.m. 12 Commissioners' Courtroom 13 Kerr County Courthouse 14 Kerrville, Texas 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 PRESENT: TOM POLLARD, Kerr County Judge H. A. "BUSTER" BALDWIN, Commissioner Pct. 1 24 TOM MOSER, Commissioner Pct. 2 JONATHAN LETZ, Commissioner Pct. 3 25 BOB REEVES, Commissioner Pct. 4 2 1 I N D E X July 31, 2015 2 PAGE 3 1.1 Consider/discuss, take appropriate action to approve Kerr County group health renewal plan 4 for upcoming 2015-2016 plan year and have County Judge sign same 4, 5 10 1.2 Recognize and present awards to top two 6 individuals for Kerr County Wellness Program Sonic Boom 8-week challenge -- 7 1.3 Recognize and present awards to top four 8 individuals for Kerr County Wellness Program Sonic Boom 10-week challenge 6 9 1.4 Consider/discuss, take appropriate action to 10 approve items related to the budget, including personnel, insurance, salary, and all other 11 expenditure and revenue items 8 12 --- Adjourned 17 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 3 1 On Friday, July 31, 2015, at 9:00 a.m., a special 2 meeting of the Kerr County Commissioners Court was held in 3 the Commissioners' Courtroom, Kerr County Courthouse, 4 Kerrville, Texas, and the following proceedings were had in 5 open court: 6 P R O C E E D I N G S 7 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. It's July 31st, 2015. 8 It's close enough to 9 a.m., says the Sheriff, and so the 9 Kerr County Commissioners Court is in session. Commissioner 10 Moser will lead us today in the prayer and the pledge. 11 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Please rise, if you can. 12 (Prayer and pledge of allegiance.) 13 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. We have a regular agenda 14 today, and then a work session to take place, both of them 15 set at 9 o'clock. And with the permission of the 16 Commissioners Court, we'll go to the regular agenda first, 17 except for Item 4, which we'll come back to after the 18 workshop, I think is what we're going to need to do. Is that 19 an acceptable procedure with everybody? Okay. All right. I 20 don't see a part in here about anybody wanting to come 21 forward and talk in the public part of it, but I will invite 22 anybody that wishes to come forward and speak on something 23 that's not on the agenda. Is there anyone? 24 (No response.) 25 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. There being none, we'll 7-31-15 4 1 go on -- there's nothing about Commissioners' comments 2 either, but I'll allow that. Commissioner 1, do you have 3 anything? 4 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I do not, sir. Thank you 5 for asking. 6 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Nothing, thank you. 7 JUDGE POLLARD: I have nothing. Do you -- 8 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Nothing. 9 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Nothing. 10 JUDGE POLLARD: You need to report on your eye. 11 COMMISSIONER LETZ: About the same. More tests. 12 JUDGE POLLARD: No further information? 13 COMMISSIONER LETZ: No further information. 14 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. Commissioner Reeves? 15 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Nothing, sir. 16 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. All right, then let's go to 17 Item 1 on the agenda. 1.1; consider, discuss, and take 18 appropriate action to approve Kerr County Group Health 19 renewal plan for upcoming 2015-16 plan year, and have the 20 County Judge sign same. Dawn Lantz. 21 MS. LANTZ: Good morning, Judge, Commissioners. I 22 wasn't sure if this needed to go through the budget process, 23 but that's why we brought it back, for the Court to go ahead 24 and approve what was submitted at the last court agenda of 25 approving our Kerr County insurance for renewal. 7-31-15 5 1 COMMISSIONER LETZ: We probably ought to bring it 2 back after -- after the budget, because hopefully we'll be 3 able to approve it as-is, but if -- after we look at 4 everything else, if we're a lot of dollars short, we may have 5 to look at this. 6 COMMISSIONER REEVES: I agree. We ought to wait 7 till after we've gone through the budget process, since this 8 deals with it, and take it up sometime later today. 9 COMMISSIONER MOSER: It's an expenditure. 10 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: So if we approve this item 11 today, it is -- everything would remain the same? 12 MS. LANTZ: Yes, sir. 13 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Okay. 14 MS. LANTZ: And also with our Silver Choice, our 15 retiree plan that we have in place, that will renew 16 January 2016 for the retirees that have that supplement 17 program. And as of right now, those costs will not be given 18 to me until the end of September. I did ask Texas 19 Association of Counties if there was going to be any 20 increase, and they said right now they couldn't give me a 21 definite yes or no. If there is, last year it was a minimal 22 -- a $30 increase per retiree, so, it wasn't a large 23 increase. 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: What's that total expenditure, 25 roughly? 7-31-15 6 1 MS. LANTZ: We currently have six on that plan, and 2 we pay approximately $171.66 a month, so looking at -- 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: About $12,000. 4 MS. LANTZ: Yes. 5 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. 6 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. So we're going to pass 7 on this until later? 8 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yes. 9 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. Item 1.2, I understand 10 we're going to pass on that because it's really replaced by 11 Item 1.3. So the boss, Jody, tells me. So, we're going to 12 go to Item 1.3 on the supplement, which is recognize and 13 present awards to top 4 individuals for the Kerr County 14 wellness program, Sonic Boom 10-week challenge. Dawn Lantz 15 on that. 16 MS. LANTZ: Good morning. We had quite a few 17 participants this year in our Healthy County Rewards and the 18 Sonic Boom, and this year Texas Association of Counties did 19 it a little bit differently. They awarded the top four 20 individuals, not only in their time that they spent on the 21 steps, as well as how many days they participated. And Kerr 22 County had four individuals. We had two individuals that 23 were in the top end for time, and the first place went to Joe 24 Biermann. 25 (Applause.) 7-31-15 7 1 MS. LANTZ: He had 13 -- 13,726 minutes in the 2 competition. 3 MS. HOFFER: Can I get a picture of you guys? 4 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Of doing what? 13 hours of 5 what? Doing what? Walking? 6 MS. LANTZ: Walking. 7 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Walking. 8 MS. LANTZ: Walking. 13,000 minutes. 9 COMMISSIONER MOSER: 13,000 minutes. 10 (Low-voice discussion off the record.) 11 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: So he doesn't have a county 12 truck to run around in? He just walks everywhere or what? 13 MR. ODOM: I was saving fuel. (Laughter.) 14 MS. LANTZ: And our second employee that was -- 15 actually, she was in the female -- they broke it down between 16 male and female, and Beverly Doubrava had 15,053 minutes. 17 MR. HASTINGS: Nice. 18 (Applause.) 19 MS. LANTZ: And then our top two that did the most 20 steps, we have Lynn Whiten from Juvenile Detention; he did 21 1,270,692 in steps. He was our first place individual. 22 (Applause.) 23 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Good job, Lynn. 24 MS. LANTZ: And Ms. Moore was not able to make it 25 this morning; she worked last night, and she's also from 7-31-15 8 1 Juvenile Detention, and she had 1,067,670 steps. And Lynn's 2 going to give her her plaque. Thank y'all very much for 3 participating. 4 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. I guess we can go to 1.4, 5 but that's consider, discuss, and take appropriate action to 6 approve items related to the budget, including personnel, 7 insurance, salary, and all other expenditures and revenues 8 and items, and I guess we'll pass that until we go into the 9 workshop session, and then come back to that. Is that 10 appropriate? 11 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Yep. 12 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think so. 13 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. Then I will declare the 14 -- recess the regular session, and we'll go into the workshop 15 session now. 16 (The open session was closed at 9:09 a.m., and a budget workshop was held, the transcript of which 17 is contained in a separate document.) 18 - - - - - - - - - - 19 (Returned to open session at 10:05 a.m.) 20 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. I guess we're going to 21 adjourn the workshop session, go back into open session, and 22 then -- and then declare that we're going into executive 23 session. 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yes. 25 JUDGE POLLARD: To do this exactly right. I got to 7-31-15 9 1 read this executive session stuff here -- it's not on here. 2 It's all under Section 551 of the Texas Government Code. I'm 3 going to declare that we go into executive session for all 4 those items under that. It is Section 551 of the Government 5 Code. Best I can do on memory right now. Do you know the 6 sections, 551.076 and all those? 7 MS. STEBBINS: I don't have the thing that you 8 usually read. 9 JUDGE POLLARD: Whatever they are. 10 COMMISSIONER REEVES: I'll get it. 11 MS. STEBBINS: Yes, the things you -- yeah. Thank 12 you, Bob. 13 (Discussion off the record.) 14 MS. STEBBINS: Here you go. 15 JUDGE POLLARD: Thank you very much. 16 MS. STEBBINS: You're welcome. I'll let Bob know. 17 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. The sections under the 18 Texas Government Code are Sections 551.071, .072, .073, .074, 19 .078, .0785, .076, .087, all of Chapter 551 of the Texas 20 Government Code. And I declare we're going into closed 21 session at this time in that regard, all right, to talk about 22 the insurance plan. 23 (The open session was closed at 10:06 a.m., and an executive session was held, the transcript of which 24 is contained in a separate document.) 25 - - - - - - - - - - 7-31-15 10 1 (Returned to open session at 10:16 a.m.) 2 JUDGE POLLARD: All right, we're back in open 3 session again. Are there any motions? 4 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think -- Dawn? On the 5 insurance, can you go over our current retiree program, just 6 so it's on the record? 7 MS. LANTZ: Our -- 8 COMMISSIONER LETZ: And what the options are that 9 we've discussed? 10 MS. LANTZ: Okay. Our current retiree program for 11 any Kerr County employee, they can retire, according to our 12 T.C.D.R.S. rules, along with keeping insurance if they've had 13 25 years of service with Kerr County or they are age 60 with 14 eight years of service. Currently, we have about six 15 retirees on our supplement program, which is Silver Choice, 16 which is also through TAC, United Health Care, and they are 17 paying $250 a month towards their retiree coverage. Anyone 18 after August 5th, I believe, of 2013 -- any employee that 19 retires that does not meet that 65-year age limit is not 20 subsidized for any type of retiree insurance. I have 21 requested the Court to possibly bring our retiree insurance 22 back to those employees, and the County subsidize a portion 23 of it where the employee pays $250 a month, and then the 24 County picks up the remainder. So, as of right now, we 25 currently only have four employees on our retiree insurance. 7-31-15 11 1 Two of those pay the full premium and the other two have been 2 grandfathered in prior to 2013. So, with this benefit in 3 place, we're hoping, you know, the retirees will take the 4 insurance, and this would be a benefit to them if they 5 consider retiring with the county this next fiscal year 6 starting with our new plan year, October 1st. 7 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Would you please -- I went 8 into a coma there for a minute. Would you please tell me, 9 you have to be 65 and what else? 10 MS. LANTZ: To receive the Blue Choice, which is 11 our supplemental health care with Blue Cross, 65 years of age 12 and have met the retirement criteria. 13 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Okay. 14 MS. LANTZ: In order to get -- 15 JUDGE POLLARD: You can retire earlier than that; 16 it's just that you don't get this Blue Choice. 17 MS. LANTZ: Correct. Now, I just need to make it 18 very clear, it has to be 25 years of service with Kerr 19 County. Your service from any other counties doesn't count, 20 so it has to be our -- 21 JUDGE POLLARD: Or any other state? 22 MS. LANTZ: Correct. It has to be 25 years of 23 continuous service with Kerr County, and/or age 60 with eight 24 years of service, and you're eligible. 25 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Say that last part again. 7-31-15 12 1 Sixty -- what? 2 MS. LANTZ: Sixty -- age 60 with eight years of 3 continuous service with Kerr County. 4 COMMISSIONER REEVES: You would be -- if we adopted 5 this, at age 60 with eight years with Kerr County, that 6 retiree could pick up the insurance? 7 MS. LANTZ: Yes. Right now, they all can pick up 8 the insurance, but it's at their cost. 9 COMMISSIONER REEVES: At their cost. 10 MS. LANTZ: This would just be changing it for us 11 to pay a portion. 12 JUDGE POLLARD: And this supplement that you -- 13 that you're seeking or suggesting here is possible is $4,000 14 per retiree? 15 MS. LANTZ: Per year. 16 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: This 60 years old and eight 17 years of service, that's the retirement criteria that you're 18 referring to? 19 MS. LANTZ: Yes. 20 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Okay. 21 COMMISSIONER REEVES: An employee that went to work 22 at age 20 and had 25 years, and decided to do something else, 23 wanted to retire, could that employee then get this 24 insurance, based on what your proposing? 25 MS. LANTZ: As long as it's 25 continuous years of 7-31-15 13 1 service with Kerr County, yes. 2 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Yes. 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Basically, it's just enhancing 4 our employee coverage for those employees that have been with 5 us for a long time. 6 MS. LANTZ: Yes. 7 COMMISSIONER MOSER: So they pay 250, and so what 8 do we pay currently that we add to that? 9 MS. LANTZ: Our portion of that would be 10 340-something dollars. 11 COMMISSIONER MOSER: 340 times 12 is the $4,000. 12 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: And the spouse pays -- 13 spouse pays the full amount? 14 MS. LANTZ: On the 65 and over. Now, we haven't 15 adopted anything for the county insurance, and if they wanted 16 to take their spouse on county, they'd have to pay 17 100 percent of that. 18 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah, and that's the way it 19 should be, in my opinion. 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I'm in favor of this. I'll 21 make a motion that we authorize a change of our policy to 22 implement the change that people that meet the criteria are 23 eligible to get the Silver Choice policy, and their cost 24 would be $250 per month, and the County would pick up the 25 balance. 7-31-15 14 1 COMMISSIONER REEVES: I'll second. 2 JUDGE POLLARD: It's been moved by Commissioner 3 Letz and seconded by Commissioner Reeves that we approve the 4 request -- or suggested request of supplementing the health 5 insurance for the retired employees. Is there any further 6 discussion? 7 MS. LANTZ: I need the plan approved. 8 JUDGE POLLARD: Yes, ma'am? 9 MS. BOLIN: Dawn and I have talked about this a lot 10 over the last month. I do have one in my office that has 11 been here for 30 years, and she's only 55 years old. How 12 would that affect her if she decided to retire in the next 13 couple of years, since she won't be 60? 14 MS. LANTZ: She has to have 25 years of continuous 15 service with Kerr County, and she's eligible. 16 MS. BOLIN: And then how does the eight years and 17 age 60 -- 18 MS. LANTZ: They get the $250 supplement choice at 19 retirement. 20 MS. BOLIN: And it's the same -- is her insurance 21 the same as what we're getting now? 22 MS. LANTZ: It's a supplement with Medicare. You 23 have to be on Medicare in order to get this. 24 COMMISSIONER REEVES: With the -- 25 MS. BOLIN: So that at age 60, you can't get on 7-31-15 15 1 Medicare, so -- 2 MS. LANTZ: Then you get to keep the regular 3 insurance, if that's what you choose. 4 MS. BOLIN: At $250? 5 MS. LANTZ: The employee pays $250. 6 MS. BOLIN: All right. 7 MS. LANTZ: And again, like I said, this is -- 8 we're supposed to bring it to court every year for renewal. 9 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. 10 JUDGE POLLARD: Is there any further discussion? 11 MS. LANTZ: I just need -- 12 COMMISSIONER LETZ: There will be another motion on 13 the other issue. 14 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. All right. There being no 15 further discussion, those in favor of the motion, signify by 16 raising your right hand. 17 (The motion carried by unanimous vote, 4-0.) 18 JUDGE POLLARD: It's 4-0, unanimous. 19 COMMISSIONER LETZ: And I'll make a motion that we 20 maintain our health insurance coverage as it currently is in 21 our plan. 22 COMMISSIONER REEVES: I will second. 23 JUDGE POLLARD: Been moved by Commissioner Letz and 24 seconded by Commissioner Reeves that we continue our current 25 health plan. Any further discussion? 7-31-15 16 1 COMMISSIONER MOSER: And that's at the same rate as 2 it is this year? 3 MS. LANTZ: We had a 7.45 percent increase, and 4 this was approving the employee portion, what they're 5 contributing to their insurance. 6 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Is that in the budget? 7 MS. LANTZ: She's got it in the budget. 8 MS. DOSS: Yes, sir. 9 COMMISSIONER MOSER: All right. 10 JUDGE POLLARD: It's in the requested. 11 MS. DOSS: Requested. 12 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Right. 13 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. Any further discussion? 14 Those in favor of the motion, signify by raising your right 15 hand. 16 (The motion carried by unanimous vote, 4-0.) 17 JUDGE POLLARD: It's 4-0, unanimous. All right. I 18 think it's pretty well the unanimous consent of the 19 Commissioners Court that we want to recess now -- really, 20 adjourn now -- 21 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Right. 22 JUDGE POLLARD: -- and study all these figures, 23 digest them, and come back with a subsequent meeting. And 24 we're going to try to get together and set some time that 25 meets the requirements of law in order to adopt the budget by 7-31-15 17 1 the required time; is that correct? 2 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Correct. 3 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. Anybody want to 4 adjourn? 5 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Yeah. 6 JUDGE POLLARD: Do you so move? 7 COMMISSIONER MOSER: So moved. 8 JUDGE POLLARD: Is there a second? 9 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Sure, second. 10 JUDGE POLLARD: All right, moved and seconded. Any 11 further discussion? If not, those in favor, signify by 12 raising your right hand. 13 (The motion carried by unanimous vote, 4-0.) 14 JUDGE POLLARD: It's 4-0, unanimous. We're in 15 adjournment. 16 (Commissioners Court adjourned at 10:25 a.m.) 17 - - - - - - - - - - 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 7-31-15 18 1 STATE OF TEXAS | 2 COUNTY OF KERR | 3 The above and foregoing is a true and complete 4 transcription of my stenotype notes taken in my capacity as 5 official reporter for the Commissioners Court of Kerr County, 6 Texas, at the time and place heretofore set forth. 7 DATED at Kerrville, Texas, this 31st day of July, 2015. 8 9 REBECCA BOLIN, Kerr County Clerk 10 BY: _________________________________ Kathy Banik, Deputy County Clerk 11 Certified Shorthand Reporter 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 7-31-15