Henry County Board approves reinsurance bid

Some members of the Henry County Board balked at approving a $1.2 million health insurance re-insurance bid Thursday, but the board approved the bid.

The bid represented an overall 8% increase.

Five members voted not to approve the insurance recommendation of the administration committee: Kathy Nelson, Jim Thompson, Tim Wells, Tim Yager and Dale Stiles.

Eleven board members voted in favor of approving the recommendation. Absent for the vote were Dan Crippen, Natalie Hendryx, Jan May and Jeanna Moore.

Tim Yager complained of being jammed on time for the re-insurance issue. He said he was pro-employee and was not out to cut benefits, but wanted to limit the risk to the county.

"I just don't feel like we ever get enough information to understand what's going on with health insurance," he said.

Noting that the re-insurance bill is paid through the tort fund, Yager added that that fund is a tax.

"You treat the tort fund like it's not a tax; it's a tax as well," he said.

Administration committee chairman Jill Darin explained that the committee undertook an expanded look at the insurance question last year, researching whether the county would be better with its current self-insurance program or by going with Blue Cross Blue Shield, for example. She said she had sent out e-mails to county board members and they had the meeting online for people who could not be there physically.

"It was a huge time investment. We can't do this every year. Every other year or every third year makes sense," Darin said.

County administrator Erin Knackstedt said they had done a 10-year lookback at health insurance and determined the county came out ahead by being self-insured.

The board also hit a hiccup when it came to approving appointees to the Hammond-Henry Hospital board. Board chairman Kippy Breeden noted there were 75 people on a list who wanted to be on the hospital board and expressed concern that the hospital hadn't communicated about its candidates. She said she was opposed to just rubber-stamping appointees and wanted to see someone from the Atkinson area replace Ann DeSmith on the hospital board.

Board member Kathy Nelson said the board didn't need to micro-manage the hospital board's decisions and their appointees were "more than qualified" to serve.

Katie Irwin was approved with one no vote — from Jim Thompson — while Jon Ebert was approved with six no votes — Thompson, Bob Wachtel, Tim Yager, Dave Dobbels, Kippy Breeden and Brian Corkill.

Knackstedt announced a new broadband grant had been awarded to the county and its partner in the grant application — Diverse Communications of Woodhull. The state award was for $9.3 million. A total of $350 million in grants were awarded out of $1.5 billion requested. The county will be matching the award with $950,000. The money will extend fiber optic connectivity to 700 homes, grain bins and farms in rural Andover, Lynn Center, Orion, Sunny Hill and Warner. Knackstedt said along with the county's CARES grant some time ago, the latest grant means a total of 70% coverage of the county.

Board members approved two loans through the county's rural revolving loan fund. The first was a $10,000 loan for Boone Plumbing of Geneseo for a $52,000 project to add additional space and tools. The firm will hire at least two new employees. The second was a $60,000 loan to DeSplinter Electric for a $600,000 project to move to the industrial park in Geneseo, retaining three current jobs and adding two new ones.

The board also approved a $444,909 project for an Annawan road district bridge over a branch of Mud Creek at 2520 East, southwest of Annawan. Curnyn Construction of Geneseo was the low bidder and the project will be paid using 80% state funds, 10% Annawan district funds and 10% county funds.

Board member Dale Stiles noted state Rep. Dan Swanson (R-Woodhull) has been named the State V.F.W. Representative of the Year. Swanson will be honored Friday, June 7, in Springfield.