Skip to content

Commissioners want more information before paying additional insurance expense

Grady County commissioners want more information before they approve paying an additional $7,043 in premium for the county’s Workers’ Compensation insurance.
The county is a member of the Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) and its self insurance workers’ compensation fund.
Traditionally, the county earns a rebate from the fund as a credit to its annual premium, but ACCG has invoiced the county for additional premium for 2013.
Grady County Commissioner Charles Norton questioned the audited payroll of $5,003,982 ACCG is basing the premium on.
“We don’t have a payroll of $5 million. The numbers don’t seem right,” Norton said and requested the matter be tabled until additional information can be obtained.
Driving up the payroll is $559,680 in “salary” that is used to determine the premium to cover the county’s approximately 120 volunteer firemen.
Although the county does not actually pay the volunteer firemen, County Clerk Carrie Kines says ACCG has come up with a base salary that would be the amount of salary the county would have to pay if the firemen were actually paid.
“They have to have some base salary to base the premium on,” Ms. Kines said.
According to Norton, the county typically receives an $18,000 credit on the annual premium and he said this is the first time since he joined the board that he remembers being charged additional premium.
The payment of the invoice was tabled until the next meeting and County Administrator Carlos Tobar was instructed to obtain answers to the questions raised by commissioners and report back in two weeks.
In other business Tuesday, the board delayed action on a change order from Brad Cole Construction relating to the Tired Creek Lake project. The change order as proposed would increase the project cost by $13,803.80 to install erosion matting and a rock erosion dam on the backside of the dam below the spillway to prevent erosion.
According to Tobar, initially it would look better if Brad Cole performed the work, but he said that county road department forces could do the work for less money and use the busted up concrete pipe that was damaged earlier this year during a heavy rain event and had to be replaced. The discarded pipe has been busted up and has been stockpiled at the lake site for county use.
However, Tobar also pointed out that Brad Cole Construction has the equipment on site that can move material through the wet, muddy conditions, whereas the county would have to wait for drier conditions.
Commissioner Norton questioned wording in the change order and recommended the matter be tabled in order to obtain additional information.
The board did take action to purchase the 10 hp pump Brad Cole installed at a well on the lake site that was used to provide water when the slurry wall for the dam was poured. The commissioners agreed to pay $5,500 for the pump, which can provide water to bathroom facilities at the lake.
Commissioner Billy Poitevint said the water would need to be tested before it could be used for drinking water.
“I think we will need the pump down the road,” Commissioner Norton said.
Tobar also said that work by the Bill Dance Signature Lake Group is tentatively scheduled to commence next Monday. The county’s dirt pan went out of service Monday so the county’s ability to move the dirt for building fish habitat will be delayed. The county administrator said he was soliciting a bid from Brad Cole Construction to move the stockpiled dirt to where it is needed to prevent a delay in work while repairs to the county’s equipment are made.
The board also approved a request from Grady County Probate Judge Denise Maddox on behalf of Southside Elementary School to be able to use the Agri-Center at no charge for a graduation program next spring when construction at the school’s auditorium is expected to be underway.

Leave a Comment