VDOT dynamics, Health Insurance switch, closed meeting discussions dominate county meeting agenda

Closed Sessions and reports on Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) projects and funding and county priorities in its 6-year Secondary Road Plan took up much of the Tuesday morning, May 4, Warren County Board of Supervisors meeting and work session. The meeting closed session topics were EDA-related litigation and personnel matters related to the Warren County Planning Commission.

The post-meeting work session began with a closed session adjourned to, to discuss requested adjustments to the Lease Agreement with VA Golf, LLC. The supervisors voted in June 2020 to accept the group’s management offer to operate the County’s municipal Front Royal Golf Club gifted to the County’s citizens in the 1930’s by William Carson Sr. in memory of his late son. Referencing video of that meeting in a written summary in the board agenda packet, VA Golf principal Louis Nicholls noted that maintenance and care of the club’s restaurant equipment was not part of the original agreement that has been revised by the County to include that. Nicholls said VA Golf was willing to take on that responsibility, but asked for adjustments to the lease that would allow the golf management group to pay rent primarily through “trade out” dollars in the provision of space and services to all County-related departments including public schools. There was no announcement on the lease arrangement out of the work session’s closed executive session.

VDOT’s Ed Carter during one of his two lengthy visits to the podium Tuesday to update the board on VDOT work and available funding in coming budget cycles for the County’s 6-year Secondary Roads projects. Royal Examiner Photos by Roger Bianchini

Then VDOT’s Edwin Carter was back from his meeting update on ongoing projects to review spent and available funding in coming years committed to the County’s 6-Year Plan priorities. One issue addressed during his earlier meeting report was VDOT versus utility company jurisdiction in preventive or reactive work on clearing trees which threaten to or have fallen on power lines during extreme weather events. Recent and forecast high wind conditions were sighted for the danger they posed in downing trees in proximity to power lines. Carter explained that VDOT was limited in its authority when the trees have already been downed onto power lines or trees deemed a danger were not on VDOT right of ways.

During his monthly projects update, Carter told the board that a recent VDOT roadside litter collection project on primary and secondary roads had produced 20,000 bags of trash in the tri-county area of Warren, Shenandoah and Frederick Counties, at a $65,000 cost to the contractor.

One item on a 15-item Consent Agenda was removed for discussion and another was pulled from the agenda at the request of Interim County Administrator Ed Daley. Pulled for discussion at the request of Board Chair Cullers was approval of the new Health and Dental Insurance Rates achieved by the board decision to switch providers for more favorable rates. Removed from the agenda was authorization of approval of an Amended Agreement between the County and Town for the allocation of CARES Coronavirus Relief Funds. Those federal funds pass through state agencies to the County, and are allocated to the Town by the County upon receipt of documentation of the Town recipients’ eligibility for CARES funding. With submitted changes the interim administrator explained he needed additional time to assure the version presented to the board was the correct one in its entirety.

Also during the meeting, North River Supervisor Delores Oates asked her colleagues to consider eliminating the board’s first Tuesday of the month morning meetings in favor of a 7 p.m. starting time. She argued that the 9 a.m. meetings made it difficult for would-be board of supervisors candidates and working citizens in general to attend.

Delores Oates asked for board reconsideration of maintaining a monthly morning meeting to accommodate outside agency and departmental reports, in favor of making it easier for working citizens, at least the ones with day jobs, to attend.

Happy Creek Supervisor Tony Carter explained the morning meetings were established to facilitate outside agency and departmental monthly reports during workday hours for those involved people, some like VDOT’s Ed Carter who have to travel some distance to attend. After County Attorney Jason Ham explained some legal dynamics involved in establishing and advertising meeting dates and times, it appeared the board will take up the subject at a coming work session.

Health Insurance switch dynamics

Cullers noted concerns expressed to her about coverage dynamics related to the switch from Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield to United Healthcare, as well as RSW Jail’s coverage package through SIGNA compared to the rest of county departments. Cullers said she wanted to assure impacted employees that they would not be losing coverage options from the lower rates presented by United Healthcare.

Health Insurance consultant Ed White of McGriff Insurance explained that during the review of available options an “apples to apples” comparison of coverages had been made to assure comparable coverage options at the various rates presented by providers.

Pointing to Anthem Blue Cross as likely the major provider in the region and Virginia as a whole, White said it was understandable that employees who have had the same Anthem coverage for decades would be concerned about a change. He said that as far as overlapping medical provider representation it was essentially a 98% overlap, indicating minimal impact on participating medical providers. As far as prescriptions there could be some variables related to co-pays, he admitted.

Interim Administrator Daley told the chair and board that orientation meetings for employees and retirees on the County’s health care plan were being scheduled. He added that he had put the person who brought the concern forward in touch with White, so that a personal review of impacts on that individual’s coverage could be made.

Following those assurances, on a motion by Delores Oates, the board unanimously approved the insurance carrier switch.

Sheetz and IT issues revisited

One member of the public addressed the board on the last open meeting agenda item – reconsideration of the denial of the Sheetz rezoning application in Linden. See more on that in a coming related story.

At the meeting’s outset, Board Chair Cullers also read two resolutions of appreciation for work done by County Public School and neighboring Frederick County’s Department of Information Technology staffs assisting with the aftermath of the March discovery of the cyber intrusion of the Warren County software and communications system.

Cheryl Cullers reads resolutions of thanks to both County Public School and neighboring Frederick County I.T. staffs for their work in reaction to the software intrusion discovered in early March.

As previously reported that “intrusion” was determined to be part of a larger national incident being investigated by law enforcement at multiple levels.

Stacy Swain also gave the board an update on Virginia Cooperative Extension Office programs and how they’ve been impacted by COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

See all the meeting and work session highlights in the linked County video of the May 4 meeting and work session, also available on the County website.