The Doddridge County Commission held their August 4th Meeting in the upper Courtroom at the courthouse on August 4, 2020, calling the meeting to order at 9:05AM after holding a silent prayer and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
The minutes from their previous meeting were approved as presented and each Commissioner greeted the attendees during Public Comment.
911 Address and Mapping presented the second reading for Harley Davidson Lane, Flat Bottom Drive and Family Hill Lane and the Commissioners approved the new street names as presented.
Richard McMillian, representing his sister, questioned why the DCAA had charged his sister $150.00 for assistance without transporting her to the hospital. He said they had come to the house and took her blood pressure but she refused transport.
He noted the taxpayers were paying a tremendous amount of money already to the DCAA and questioned why they would charge them just for assistance. He also indicated that she was transported the following day to the hospital by the DCAA and was billed the extra $250.00 that her insurance didn’t pay.
A discussion was held with the DCAA noting they did not see the bills that were sent to their patients that billing was completed by an out of office company and that the DCAA wrote off many charges for those who called in with financial hardship and asked why she had not called in.
It was pointed out to the Commissioners that those who are ill and their care providers shouldn’t have to make telephone calls for bills they feel to be unjust and receive.
McMillian handed the bill to Neal Romain from the DCAA to be written off.
Later in the meeting, Glaspell brought the subject back up and by consensus it was decided to have the billing company place in red lettering that if a patient was having financial hardship for them to call the DCAA to request their bill to be written off.
The Commission approved the re-appointment of Richard McMillan to the Doddridge County Library Board.
Under “Amend Personnel Manuel Policies for Compensatory Time and Vacation Time and Clarification of Holidays”, Beth Kellar explained that it was felt that two items in the Employee Handbook were requested to be changed.
First, the Employee Handbook allowed for vacation time to begin after 1 year of employment. She requested this to be changed to a half day per month giving the employee 6 days a year up to the 3rd year to where they would receive 1 day a month up to 10 years of employment. Then, from 11 to 20 years they would receive 1.25 days per month and 20 plus years 1.75 days a month.
Her second request was for the employees to turn in all of their Compensation Time on a quarterly basis instead of the yearly basis.
The changes to the Handbook concerning vacation time and comp time were approved by the Commission.
Under Clarification of Holiday Time, she broke the employees down to regular employees and those who were on shift work (Deputies and DCAA), stating that the regular hourly employees take their holidays on Fridays, Mondays or the day they fall on. Those who are on shifts question what day their holiday would be because they may actually work the day of the holiday.
The Commission approved the regular Paid personnel would stay the same where the holiday hours for the shift employees would be if they worked the shift on the actual holiday.
The Commission decided to let the Policies and Procedures for COVID-19 stand as written after questioning if they needed to go back to only the essential personnel working. They were told by Michelle Britton Circuit Clerk that the limit of 10 at a time in the Courthouse was not being followed and questioned if those with health conditions could work at home.
They decided to allow the Supervisors to determine if an employee needs to work at home and if an elected official or employee should test positive for COCID-19 the Courthouse would be closed for at least two days.
George Eidel, Floodplain Manager and OEMS Director presented two new Floodplain Permits and in his OEMS Report he gave the 911-Emergency Run Totals; delivered more supplies to the Schools and Health Department on the 24th; on the 28th and 29 he assisted FEMA with their Community Assessment; and on the 30th he was out to the new tower site which is ready for the steel.
Neal Romain, of the DCAA reported: Primary Checking Account balance is $124,480.37; The FUND balance is $324,545.13 (includes insurance payment) and they had an income of $14,122.47 for the month of July.
David King, CoW, reported: Prosecutor’s office is completed; he was asked to remove the scaffold from the Courtroom and while doing that he discovered the turret valley over the Prosecutor’s Office was leaking; on the 10th of August he is to present the request to close Cross Street to the Town Council and the Annex is in the detail planning stage and once that is completed it will be placed out for bid.
The Commission approved the documents for the Community Corrections Grant Award.
There were no Exonerations, or Budget Revisions.
Catee Slater, County Clerk presented the Probate Orders which were approved and signed.
Those present included the three Commissioners, Elected Officials, Catee Slater, David Sponaugle, Michele Britton; Employees, Beth Kellar, Randee Britton, George Eidel, David King, Neal Romain and Cody Joe.