Brown County Commissioners Court met on Monday morning, June 6th. Present were three county commissioners – Joel Kelton, Larry Traweek and Wayne Shaw. Absent from the meeting were Commissioner Gary Worley, County Judge Paul Lilly and County Attorney Jennifer Broughton. Joel Kelton presided over the meeting.
Bart Johnson of Painter and Johnson Financial presented an update on the county health insurance renewal. County employee insurance is through the Texas Association of Counties. Johnson told Commissioners that Brown County is looking at a 9.9% increase in premiums from TAC which is higher than the pool average of 6%. Brown County claims over the last year were 102% over premiums (down from 109% the year before). Johnson said claims drive the insurance rates. There were 19 claims over $50,000, 7 claims over $100,000 and a top claim amount of $362,000 that drove up claims. The County will have a couple of options to consider prior to renewal which could include deductibles increasing from $750 to $1,000 and cost of office visits going from $25 to $30. No action was taken during this meeting, but a decision will have to be made prior to June 29.
In other business:
Commissioners approved, on a 3-0 vote, to pay an un-budgeted expense to the City of Brownwood in the amount of $162,383.05 for expenses incurred on new radio equipment and installation, part of the dispatch agreement from 2020. The money to pay the bill will come from ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds.
Commissioners approved an application to install a private line on CR 202 by Brookesmith SUD.
An item pertaining to Section 130.908 of Texas Local Government Code was moved to the next meeting of Commissioners. The section of the code reads as follows: If an incumbent county or precinct officer is not renominated or is not reelected to the county or precinct office of a county, during the time following the date the results of the official canvass of the primary or election returns are announced, the commissioners court must approve any expenditure by the incumbent county or precinct officer who was not renominated or reelected that is over an amount set by the commissioners court.
Commissioners moved an order to regulate use of certain fireworks on July 4th to their next meeting.
Commissioners also approved the extension of a lease agreement for five years on a 936M Caterpillar Loader with CAT Financial at a cost of $25,000 per year.