Supervisors continue work on law enforcement center construction project management

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

Floyd County supervisors moved closer Monday at a planning session to establishing a core team of officials to make day-to-day decisions on the law enforcement center project.

A resolution formally establishing the core team is on the agenda for the regular meeting this morning (Tuesday).

County voters approved the up-to $13.5 million project by a wide margin in May, and since then the county and Prochaska & Associates, an Omaha, Nebraska, architectural and project management firm, have been working on design plans and construction schedules, among a long list of other items.

Supervisor Chairwoman Linda Tjaden, who has been spearheading the effort to build a new county jail and law enforcement center and do updates to the courthouse, noted that she has been working on the project almost since she started her term on the board in January 2017.

“I’ve been involved with this since day one as a supervisor,” she said, “but I think it would also be helpful to have this switched to get other supervisors involved.”

She suggested Supervisor Doug Kamm, who owns Kamm Excavation Corp. and has experience in many aspects of construction projects, take over the lead for the core team.

But Supervisor Mark Kuhn noted that Kamm is running for re-election in November, among a total of at least four candidates running for two open seats, and Kuhn suggested that Tjaden be the board’s representative on the core group at least through the first of the year when a new Board of Supervisors is sworn in.

Kuhn’s term is also up at the end of this year, but he had previously announced that he isn’t seeking re-election.

“It’s a lot of work, but I can continue to take it,” Tjaden said.

“I just think you have a lot of background that Supervisor Kamm and I don’t have,” Kuhn said to Tjaden.

The resolution states the core team will include one supervisor, the sheriff and the county auditor, and will be responsible to “ensure project work continues efficiently and effectively;” gather information from other county department heads and keep them updated on the project; serve as the liaison between the county departments and Prochaska & Associates, the yet-to-be-hired construction manager and others; and make day-to-day decisions needed to resolve issues or problems, other than decisions that need full Board of Supervisors approval.

Also at the planning meeting Monday morning, the county board:

• Heard a proposal from a representative of Washington National to be allowed to offer insurance projects to county employees to offer supplemental income in the instance of such health issues as cancer, stroke, heart attack, etc.
• Heard from representatives of Holmes Murphy, the county’s health insurance broker, regarding claims so far this year and how they might affect premiums for next year.

Cindy Hennigar, a Holmes Murphy account executive, said currently county claims paid are 140 percent of premiums taken in by Wellmark, meaning county employee health insurance premium increases next year could be similar to the 20 percent increase experienced this year, although there are other factors that could come into play to reduce that increase.

Holmes Murphy representatives talked about options to slow rate increases such as going to a more restrictive prescription medicine plan, or requiring covered employees to take part in programs to monitor and improve health.

“I’m not sure this is the best fit for you, but it is available,” Hennigar said.