1 2 3 4 5 KERR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT 6 Special Session 7 Thursday, December 4, 2003 8 1:00 p.m. 9 Commissioners' Courtroom 10 Kerr County Courthouse 11 Kerrville, Texas 12 13 14 15 16 OPEN HEALTH INSURANCE BIDS 17 18 19 20 21 22 PRESENT: PAT TINLEY, Kerr County Judge H. A. "BUSTER" BALDWIN, Commissioner Pct. 1 23 WILLIAM "BILL" WILLIAMS, Commissioner Pct. 2 24 ABSENT: JONATHAN LETZ, Commissioner Pct. 3 DAVE NICHOLSON, Commissioner Pct. 4 25 2 1 On Thursday, December 4, 2003, at 1:00 p.m., a special 2 meeting of the Kerr County Commissioners Court was held in the 3 Commissioners' Courtroom, Kerr County Courthouse, Kerrville, 4 Texas, and the following proceedings were had in open court: 5 P R O C E E D I N G S 6 JUDGE TINLEY: Okay. It's a bit after 1 p.m. 7 I'll call to order the special Commissioners Court meeting 8 scheduled for this date, Thursday, December 4th, at 1 p.m. 9 Only item on the agenda is to open health insurance bids and 10 refer for review and evaluation. 11 COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: One, two, three, 12 four, five, six, looks like. 13 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: The "Honorable" Pat 14 Tinley. Who would that be? Oh, I see. We each get one. 15 You're Bill Williams. 16 COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Oh, is that 17 wonderful? Gosh, one with my name on it. 18 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Judge. 19 JUDGE TINLEY: We have in hand -- the first 20 one is from Finley and Associates. 21 COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: I like these bound 22 volumes. Man, they're wonderful. And the second one, Your 23 Honor, is? 24 JUDGE TINLEY: Second one we have is from 25 GreenTree Administrators, Inc. 12-4-03 3 1 COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Did you get this one? 2 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Don't worry, it won't 3 cut you. 4 JUDGE TINLEY: Next one is from Benefit 5 Planners. You'd think it was Christmastime, wouldn't you, 6 the way they're busting in. 7 COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: This will give us 8 some practice for Christmas. 9 JUDGE TINLEY: The next one is presented by 10 Ray Rothwell, Employee Benefit Administrators, Inc., and 11 Bryan Finley. Next one is from the Texas Association of 12 Counties Health and Employee Benefits Pool. And the last 13 one is from Wallace and Associates, Insurance and Benefit 14 Consultants. That appears to be all of them. Ms. Alford? 15 MS. ALFORD: Yes, sir? 16 JUDGE TINLEY: These are all that were 17 submitted on a timely basis? 18 MS. ALFORD: Yes. 19 JUDGE TINLEY: Those are all that we have. 20 Do I hear a motion that these be referred to the Auditor and 21 Personnel-slash-benefits specialist for review and 22 evaluation? 23 COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: So moved. 24 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I think I'll second 25 that. 12-4-03 4 1 JUDGE TINLEY: All right. Motion made and 2 seconded that the proposals as submitted be referred to the 3 Auditor and Treasurer/Personnel benefits officer for review 4 and evaluation. Any further discussion? All in favor of 5 the motion, signify by raising your right hand. 6 (The motion carried by unanimous vote.) 7 JUDGE TINLEY: All opposed, same sign. 8 (No response.) 9 JUDGE TINLEY: Motion does carry. 10 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Judge, before you 11 adjourn this court, I have a -- I have an issue I'd like to 12 bring up. It doesn't require any action; I just need to 13 kind of run something by you. Are you ready to do that, or 14 are you going to have discussion about this? 15 JUDGE TINLEY: Well, I don't know that we can 16 have any discussion about this. We wouldn't know what we 17 were discussing at this point, since we just opened it. 18 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: This is true. 19 JUDGE TINLEY: The only thing that I would 20 mention in connection with this business, because of the 21 time constraints that we're under, it may well be necessary 22 that we have to have a special meeting to consider the 23 review and award of the health insurance contract bid before 24 our meeting on the 22nd. We have a meeting this coming 25 Monday on the 8th, and it's obviously not on the agenda for 12-4-03 5 1 then, but because of the -- because of the timeliness, we 2 may have to have a special -- special meeting for that 3 purpose, so I just wanted to mention that. 4 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yes, sir, I think 5 you're correct. 6 JUDGE TINLEY: Okay. 7 COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Judge -- before you 8 do that, Buster, might it not be good for the record for the 9 folks who are in attendance to identify themselves and their 10 connection, just so we know who they are? Since we've 11 already opened the bids. 12 JUDGE TINLEY: Let's start back here. 13 MR. FINLEY: Sir? I'm sorry? 14 JUDGE TINLEY: If you'll identify yourself 15 for the record so that we know that you're here and -- 16 MR. FINLEY: I'm Bryan Finley. We submitted 17 bids in conjunction with E.B.A., with GreenTree, and with 18 TAC. 19 JUDGE TINLEY: Okay. And you, sir? 20 MR. KARLSKIN: I'm Brian Karlskin. I'm a 21 representative with Blue Cross and Blue Shield, as well as 22 with TAC. 23 JUDGE TINLEY: All right. 24 MS. KOLODZEY: My name is Kelly Kalodzey. 25 I'm with the Texas Association of Counties. 12-4-03 6 1 MS. TAYLOR: And I'm Rhonda Taylor with 2 Taylor Insurance, and I submitted the bid and -- with the 3 Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and also under Bryan Finley, I 4 believe. Both of us submitted the same bid. 5 JUDGE TINLEY: All right. Sir? 6 MR. WALLACE: I'm Don Wallace with Wallace 7 and Associates from Seguin. 8 JUDGE TINLEY: All right. 9 MR. WALLACE: We submitted Mutual of Omaha, 10 Benefit Planners, and group administrators for your health. 11 We submitted some separate life quotes and some separate 12 dental quotes. 13 JUDGE TINLEY: Thank you. 14 MR. WALLACE: Appreciate the opportunity. 15 JUDGE TINLEY: You bet you. We appreciate 16 you being here. 17 COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: You're next. 18 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: This is going to be 19 exciting for these folks, I know. We have -- we have -- or 20 I have dropped the ball on our annual Christmas party. I 21 know. I know, Bill. We try not to spend over -- 22 MR. FINLEY: Can the rest of us leave, Judge? 23 Pardon me. 24 JUDGE TINLEY: We may want to draft you to 25 pick up the ball. 12-4-03 7 1 COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Yeah, maybe we're 2 going to throw the ball to you. Hang on a minute. 3 MR. WALLACE: Take up a collection. 4 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: So -- 5 JUDGE TINLEY: This guy's been to one of 6 these rodeos before, I can tell. He said the magic word. 7 Pass the hat. 8 COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: He wants to get out 9 before we say, "Buy the brisket, Brian." 10 MR. FINLEY: Yes, sir. 11 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: We only need $300. 12 No, that's not true. Historically, the Commissioners Court 13 has pitched in $25 or $30 each to buy -- purchase meat, and 14 someone from the community would cook the meat for us. And 15 I'm not sure that we have cookers any more, so -- 16 COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: I can get you a 17 cooker. 18 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Well, would you like 19 to pursue that avenue? I don't remember -- was it $25, 20 Thea, that we all pitched in? 21 MS. SOVIL: It's according to how much the 22 meat cost. 23 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Okay. 24 COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: How many briskets in 25 the past have we bought? That's the key. 12-4-03 8 1 MS. SOVIL: We haven't done briskets in a 2 while. 3 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Okay. Hams, briskets, 4 elephants. What -- how many -- what do we need? 5 MS. SOVIL: Well, I don't -- I figure half a 6 pound per person. 7 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I agree with that. 8 And when we serve 125 -- 9 MS. SOVIL: I look at the poundage, you know. 10 I'd get at least 50 pounds of meat, maybe 60. 11 COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Okay. 12 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: So, I still don't know 13 what to say, other than each one of us need to kick in $20, 14 $25, I guess, to purchase some meat. You think you'll find 15 a cooker? 16 COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: I'll check this 17 afternoon and let you know real quick. 18 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: That would be good. I 19 like that route. That's the simplest route. We had kicked 20 around yesterday about running down to San Antonio trying to 21 purchase some hams and those kinds of things, but it got 22 real confusing for me. 23 COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Briskets would be 24 good. 25 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I'm not interested in 12-4-03 9 1 that kind of thing. So -- and then the day -- if you 2 remember, we normally close down the 24th at noon, or most 3 offices close down the 24th at noon, and that would be a 4 good day to have our luncheon downstairs, like, start 5 serving at 11:00, and, you know, each person around the 6 courthouse bring some kind of a dish to add to it, and we 7 start serving about 11:00, and then get through a little 8 after 12:00, and each elected official does what he wants 9 to. I'm going home, but, you know, whatever everybody wants 10 to do. 11 COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: I'll probably already 12 be gone, but your plan sounds good. 13 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I mean, just kind of 14 nod or something. I'm not looking for any -- 15 JUDGE TINLEY: I'm confident that if 16 Commissioner Williams can find you a cooker, that you can 17 pick up and carry the ball from there, as long as you get 18 the funding. 19 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: That's correct. 20 JUDGE TINLEY: I think the only -- what we 21 need to do is the members of this Court need to just create 22 a kitty to provide the funding, and whatever's required, 23 we're on the hook for it. 24 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: You're on. 25 JUDGE TINLEY: And then, of course, the side 12-4-03 10 1 dishes are provided by the employees, and they've always 2 managed to figure out how to do that themselves. But you're 3 going to need to let them know kind of what your thinking 4 is. 5 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Well, really, my 6 question is, is the date -- is the date okay? And how we 7 want to do this meat thing, you know, if we want to -- and I 8 think that's a great plan. 9 COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Let me see if I can 10 line up a cook this afternoon, or in the morning at the 11 latest. Then we can determine how much we need to purchase 12 and whatever. 13 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Isn't that the day 14 that the Judge hands out the pins? The awards and all? 15 JUDGE TINLEY: Service awards. 16 COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Yeah, service awards. 17 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: We need to make sure 18 that that's done and in place as well. 19 COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Are we doing -- 20 JUDGE TINLEY: You seem to bring that up -- 21 are you kind of angling for one of those? Is that the deal? 22 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I haven't gotten one 23 in a while; seems like it's my turn, you know. This 24 gold-watching, dead turkey stuff is getting old. 25 JUDGE TINLEY: We've got the turkey lined up. 12-4-03 11 1 COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Have we always done 2 it on -- on Christmas Eve? Or do we do it a day before? 3 MS. SOVIL: The day -- no, we've done it the 4 day before we get off. 5 COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: The day before we get 6 off, which would mean here what, the 23rd? 7 MS. SOVIL: No, this year it would be the 8 24th, 'cause we're off on the 25th and the 26th. 9 COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: All right. 10 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: So the 24th is the -- 11 MS. ALFORD: We have a half day on the 24th, 12 too. 13 MS. SOVIL: Not officially. 14 MS. ALFORD: Yes. 15 MS. SOVIL: No, it's not in the -- 16 MS. ALFORD: Yes, it is. 17 MS. SOVIL: -- budget book. 18 COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Bottom line, 19 unofficially, we're going to have a Christmas party, right? 20 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah, whatever. So, 21 you think that will work? 22 COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: Sure. 23 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: We're going to move 24 forward. 25 COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS: I'll check on it and 12-4-03 12 1 let you know. 2 JUDGE TINLEY: I designated you as an 3 additional liaison responsible for official parties, 4 including Christmas. 5 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: God, success finally. 6 I finally get a big one. 7 JUDGE TINLEY: Anything further? We'll stand 8 adjourned. 9 (Commissioners Court adjourned at 1:14 p.m.) 10 - - - - - - - - - - 11 12 STATE OF TEXAS | 13 COUNTY OF KERR | 14 The above and foregoing is a true and complete 15 transcription of my stenotype notes taken in my capacity as 16 County Clerk of the Commissioners Court of Kerr County, 17 Texas, at the time and place heretofore set forth. 18 DATED at Kerrville, Texas, this 4th day of December, 19 2003. 20 21 22 JANNETT PIEPER, Kerr County Clerk 23 BY: _________________________________ Kathy Banik, Deputy County Clerk 24 Certified Shorthand Reporter 25 12-4-03