Health insurance plans for Carroll County Electric Department (CCED) employees were renewed by the CCED Board during a Nov. 19 meeting, which was held in the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce conference room.
Jacob Smothers with Huntingdon Insurance Company, through which the CCED provides health insurance for its employees, was there at the meeting to answer questions regarding insurance renewal options.
CCED financial officer Ryan Drewry advised the board that employee premiums would be going up 6.9 percent starting in January if they chose to keep benefits at the present level and that this would represent a net 5.7 percent increase over what the CCED budgeted for employee health insurance expenses.
Smothers detailed a couple of other renewal options to the board, but recommended a straight renewal with no changes in benefits.
“I think that’s your strongest option, seeing what the industry is doing,” said Smothers.
After some discussion, the board voted unanimously to go with Smothers’ recommendation.
In other business:
•CCED general manager Danny Brawner informed the board that the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS) is still working on the actuary study regarding possible options to provide retirement benefits for CCED employees. Brawner said he would be contacting TCRS for updates each week.
•Brawner advised the board that TEC is almost ready to start making connections with the local power grid in its ongoing project to provide high-speed internet service to certain parts of the county.
•Brawner said that the old digger truck, a 2007 International 7400 that the board agreed to bid out for sale at the last meeting, has been sold to a tree-trimming service in Lexington.
•Brawner said they will be giving employees $50 Chamber of Commerce gift cards instead of having a Christmas dinner for employees this year.
•Brawner advised the board that the CCED has been approved for another $10,000 match through the TVA Community Care Fund to provide electric bill relief to local customers suffering financial hardship due to COVID-19, though they will have to come up with at least another $10,000 in local funding in order to receive the matching funds. Over 100 local families were helped through this program earlier this year.
•The next board meeting was set for Dec. 16 at 2:30 p.m. at the Chamber.
