Supervisors cover providing rural internet, Union County insurance bidding, (Jan 23)

New Albany, MS–  Public Service Commission (PSC) Chairman Brandon Presley told the county board Monday of PSC work to improve water, Internet,  and natural gas services for rural residents.

Appearing at the Monday, Jan. 23,  meeting, Presley told the county board of PSC work to improve water, Internet, and natural gas service for rural residents. He likened the importance of providing rural Internet service to work done decades ago to bring electricity to rural areas. Therefore, Presley said, the PSC designated commission staff chief, Chris Hutchinson, to concentrate on improving services for rural residents.

Local agents request inclusion in Union county insurance bidding process

John Stroud, New Albany businessman, speaks for insurance group wishing to bid on Union County insurance.

New Albany insurance agent, John Stroud, appeared before the board as  spokesman for several local insurance agents. Agents Bill Turner, Austin Bynum, Shanda Williams and Jay Bailey also attended the meeting. Stroud asked the board to consider giving local insurance agents the opportunity to quote on the Union County insurance group health plan. The Union County insurance plan covers over a hundred Union County employees and their families.

Morgan-White Insurance Agency of Oxford has provided Union County’s group health insurance coverage for county employees for many years.  Stroud said he and his colleagues represent the same insurance carriers as Morgan-White. Consequently, local agents can provide health insurance at the same premium rate and with the same benefits as Morgan-White. Stroud and the other agents at the meeting are all Union County residents licensed to sell group health insurance coverage by Blue Cross, Humana, Aetna, Star Mark, United Health Care, etc., the same companies represented by Morgan-White.

The health coverage portion of Union County insurance will renew on April 1st.

Board of Supervisors President Dave Kitchens told NAnewsweb.com that Morgan-White approached the county board in March, 2016, and said it would again be quoting on the county group health coverage. Four of the five board members had commenced service on the board only a few weeks before. “We still had our feet wet,” said Kitchens. He said the Union County-based group agents were told at that time that they would be given the opportunity to quote on health insurance for county employees this year.

In other action Monday:

• The county board approved a purchase negotiated by the county airport board for 39.8 acres of additional land for the airport. The land’s purchase price is $100-thousand dollars. Federal government grants will cover about 95% of the purchase price.  The New Albany Board of Aldermen has already approved the land purchase. The supervisors approved writing a “manual check” for $2,498  to cover the county’s share of the land purchase.
• The Board also approved:
  • deletion from the Emergency Management Agency inventory of multiple GPS units believed stolen at the National Guard Armory.
  • an annual payment to the county treasurer of $2,500.
  • travel for Supervisors to on Feb/ 14 and 15.

The Union County Board of Supervisors will next meet on Feb, 6.