I'aSeS-A -TIII ItKl NSWICK IlKACCI
Commissic
Changes It
BY KAHN ADAMS
Brunswick County Commissioners
this week ended several weeks of
speculation when they decided to in
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for county employees who carry
dependent coverage and to split the
cost of disability coverage with
workers.
As a result of the changes, the
county will save an estimated
$111,000 on insurance costs in the
coming fiscal year, according to
county budget officials.
Employees, however, will not bear
the full burden of projected increases
in the county's group insurance
premium, as was initially discussed.
Also, both the county and its
employees will reap limited savings
through the use of a new method of
deducting insurance premiums from
employees' paychecks.
Commissioners began looking at
changes in the county's insurance
package early in the budget preparation
process, after they were told that
insurance costs were projected to
substantially increase.
According to Finance Director
Lithia llahn. the county spent approximately
$008,000 in group insurance
premiums and $44,000 for
disability insurance during 1987-88.
If no changes in coverage were
made, group insurance was expected
to increase by 50 percent to about
$953,000 m 19*88-89. Ms. Hahn said.
Disability premiums would increase
25 percent to about $59,000.
Action Taken
At a budget work session last
Wednesday night in Bolivia, commissioners
voted 3-2 to pass along half of
the projected group insurance increase
to employees who have
parent/child or family policies. Commissioners
Grace Beasley and
Prankie Habon cast the opposing l
Support F
(Continued Frc
Logan said, however, that
Southern Bell officials indicated that
their company could begin a cost
study in mid July.
Also. ATMC expects to finish
upgrading iLs telephone switchingsystem
in Bolivia on July 22?a
measure which "will remove any
technical obstacle in consideration of
providing fully enhanced 911
emergency service in Brunswick
County." according to a letter to
Logan from ATMC General Manager
Russell Price.
At present, the segment of the
ATMC system serving Bolivia is the
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not have digital switching, which is
necessary for 911.
Logan said ATMC can make a proposal
concerning 911 after July 22.
The emergency management coordinator
also gave commissioners information
on the current implementation
of 911 in Burke County, a
western N.C. county which is comparable
in size to Brunswick.
According to information received
from county officials there, Burke
plans to have an enhanced 911 system
with primary and secondary answering
points located at the county's
Emergency Medical Services office
and sheriff's department respectively
The system's estimated $235,000 installation
cost will he paid for by
telephone subscribers. Subscribers
I Shallotte Glass 8
has movec
to a larger loc<
16 mile north of foime
Hwy. 17, turn right at Col
754-9950
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POST OFFICE BO;
SHALLOTTE. NOI
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'N. Thursday. .lune .'JO. IONS
>ners Softe
1 Insurance
votes.
The county will continue to pay the
full premium for individual policies.
As part of that action, the board initially
approved raising the deductible
for all policies from $100 to
$200 a measure which would have
increased savings to $227,000.
Later in the same meeting, commissioners
also voted 4-1. with Habon
dissenting, to stop paying for
employees' disability coverage.
However, both actions were
reversed during Tuesday's budget
session. On a motion by Commissioner
Benny Ludlum, the board
voted 3-2 for the county to retain the
$100 deductible and pay half the cost
of disability coverage for employees
who wish to keep it. Commissioners
Chris Chappell and dim Poole cast
the opposing votes.
Ms. Hahn earlier estimated that
the tot' annual cost of disability
coverav is about $170 per employee.
On Friday during the board's third
work session last week, commissioners
unanimously approved a proposal
authorizing County Manager
John T. Smith to implement a
modified "cafeteria" benefits plan,
which is expected to save the county
and employees alike about 7*2 percent
on Social Security taxes
Smith explained that the plan
allows employees to pay for insurance
benefits through what
amounts to a salary reduction. At
present, insurance premiums are
deducted after the taxes are figured
on an employee's full salary. Under
me caieieria plan, the deduction will
be made before the salary is taxed.
Premiums Shown
Under the current insurance plan,
the county pays the entire amount of
an individual policy, which costs
580.25 per month, according to
figures compiled by Smith.
Restated
>m Page 1-A)
will pay an additional 43 cents on
their phone bills for 18 months.
Burke County's cost to operate the
911 system is estimated at $166,650
per year. No additional employees
will be needed, since Burke EMS currently
employs a total of eight fulland
part-time telecommunicators.
To implement the system here,
Brunswick County would need to hire
a staff of telecommunicators and
build a facility to house them.
However, in response to a question
by Commission Chairman Grace
Beasley, Logan told commissioners
that the Brunswick would incur no
costs other than constructing the
Duuaing in me upcoming budget
year, since the system's estimated
installation time is 18 to 24 months.
i don't have a problem putting the
$250,000 in the budget," Ms. Beasley
told Ixigan, "but I sure want some information
in three months."
Following the board's consensus in
support of making the allocation,
Commissioner Chris Chappell suggested
that a 911 committee be formed
in the near future to oversee the
project and make regular reports to
commissioners.
Also, the board agreed with Commissioner
Jim Poole that the $250,000
allocation be placed in the county's
non-departmental budget instead of
in the emergency management
budget, to give commissioners more
control over the funds.
3SCRIBE TO
'ick?beacon
< 2558
RTH CAROLINA 28459
g News Coverage
ES BY MAIL; Sr. Citizen
7 50 650 i
10 00 9.00
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i To Above Address I
I
n Blow Of
?Package
The county now pays $114.55 per
month of a parent/child policy, with
the employee paying $38.74 (25 percent
: and $145.48 of a family policy,
with the employee paying $77.90 <35
percent).
When the insurance chancre en in.
to effect July 1, an individual policy
will cost the county an estimated
$93.10 per month. None of the projected
increase will be passed to the
employee.
With the county and employees
splitting the increases in policies
with dependent coverage, the county
will pay $126.85 per month of a
parent/child policy, with the
employee paying $51.05 < 29 percent):
and $163.33 of a family policy, with
the employee paying $95.77 (37 percent).
The increases to employees
amount to 82 percent on the
parent/child policy and 23 percent on
the family policy.
Poole initially proposed that the
county pay only the amount of an individual
premium, whether the
employee carried dependent
coverage or not?a measure which
would save the county an estimated
$563,622.
The board, however, approved
Smith's recommendation to continue
paying a portion of the dependent
coverage, after the county manager
said he felt Poole's proposal would
cause too great a hardship on lowerpaid
employees.
Comparing Benefits
In comparison to certain other
large emnlovers in the area.
Brunswick County's employee insurance
benefits are better than
some and worse than others.
For example, according to
business managers Elaine Shappell
and Ben DeBlois respectively, individual
coverage for about 750
employees in the Brunswick County
public school system and 70
employees at Brunswick Community
College is paid by the state. However,
the employees must pay for dependent
coverage.
Atlantic Telephone Membership
Corporation of Shallotte pays 100 percent
of its employees' insurance,
whether for individual or dependent
coverage, said ATMC Commercial
Manager Diana Somersett. ATMC,
which has about 80 employees, also
pays for disability coverage.
In private industry, Pfizer Inc. of
Southport?with about 200
employees?also pays the full
premiums for employee and family
policies, according to Personnel
Manager Bud Metcalf. Disability
coverage also is funded by the company.
Steve Choplin, director of personnel
relations for Carolina Power &
Light Company, said his company
pays full individual premiums, a portion
of the dependent coverage and
full disability premiums for the
Southport plant's 1,300 employees.
The Op
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DAVID MAYEHLY of China Grove
paint to add the finishing touches to
last Thursday on the strand at Oc
Sand Scul
(Continued From Page 1-A)
he added. "The paint runs a bit but
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need it."
As a large crowd gathered around
the sculptures. Moore said. "People
come from up and down the beach to
look at these. They all ask what
they're made out of because they
can't believe it's sand."
In addition to sand and water, the
sculptors used a touch of seaweed
hanging from the serpent's mouth,
beach grass for the whale's water
Holiday Fore
For Seasonal
Seasonable weather conditions are
expected in the Shallotte area over
the Fourth of .July holiday weekend,
according to Shallotte Point
meteorologist Jackson Canady.
Temperatures over the next
several days should range from the
upper GOs at night to the upper 80s
during the day. About one-half inch of
rainfall is expected.
Canadv said Mondav's weather
should be near normal for the holiday
itself, with a high temperature
around 90 degrees and a chance of
scattered afternoon and evening
thundershowers.
During the period of June 21
through 27. the daily average
temperature in the Shallotte area
was normal at 78 degrees.
The average daily high
temperature was 87 degrees, and the
>ening Of...
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uses red spray Mayerly was one o
this crab created attend this year's 1
can Isle Reach. sand-sculpting exit
Ipting Clan
spout, plastic foam board for the
shark's fins and green glass beer bottles
for the crab's eyeballs. Each of
the sea creatures took approximately
three hours to complete.
Moore, who pointed to his hatcovered
head when asked where he
kept the plans for each day's creation.
said he hoped to finish the week
off by building a "giant squid" with
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other works of art.
"My imagination is the blueprint,"
he said, adding that shovels, brooms
cast Calls
Die Weather
average nightly low temperature
was 69 degrees.
The maximum high temperature
during the period was 92 degrees, occurring
on .June 24. The minimum
low temperature was 6G occurring
on June 21 and 25.
Canady measured .24 of an inch of
rainfall over the seven-day period.
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I">38 THf BRUNSWICK Bf ACON
Pcrfor
BILLY'
Evenings: Thurs., June
Late Night Menu L
All ABC Permits
We Co
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<&t Oc
DINING 5 10 NIGHTLY
BRUNCH 9 2 TUES SUN
SJAlf PHOTOSB> DOUG PUl'( P
if 32 members of the Moore family to
eunion and take part in the informal
libition.
V-1 CVJICS
a garden hose, spray paint and
tablespoons are the actual tools of the
trade.
As for next year, Moore said the
sand sculptures will be bigger and
better than ever. He added jokingly,
"Tell the city next year we want
them to furnish a bulldozer."
THE BRUNSWICK^ BEACON
Established Nov. 1 . 1962
Telephone 754-6890
Published Every Thursday
At Main Street
Shallotte. N. C 28459
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
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Six Months 57.00
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N. C. 28459. USPS 777 780
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