Hello James Dunn: You owe Tunica County an apology

To the best of my knowledge, the following is the sequence of events leading up to some Tunicans believing there was a problem with the new health insurance.

On 29 May 2014, the BOS voted to change their health insurance provider to UnitedHealthcare with a vote as follows:
Beat 1: James Dunn: Abstain
Beat 2: Cedric Burnett: No
Beat 3: Phillis Williams: Yes
Beat 4: Sonny Nickson: Yes
Beat 5: McKinley Daley: Yes

THE MOTION CARRIED.

On 30 May 2014, there needed to be 2 checks written for the insurance.

On 30 May 2014, the Beat 1 Supervisor told an accounting clerk, Mae Earnhardt, by phone not to write the check.  I believe it is correct procedure when a County elects to hire a County Administrator, the Supervisors go through the County Administrator for any action they wish to take.  Under no circumstances does a Supervisor directly tell employees what to do or what not to do.

On 30 May 2014, James Dunn was contacted by phone and asked to come to the County Administrator's office.  Upon arrival, Dunn found in the County Administrator's office, Michael Thompson, Comptroller Adrian McKay, a Representative from Nick Floyd and Associates and the Beat 4 Supervisor.

After being told that the Cigna insurance was going to end at 11:59p on 31 May 2014 and that the check for the new insurance needed to be written so there would be no lapse in coverage, Dunn again said not to write the check and he wanted to wait until after the BOS's meeting on 2 Jun 2014 @5p.

It was then that the Supervisor from Beat 4 called the BOS's Attorney and received direction as to how to proceed.  This was explained at the BOS's meeting by Mr. Pittman on 2 Jun 2014.

So, listen-up:  It is not...NOT...the new Supervisors who are causing the problems.  In this case if you want to blame someone, that someone would be BEAT #1 SUPERVISOR: JAMES DUNN.

From the facts I have gathered, James Dunn was willing to let employee's and dependents' insurance lapse to show just how big a dog he thinks he is.  The will of the BOS was to change healthcare providers PERIOD.
You are to blame James Dunn and you owe an apology to Tunica County for attempting to put us in a situation where our employees and their dependents would be without coverage.

Letter sent to Michael Thompson from United Healthcare

Sent: Monday, June 02, 2014 @ 10:27 AM

Hi Mr. Thompson,

Welcome to UnitedHealthcare!  Your assigned Policy Number will be 902568 effective 6/1/2014.  

As the Implementation Manager assigned to Tunica County Board of Supervisors, my role is to facilitate the implementation process for you in conjunction with your Strategic Account Executive (Elizabeth Bailey).

The remainder of your UnitedHealthcare team will include your Field Account Manager (Malorise Martin), your Billing Analyst (Kathy Paulsen), your Eligibility Analyst (Chris Pasquarello) and your Dedicated Client Service Manager (pending).  We will work to exceed your expectations in delivering a better health care experience for you and your employees.

I will complete the initial build and send to Quality Control before conducting a final audit for release.  This build is the foundation/source of truth that will be utilized by all downstream areas going forward.

The next steps involve the creation of your location codes, setting up your customer service data base containing all of your plan information and building your plan benefits in our claims payment system.

I will continue to send email updates throughout the entire implementation process until overall ready, which includes ID Card Postmark and Prior carrier Credits being loaded.

We sincerely appreciate the opportunity to provide benefits and services to Tunica County Board of Supervisors.  Please feel free to contact me with any questions!

Thanks and have a great day, 

Kaylea Crabbe
Client Implementation Manager (Gulf States)

Implementation Management Organization, UnitedHealthcare

(office) 601-718-6531
email: kaylea.crabbe@uhc.com

(UnitedHealthcare (logo))

We have a dedicated service team that can help with all of your service issues via our service line, 1-888-UHC-HLP1 or 1-888-842-4571.  This team includes experts in claims, billing, and eligibility as well as your assigned Service Account Manager.

Blogger's note:  The copy of this letter was sent to me by Nick Floyd and Associates.

Called Meeting by Employees 4 Jun 2014 @ 5p

I am having a hard time uploading the flyer for the meeting that was called about insurance on 4 Jun 2014 @5p.  A copy of the flyer and the email trail is in my possession.  Going to type in the text of the flyer.

Alert

Important Information

County Employees

(Sheriff's Office Mandatory)

Meeting

Insurance Discrepancies

New Insurance

G. W. Henderson Recreational 

Center

5:00p.m.

Blogger's note:   There was a follow-up email sent from the same person adding the date of 4 Jun 2014.

End of Flyer

The email trail shows this email originated at the email address of sharon.irby@tunicagov.com.

What is known at this time is that Michael Thompson was not invited.  To the best of my knowledge no Supervisor was invited. (I have heard from 2 Supervisors and they were not asked to attend this meeting and were not contacted by Channel 3 as the report stated in their broadcast.)  Nick Floyd and Associates were not asked to attend.  I have in my possession a list of all of the employees who received this notice.

It is my understanding that Administration got wind of this meeting through a phone call from Billy Willis asking if it was okay to let Tunica County employee, Mae Earnhardt, reserve G. W. for this meeting.  Mr. Thompson said to let them have their meeting. 

Mr. Thompson then sent an email to all employees stating the date of coverage and the additional benefits employees and their dependents will enjoy under the new insurance.  Just as soon as I can, I will get a copy of the email...that I can read with these old eyes...and I will post said email here.

2 Jun 2014 BOS Meeting

Most of this meeting and the Executive Session was taken up by employment issues.

There seems to be difficulty in each department using the same policy to fill vacancies.  After reviewing the Tunica County Employee Handbook, it appears an update is in order.

On page 4 there is a paragraph C. Equal Employment Policy.  This paragraph reads as follows:  "It is the policy of Tunica County to provide equal opportunity in employment to all employees and applicants for employment.  There will be no discrimination against any employee because of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, veteran status or handicap.  Equal opportunity in employment is an essential priority for Tunica County and one to which it is deeply committed.  Equal employment opportunity is concerned with every aspect of employment policy and practices, including selection, recruitment, conditions of work, training, overtime, promotion, demotion, testing, assignment, pay, discipline and separation.  Tunica County is dedicated to providing an equal opportunity climate and work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment."

Maybe we need another paragraph spelling out the hiring practices.  Suggestion: Post a vacancy internally in each department with an internal closing date. Interview any employee who applies for the vacancy.  If this action is not successful advertise in the Tunica Times with a closing date.  Interview the applicants.  If this action is not successful, advertise elsewhere: Commercial Appeal, Trade Papers, etc.

Another area that needs attention is found on page 23 of the Tunica County Employee Handbook: G. Transfers.  "Vacancies may, but are not required to be, posted on employee bulletin boards, and the Board of Supervisors reserves the right to re-assign or transfer any employee without posting.  As soon as is practicable, the department head of the department in which the vacancy exists will interview all qualified employees who have applied.  Before an existing employee can transfer to another position in a different department, both the employee's existing department head and the department head of the department to which the employee wishes to transfer must approve the transfer."

Hmmm, let's start by removing "but are not required to be".  Then follow through with what a department head is required to do.  He or she "...will interview all qualified employees who have applied."  This sort of takes care of some of the problems under the Equal Employment Policy.

All of this being said, there are 2 departments that I know of who want to hire from their "stack" of applications that they already have on file.  Pulling new employees from these applications does not give other employees an opportunity to apply nor does this practice give other Tunica County residents an opportunity to be employed by Tunica County.

Easy fixes.

29 May 2014 BOS Meeting: Healthcare and Claims

29 May 2014: Board of Supervisors’ Meeting @ 5p

Thank you for your appointment this evening.

The Transparency Committee would like to report on 2 Claims issues this evening.  The first issue has to do with Health Insurance payments and the Affordable Care Act.  The second issue we have been working on since Feb 2012 and it has to do with the payments made to Gold Strike Casino that were “miscoded” by our Accounting Department.

1. The public needs some clarification concerning whether Tunica County is self insured or is not self insured.  To be self insured, Tunica County would have to be footing the entire cost of the healthcare for Tunica County employees and these claims would need to be entered on the monthly claims docket.  To the best of my knowledge payments have not been put on the claims docket.

What I believe to be the case is that our current healthcare insurance was built to have an employer cap at $60K per person and Cigna would pick-up after this threshold had been met.  To me this makes our policy not a self insured policy but a policy with a very high employer deductible.  If this is true, then there needs to be a discussion about Cigna’s responsibility of notification and/or refund each Jul 1^st under the Affordable Care Act.  This means that Cigna would be responsible for writing a letter to Tunica County explaining why we are not getting a refund or Cigna needs to be sending a check to Tunica County if they did not spend 80% of our premiums on our employee’s healthcare.

For the past 2 years, our Committee has been asking this question and not getting answers.  What we need to know is 1. Are we really self insured and therefore don’t qualify for a refund or 2. Are we due an explanation or a check from Cigna.

Additionally, our Committee is making the following request.  All of you ran on the Democratic ticket to be elected to the offices you now hold.  Would you consider writing a letter to Gov Bryant asking him to take the Medicaid expansion money that is being offered to each and every state under the Affordable Care Act?  Maybe you would consider asking other Supervisors in other counties to do the same.

What would this do for Tunica County?  If we pay a worker $8.50 an hour he or she will make $17,680 per year.  For a family of 3, this would be below the poverty level.  If some of our employees are only earning poverty level wages, perhaps they would qualify for Medicaid and this would cut our Healthcare insurance expense.

So, please consider writing the letter(s).

DOCUMENTATION FOR #2 BELOW THAT WAS PRESENTED IN THE MEETING WILL BE  AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC ALONG WITH THE BOS MINUTES AFTER THE 1ST MEETING IN JUNE 2014. 

2. The second item in the Transparency report this evening is the ongoing questions and lack of documentation with the Sheriff/Homeland Security/Emergency Management claims and payment to Gold Strike Casino.  You will recall these two claims ($5,738.94 and $5,971.25) total $11,710.19 and were reportedly “miscoded” in our Accounting Department.

This is our update:

1. The Grant (S91EO72) that is supposed to pay for these expenses was granted to the Tunica County Sheriff’s Department for Force Protection from the MS Department of Public Safety – Office of Homeland Security.  The Program Name is: Fiscal Year 09 ODP Homeland Security Grant Program.  The grant period is: 10/01/2009 to 06/30/20ll.  The award date is 15 Jun 2010.  The amount of the grant is $61,770.00.

Notes on the above information:  I personally had several conversations with the former Board Attorney about exactly who has control over the monies in the Homeland Security budget and the Emergency Management budget.  My sense of what I was told was that these three departments have to work together but the Sheriff does not have control over HLS or EM budgets.  I believe this report will show differently.  I believe the Sheriff has control of these budgets and grants through his employee, Randy Stewart.

2. The next page in this report will further show the lack of clear lines between the Sheriff and Homeland Security and EM.  This page is a letter requesting reimbursement under the Grant listed in 2 (a) of this report.  This request is written on Sheriff Hamp’s letterhead.  The letter is dated 21 Dec 2011.  The letter was signed by Becky Pope for Randy Stewart and uses all three of Stewart’s titles.  (Don’t even think of blaming any of this on Becky Pope.  We will be watching.)

The grant period for this request is dated 8/1/2011 to 8/31/2012. (It appears there may have been a renewal of the grant listed in 2(a) but the documentation was not provided or could not be found.)  The request of the refund is $15,373.52.  This is $3,663.33 more then the 2 claims for $11,710.19.  So, where is this money?

3. The next page is a copy of a demand check written to Gold Strike Casino.  The date of this check is 3 Oct 2011.  I don’t believe this check was approved by the previous BOS. The claims for this expense did not show up in the Claims Docket until Nov 2011.

4. The next 2 pages contain a bill from Gold Strike Casino for the $5,738.94 and the purchase order for this expense.  The date of the bill is 20 Sep 2011.  This is a bill for 18 days of buffets (8/10/11 to 8/28/11).  There is a requisition number (67785) and a purchase order (60738) dated 8/8/11 signed by Randy Stewart for this expense.  The quantity of buffets is blank.  The County Department is listed as EMA and the Budget to be charged is HLS.  More blurred lines. 

5. The last page of this report is a bill from Gold Strike Casino for $5,971.25.  This bill is also dated 20 Sep 2011.  There is a note on this bill that says “Room List (see attached)”.  This information was not provided or was not found.  There is a reference to a purchase order (60681).  This purchase order was not provided or was not found.

Remember the County Administrator trying to show us what was previously sloppy and unmanageable paperwork left by the last Administration?  This report shows at the very least sloppy paperwork.  This report may even show misappropriation of funds.  Make no mistake.  It is a mess.

This is what I do know.  Until the change in Administration, we have had a devil of a time getting information that should be readily available to the public.  We have been working on this particular Claim since Feb 2012.  In Feb 2014, we submitted a Freedom of Information Letter for the documentation to support these claims.  The current Administration has done its best but going through the piles and piles of paperwork has proven to be too time consuming.  I might add we may still have some employees left over from the last Administration who don’t fully understand that the public has a right and an obligation to question their government.

Okay, all of that being said, I would like to ask Randy Stewart, through the BOS, to get together all of the documentation to support these claims and to provide an explanation of what happened to the $3,663.33 difference between the claims and the request for reimbursement.

One more thing, Sonny you asked me to take a second look at the claims…to make sure you didn’t overlook something and I am happy to do that every month.  What I am not happy about is a request to pay $30 for a copy of the claims.  I worked with Mr. Thompson and we decided that everyone should have access to the claims.  What was worked out was a copy of the monthly claims docket is being placed in the public records room each month after the first meeting.  However, it sure would be easier for me to do the job you asked me to do if I had a copy of the claims.  Can you do anything to make this $30 go away?

7 Apr 2014 Update on Stennis Report [1-12]

7 Apr 2014: Board of Supervisors’ Meeting @ 5p

Thank you for your appointment this evening.

We wanted to make a follow-up report on the Stennis Institute Report:

1. Ms. Jones appeared before this Board and stated that this report is “on going.”  If this is true then why was this 156 page report printed on November 26, 2013, in what appears to be a final format?

2. On page 78 of the printed report the following statement appears: “The approved (Sponsored Programs) contract will run from July 1 – October 31, 2013 to allow for document revisions and the final presentation.”  How is this "on going?"

3. Ms. Jones indicated that job descriptions would be needed to complete the survey.  Do we or do we not have job descriptions for all employees?  ________

4. On page 77 of the printed report the following statement appears: “As part of the Scope of Work to update the study, these (job) descriptions will be reviewed by current Tunica County personnel serving in each position.  The current employee will update his/her duties.  New job descriptions will be developed for positions within the County’s two clinics.  As discussed, (the) director of the clinics will coordinate gathering information for these job descriptions.”

5. We now know there are not one but two doctors at the clinics.  We also understand there is a third doctor who comes in on the weekends only.  We have not been able to verify the following information: One of the doctors at the clinics is here on a work visa and recently the clinics paid several thousand dollars to renew her visa.  If you find that this is true, please let the public know why we would do that. [STOP] 

6. This report does not read true in the assignment of individuals and their salaries to proper departments.  For instance, in past years, there were several individuals who were listed as employees in Administration.  One of these individuals was Gene Osborn who was the Health Administrator.  Is the new Health Administrator still listed under Administration? ______

7. Another job slot was totally left out of the Stennis Report.  This would be the Grounds Keeper at Tunica National.  This is important because this individual is paid around $90K in salary.  When benefits are added to this amount we are looking at an expense of at least $100K.  Why not transfer this job to Kemper Sports and get it off Tunica County’s books?

8. On page 28, there is a listing of 12 departments to be evaluated.  These departments are: Administration, Tax Assessor, Courts, Arena & Expo Center, Maintenance, Jail, Parks & Recreation, Planning, Solid Waste, Roads, Clinics and the Sheriff’s Department.  Note: The Sheriff’s Department has 3 subsets: Investigation Division, Narcotics Division and Administration.

9. On pages 29 through 40 of the Stennis Report, there are charts for some of the above 12 departments and some of the above departments have been lumped together in one chart.  An example would be the chart on page 29 that lumps together Administration and Taxes.

10. The job slots in the chart are listed as follows: Comptroller, Community Affairs Director, Accounts Payable Clerk, Administrative Assistant, MIS Director, Payroll Clerk, Purchasing Agent, Receptionist, Tax Assessor Deputy Collector.

11. Notes: It can be understood why the MIS Director is placed under Administration as there is no other place to put this job within the 12 departments listed on page 28.  Additionally, there is also another employee in the MIS department who is not listed.  There has not been a Receptionist position in Administration as Rosie was transferred to another department years ago.

12. On page 31 there is a chart for the Arena and Expo Center.  Within this chart is the position of Sales Manager with a salary of $46,220.  Where did this come from?

This report will be updated as we go along.  You will know this report has been updated when the bracketed numbers in the title change from [1-12].

     

 

Letter to the Editor from Bob

INTIMADATION AND CONTROL

 

Lately, we have seen the County’s power structure attempt to control through intimidation.  Simply check the records and news stories for the events surrounding our County Administrator, County Comptroller, and Board of Supervisors’ Lawyer.  There was no legal basis for the actions taken and that leaves us to conclude they were efforts to intimidate and control.  It is not working as the perpetrators envisioned.  These three County employees are too well grounded in ethics and have strong, well documented skills.  Strongly held ethics and excellent skills are scaring some of our “power elite.”  The “power elite’s” control is slipping from their grasp.  So, the next attempt to control is under way. 

The latest effort to control took place at the Board of Supervisors’ meeting, 14 March 2014.  It looks okay at first reading. Given any thought and it unravels. Set the salary for the Comptroller at a low figure and open the job to all applicants.  Seems okay to you?  It is not okay. It is an effort to replace the current Comptroller with someone the “power elite” can control.  The replacement has already been selected and will be placed in the position as soon as it can be “managed.”  Why replace a fully skilled, competent individual now acting as Comptroller?  Control is the logical answer.  What a waste of county money and energy…all for what purpose?  Certainly not for the good of the County.

Robert Tuchel