Commission meetings won't be webcast as Purcell's motion goes unseconded; insurance awards made

The broadcast of future Cape Girardeau County Commission meetings via the Internet won't happen anytime soon.

During the commission's meeting Monday evening, District 2 Commissioner Jay Purcell presented a motion that the county consider setting aside $10,000 for costs related to webcasting future commission meetings. However, neither Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones nor District 1 Commissioner Paul Koeper seconded the motion, therefore killing the possibility of a vote.

During a time of discussion, Purcell said the move would keep an indisputable record of what occurs during the commission's meetings.

"This is one of those things that has huge tangible benefits because it allows the citizens to see what's going on," Purcell said.

Koeper said money should be set aside for increasing security in the county courthouse before setting aside funds for webcasting the commission meetings.

"Security in our courthouse is a pretty important issue that amounts to life or death," Koeper said. "I don't know if this amounts to life or death."

Jones told the seven members of the public in attendance that the commission has nothing to hide.

"No one is hiding anything," Jones said. "We've been transparent and open since we were formed."

Earlier in the meeting the commission approved a recommendation from county clerk Kara Clark Summers for the county employees' insurance. The 2010 group dental and vision insurance was awarded to Marathon Benefits Group with Anthem and long-term disability insurance to Capital Insurance & Associates.

The county's current agent, Jack Greene of Swinford & Associates, said he was at a competitive disadvantage because he did not feel he could come down 1 percent, or $11,000, because health insurance wasn't up for bid with dental, vision and long-term disability.

Greene said that since Rock Finch is the county's agent for Marathon Benefits Group and Anthem medical insurance provider, he could negotiate a bigger discount on the dental, vision and long-term disability insurance rates.

But Summers said Greene could have reduced his bid even further. Summers said in the past agents have cut their commission and were able to work with the insurance companies to reduce their bottom-line pricing.

She said that the insurance committee, which is made up of several county office holders, spent most of Friday and Monday studying the submitted bids.

"The best price for the county bottom line is what you see," Summers said.

Greene said he would pursue additional avenues of action.

"I don't want to elaborate on this at this point," Greene said after the meeting.

In other action the commission referred to information technology director Eric McGowen for his recommendation on bids of a centralized data storage device.

bblackwell@semissourian.com

388-3628

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