From Road and Bridge to a change in hospital policy and things in between, the Greenwood County Commissioners discussed several items during their weekly meeting on Monday, Sept. 22.
As in usual fashion, the meeting began with a weekly report from the Road and Bridge Department. Administrative Assistant Kassie Lazar shared that an agreement had been received for the bridge at U Road and 100th Street (also referred to as the Hazel Russell bridge). Lazar stated the agreement notes the county has a remaining balance of $36,000, after pre-paying $19,000 five years ago. The commission approved the agreement, with Chair Mac Obourn and Clerk Deann Mc-Caffree signing the agreement after it was approved.
Ulises Treto, with Foley CAT, provided feedback regarding the possibility of moving to chip and seal for roadways in the county, rather than pavement on various county roadways. Treto noted that the equipment Road and Bridge currently has isn’t usable, which makes the chip seal project less feasible. “I highly advise against the chip seal method,” he stated. He went on to note that the recurring costs for chip and seal would surpass the costs of re-paving the roadways. Various options were discussed, including Greenwood County hauling materials and purchasing equipment. Treto planned to share his findings with Road and Bridge Supervisor Allen Greenwood who will relay them to the commissioners.
Discussion regarding the LEPP policy (sanitation) was revisited. Through discussion, it was noted that communication between the City of Eureka and the county was lacking for septic installations/inspections at Eureka Lake. Greenwood stated that he had reached out to the city and things should proceed as needed moving forward. Lazar also presented commissioners with a price sheet for their LEPP services.
Following a five-minute break, the commission revisited the Hebb fence issue. County Counselor Paul Dean stated that he disagreed with the letter submitted by adjacent property owner Brad Smith’s attorney, Jason Stitt. “Your client issued a demand for damages for cattle coming onto the property. He is not okay with the property being open,” stated Dean. After a short back-andforth discussion, Dean noted that they weren’t there to argue the case. Chair Obourn stated, “We believe all of it should be repaired/replaced.” He then noted that fence needs to be repaired to that standard. Dean will draft a letter and present to the commission at next week’s meeting. Once approved, the letter will be mailed to both parties. Curly Hebb asked the commission about moving the fence line over to be out of the hedgerow; however, Dean interjected and noted that the county doesn’t dispute boundary line questions.
The commission held a five-minute executive session with Sheriff Heath Samuels and Counselor Dean for legal matters, pertaining to a contract. No decisions were made.
The commission then held two executive sessions, totaling 15-minutes, with Counselor Dean and EMS Director Brian Mongeau for personnel matters (no justification was shared). No decisions were made. Although the EMS transfer policy was noted in old business on the agenda, no discussion was held on the topic.
Greenwood County Hospital (GWCH) CEO Sandra Dickerson stated the hospital will no longer be accepting three Medicare Advantage policies, as of January 1, 2026. She noted that GWCH has contacted the approximately 350 patients who will be impacted. Dickerson noted that the hospital has opted to not renew contracts with Medicare Advantage through Humana, Aetna and Wellcare as the reimbursement rates didn’t support the cost of the service, further noting that it isn’t a sustainable business practice. GWCH held a public meeting on Monday of this week to discuss the senior scams and Medicare. “When the insurance plan pays you to take the plan, you should really look to see what they will cover,” stated Dickerson. She also noted that Medicare Advantage plans can dictate care. She noted that recently, a patient had been hospitalized for 89 days, and the advantage plan only covered the stay for 10 days. This change does not impact Medicare itself, it is strictly the advantage plans. Dickerson noted that those with Medicare Advantage can choose to find facilities that accept those plans or work to change their policies. Open enrollment for Medicare opens Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7. Additional details regarding the policy change will be included in a future edition.
The commission approved to change their health insurance broker to Theel Insurance.
Commissioners also approved the Sept. 15 meeting minutes, special payables totaling $3,497.22 and reviewed the treasurer’s report The meeting adjourned at 10:27 a.m.
The Greenwood County Commission will hold its next meeting on Monday, Sept. 29, at 9 a.m.
