Illegal workers at the courthouse?

A Berkeley Springs man told the Morgan County Commissioners last week that he is concerned about whether all of the workers at the courthouse construction site are legal residents.

“If you have illegal immigrants coming in here and taking jobs that Morgan County needs, that is a problem,” Carl Blevins said at the Thursday, May 20 meeting of the commissioners.

Blevins, an iron worker for 27 years, said he went on the job site on the day that the steel was delivered and he was the only one speaking English.
Commissioner Stacy Dugan said she checked with construction supervisor Marty Reinhardt and was assured that all workers are legal.

“Shouldn’t it be a government responsibility to double check behind the contractor? This is getting to be a real problem in this country,” Blevins said.

Commission President Brenda Hutchinson said the subcontractor has the first responsibility to check that workers are legal.

The second check is the responsibility of the main contractor, Milestone, and the state is responsible for making sure the prevailing wage is being paid to workers, she said.

“We certainly can make the request to doublecheck the records. I don’t have any problem with doing that,” Hutchinson said.

“That’s all I can ask,” Blevins replied.

Morgan County Fair
Glenn Ryburn gave commissioners an update on the Morgan County Fair, which will be held Saturday, July 31 and Sunday, August 1 at Berkeley Springs High School. A youth fair is scheduled for Friday, July 30 in Berkeley Springs State Park.

Other activities include a 5-kilometer run/walk at 8 a.m. on Saturday, July 24, and Irish Road Bowling that day at 11 a.m., both at Cacapon State Park.

Ryburn said there are some changes from last year. No Saturday night dance or spaghetti dinner is planned this year.

The 5k walk/run will have a more level layout because contestants complained of the hilly course last year.

The Round House Trolley is not available for this year’s fair and transportation from the parking areas will be provided by area church buses.

An information packet about the fair is available at the West Virginia University Extension Office at 129 Fairfax Street, Berkeley Springs.
A fair schedule will be published in The Morgan Mess-enger the week of the fair.

Cleaning services
Tracy Welch of Weiss Brothers of Hagerstown told the commissioners about the company’s cleaning products and services for the new courthouse.
Commissioners asked Welch to provide a price estimate for monthly service.

Health insurance proposal
Dave Barton of Shenandoah Valley Group presented a proposal to the commissioners for county employee health insurance.

Barton said the current health plan for major medical calls for Blue Cross Blue Shield paying 80% and employees paying 20% up to a $5,000 out-of-pocket limit at which time Blue Cross picks up 100%.

Barton presented a quote for the same coverage dropping the out-of-pocket amount, that employees are responsible for, to $4,000. Instead, the county would create a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA).

The county would pay $495,000 for the plan this year. If they create the HRA account, the county will pay premiums of only $402,000 and put the other $93,000 in an HRA account to pay for major medical, Barton said.
The idea is not to give Blue Cross Blue Shield the money up front. What money the county doesn’t end up spending, they keep, Barton said.

The plan is based on a deductable of $1,000 and a major medical utilization rate of 20%. The county could save $59,000, Barton said.