Soperton City Council Considers City Worker Health Insurance and Code Enforcement

The Soperton City Council considered plans for city worker health insurance and enforcement for new city ordinances in their monthly work session on Monday, June 7, at the Soperton City Hall.

Taylor Insurance Service’s Vice President of Sales William Hall presented the council with multiple plans to cover 20 city workers.

Hall presented the council with a “Cadillac planner” to allow the council to have the type of insurance that best fit their needs, likening it to buying a Cadillac car.

Hall’s first option featured a $1,500 deductible. After the deductible, payments would be split, with the city paying 80% and the employee paying 20% to a maximum out-of-pocket cost of $4,000.

Hall’s second plan was a $3,000 deductible with a coinsurance of 100%, meaning the maximum out-of-pocket cost would be $3,000.

According to Hall, the most cost effective plan was the $6,000 deductible plan which came in two options: with an embedded gap plan and without a gap plan. Gap health insurance is a supplemental insurance which assists with out-of-pocket expenses alongside a more comprehensive medical insurance plan, requiring employees to carry one extra insurance card.

Hall’s primary recommendation was either of the $6,000 deductible plans. He also presented plans from Allstate and 90 Degrees Benefits out of a desire to fulfill his due diligence, despite not recommending the plans due to price.

According to Mayor John Koon, the council’s main concerns when deciding on a plan would be affordability and the plan’s usefulness as a recruitment tool. Koon also stated Soperton city workers have not been offered health insurance since 2000.

The council will vote on a plan during their main monthly meeting on Monday, July 21.

The council also considered enforcement for recently passed city ordinances. According to Mayor Koon, the city will contract Vildalia’s City Marshall Chad Phillips to serve as the enforcement officer.

“Chad was probably as straightforward as I’ve ever seen anybody,” says Mayor Koon. “He has agreed to come up and work a couple hours in the evening two or three times a week to try to get us back to where we need to be.”

The ordinances, adopted on Monday, April 21, include restrictions against disorderly and dilapidated homes, compliance requirements for food vendors, restrictions against engine braking by heavy vehicles, junk car regulations and restrictions against public nuisances.

“We’ve played around with it for too long, and the council and I made a commitment after I got elected to clean the town up,” says Mayor Koon.

Attorney Paul Calhoun suggested quarterly court sessions for code enforcement, allowing citizens a three month period between sessions to be informed and comply with ordinances.

John Johnson, the new fire chief for the Soperton City Fire Department and the Treutlen County Fire Department, introduced himself to the council, asserting his commitment to the community.

Mayor Koon also provided an update on the recreation department project, reporting demolition of the old building was 75% complete. 

The project aims to rebuild the recreation department, adding a multipurpose recreation building for sports, stage performances and space rental, as well as all-purpose fields and an asphalt walkway. As the project is early in phase one, no completion date has been set.

Koon also offered a T-SPLOST, TIA and LMIG report. 

According to the report, the Second Street project awarded a bid to a Vidalia based company for $160,875. Koon also recommended opting for French drains, which would cost $17,000 extra but only $6,000 from the city due to state funding.

The council will vote on the project during their monthly meeting on July 21.

Due to TIA benefits, Soperton will see three waves of road work, including Evans Street costing $400,000 in the coming weeks; Sarabelle Avenue costing $60,000, Glenn Street costing $25,000 and Manning Street costing $31,500 in 2027; and Windcrest Drive costing $500,000 and Abrams costing $200,000 in 2030.

The city also received some extra funds for road work, and are looking at resurfacing Forest Avenue and Sumner Lane in the future.

Discussions are also ongoing related to bids for the Tiger Creek cleanup project.