Commissioners approve 'sick pool'

Upshur County Commissioners, following much discussion, narrowly approved allowing county employees to donate sick leave time to a fellow employee who is suffering from a catastrophic illness. The approval came on a 3-2 vote, with Pct. 2 Comm. Buddy Ferguson and Pct. 4 Comm. Glenn Campbell voting for it and Pct. 1 Comm. James Crittenden and Pct. 3 Comm. Lloyd Crabtree voting against it. Judge Dean Fowler then broke the tie by voting for allowing the donation. Tim Saxon, a building and maintenance department employee, has been sick with a “catastrophic illness,” Fowler said. The commissioners also authorized Fowler to draw up a proposal for an Upshur County Employee Sick Pool, which will be considered at the May 15 meeting. Fowler said that if they are going to allow the donation, it would be better to have a policy, “so no one will be discriminated against.” It was explained that county employees accumulate up to 90 days (720 hours) of paid sick leave at the rate of six hours a month. Crittenden objected to establishment of a Sick Pool because he said two people could “wipe out the pool in 12 months.” He also said that those who donate would not have sick days if they encountered a long-term illness. Fowler said that could be remedied by limiting donations to a maximum of 24 hours per employee per year. Sheriff Anthony Betterton and investigators Matt Alford and David Dickerson spoke in favor of the donation to Saxon, as did maintenance department head Charles Daniels. “The chance of maxing out your pool is slim to none,” Fowler said. He said that if the county creates a Sick Pool, someone would have to participate to pull from it. Crittenden argued that creating a short-term disability program would be preferable. Crabtree said that he thought departments would be left with too-few working employees. “He’s been off for a while and he needs to be replaced so that we can get the work done that we need to get done,” Crabtree said. He said he was sympathetic, but departments needed to have enough employees to get their work done. Fowler said a pool would only apply to full-time employees. To draw from it, an employee would have had to donate to it. They would also have to provide a letter from their doctor and immediate supervisor. He also said that a 3-person board could review cases. He also said that employees would have one time a year in which they could donate to the Sick Pool. Employees would draw from the sick pool after they had used up their own vacation time and comp time and their own sick days. Betterton said that having a sick pool “is not breaking these counties (that have a Sick Pool). It’s protecting the employees.” He said that days “can sure come out of mine.” County Clerk Peggy LaGrone said that the employee affected “probably has a lot on his mind without having to worry about whether he has a job after today.” Crittenden said that the system would be prone to abuse. Campbell agreed that “some will abuse it,” but that he favored it anyway. In other business, the court accepted a bid from Jackson Oil and Gas of Mt. Pleasant to provide gasoine and diesel fuel for the county. They were the lowest of two bidders. Road administrator Bubba Pendarvis was assigned to review bids for other Road and Bridge materials and make recommendations at the next court meeting on May 15. Commissioners approved a drug testing contract with East Texas Medical Center-Gilmer. Tests will be administered pre-employment, post-accident and upon “reasonable suspicion” of illegal drug use. Each test will cost $30, with $25 for “confirmation” (retest if results come back positive). They also approved a list of surplus property to be auctioned off, including five sheriff’s patrol cars.

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