Diane Noltkamper, with The Employer’s Choice, Inc., introduced the Employee Health Plan Federal Incentivized Wellness Plan

on July 28 to Crawford County Commissioners. She said it is zero cost to the county.

“What it is, is it’s a real-time reimbursement with payroll for $53.33 per employee per month, averaging $648 per year per employee,” Noltkamper said.

Requirements to qualify for the program include businesses having 10 or more full-time W2 employees, and that the business or county provide health insurance.

She added that most employees see an average of $100 a month added to their paychecks, and access to a teledoc service.

“I’ve been in the middle of a lake before, and I’ve needed the services, and by the time I got off of the water, the prescription was…in the pharmacy that I needed it for,” Noltkamper said.

The plan also covers mental health counseling, and for up to five members in the same household.

No action was taken, but the commissioners said they would set up a call to discuss it further.

Resident Kenny Staples asked if there was any way to create some sort of turnaround for 18-wheelers on Old Springfield Road because it is difficult for them to safely get through there, especially if they meet another vehicle coming the other way.

District 2 Associate Commissioner Jared Boast said they have tried signs, but they get stolen or vandalized. He added that MoDOT wouldn’t lower the tonnage on the bridges either when they asked.

“If the city owns that, and somebody wanted to go into a cooperative agreement on how to do a turnaround there, I have no problems with it, but it can’t be a good old boy deal because then if you provide a turnaround and then the first time you don’t maintain it, then who’s in trouble for not maintaining it?” Boast asked.

In other business, Boast gave an update on the Crawford County Fair.

“We sold 2,800 passes at the gate. We sold 2,560 preseason passes. We had 34 vendors, 30 sponsors,” Boast said.

There were 194 market animal entries, including pigs, cattle, sheep, goats, chickens, rabbits and bacon, as well as 264 who entered in the open class.

Total gross sale at the livestock auction was $505,760.75, with $8,500 going towards scholarships and charitable organizations.

“Overall, I think we had a great event. I think it was well attended. I think as far as livestock, the number of participants was down…, but I think on the average, we still averaged out pretty well,” Boast said.