GREENWOOD — Greenwood Town Manager Kim Sparks informed the Greenwood Board of Selectmen on Oct. 20, that anyone who is an EMS provider will need to be vaccinated for COVID-19 no later than October 15. For the two dose regiments, Greenwood is requiring full immunization by October 29
“Albert Curtis III, he’s our contact with the State and the EMT, he has opted to not be vaccinated,” she told the board.
“We have a gentleman in town, Ben Hochkins, he is qualified, but he is not yet made the commitment to Ken [Fire Chief] to accept that position. He works for United Health Care in Auburn and he’s presently taking classes to become a paramedic. So he’s very busy. So that was my concern … he’s very busy, does he have time to come to Greenwood? He lives in Greenwood, supposedly. We’d have to talk with him to find out more details,” Sparks continued
The procedure now would be to respond to fire calls, but not to respond to emergency medical. They would have to call PACE. The suspension would not be permanent; the State could open Greenwood back up once all the qualified people are ready. It was decided to revisit the discussion at a different meeting, either the November 9 or the 23.
Town Manager Kim Sparks told the Board that the town’s health insurance carrier, Anthem, is giving the town a rebate of approximately $3,400 for premiums paid in 2020, due to ACA rules that govern how much profit the insurance company is allowed to make. The town currently pays for 100% of employee health care premiums, and 95% of dependent premiums. Sparks said employees who pay for 5% of dependent premiums had asked if the entire rebate could be used to pay for their share. After discussion, the Board concluded that the most equitable way to use the rebate would be to decrease premiums for next year across the board, as this would benefit all taxpayers.
A new Planning Board member was sworn in at the meeting. David Newcomb, a resident from Beech Road, is a new Greenwood planning board member. He has been sworn in for one year. When asked what spurned his interest he said, “My wife said she read the website is looking for help. I figured since we live here I got some time that I’d be more than happy to help the town…Done a lot of hands-on construction, I think if I was ever gonna change careers I woulda been a real estate developer, just because it’s a project manager of the whole thing. The engineering background I have kind of made me a big picture detail person.”
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