09/29/2020 MINUTES
WEST MEMPHIS CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL CALLED MEETING
September 29, 2020
A Special called meeting of the West Memphis City Council was held on Tuesday September 29,
2020 at 4:00 p.m. in the City Council conference room at City Hall, 205 S. Redding. West
Memphis, Arkansas.
Mayor Marco McClendon called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. Sr. Deputy City Clerk, Patricia
Lane called the roll. Those present were: Mayor Marco McClendon and Council Members: Tracy
Catt, James Holt, Lorraine Mohammed, David Murray, James Pulliaum and Charles Wheeless.
Present by Zoom was Council Member Wayne Croom. Absent was: City Attorney Michael
Stephenson and Council Members Willis Mondy, Helen Harris, and Melanie Hutchinson.
Evening Times Reporter,John Rech was notified of meeting but was not in attendance. Quorum
being present Mayor McClendon proceeded with the meeting.
PERMISSION TO ACCEPT 2021 INSURANCE PLAN
Mayor McClendon said the only item on the agenda was permission to approve the insurance
bid with Aetna before the September 30, 2020 deadline. Mayor McClendon said the Insurance
Committee met and made the recommendation to refer it to Council for approval.
Council Member Mondy came into the City Council Meeting at 1:06 p.m.
Council Member Tracy Catt made the motion, seconded by Council Member Holt to present the
matter before Council. Upon voice vote, voting was unanimous. Discussion followed: Council
Member Catt said that he went back and looked at the printout for the 2019 claims for the full
year. The payout was 2.1 million dollars. Council Catt also looked at the Profit Loss Revenue
sheet the City paid in approximately 2.5 million dollars in premiums with the insurance
company operating on a 20% margin. Council Member Catt said by law the insurance company
would have to give the city a refund based off the percent of claims and numbers. Council Catt
said if Council decided to reject Aetna's offer and bid It out there is a certain amount of
uncertainty of what will happen with COVID-19 and if there would be a vaccine or not and the
premium could be higher. Council Member Catt also said there would be an 83,000-thousand-
dollar discount based off not bidding the insurance out. Council Member Pulliaum said that he
thought that they had discussed in previous years bidding the insurance out and he felt that
they should reach out to the Municipal League and National Leagues of Cities for direction so
that they could get ahead of this issue in the future. There being no further discussion: Mayor
McClendon asked for a roll call vote. Sr. Deputy City Clerk, Patricia Lane called roll. The roll call
vote was as follows:
YES: Catt, Croom, Holt, Mohammed, Mondy, Murray, Pulliaum and Wheeless
NO: None
ABSTENTION: None
ABSENT: Harris, Hutchinson
With 8 yes votes, 0 No votes, 0 abstention votes and 2 absent vote the motion to approve the
bid for the 2020 Insurance passed
Having no further business to come before the City Council. Council Member Pulliaum moved,
seconded by Council Member Wheeless to adjourn. Upon voice vote, the voting was
unanimous. The meeting adjourned at 4:30 p.m.
PASSED AND APPROVED THIS 15TH DAY OF OCTOBER 2020
'*(01,111;_,T) jot-
MARCO MCCLENDON,
MAYOR
AT,:
PATRICIA LANE, SR. DEPUTY CITY CLERK
Minutes prepared by Patricia Lane, Sr. Deputy City Clerk