Government
BY PARKS KUGLE
Hollywood Park to update workman’s compensation Hollywood Park City Council voted Nov. 11 to draft an ordinance that would bring the provided compensation package in line with Texas House Bill 471, which requires towns to provide full pay to first responders who are injured or fall ill in the
Bexar County receives $4M for new election polling equipment On Nov. 24, the Bexar County Elections Department announced that it will receive $4 million in federal funds from the Help America Vote Act, or HAVA. The gist Bexar County Elections Administrator Michele Carew said the funds will be used to expand voting locations and purchase more equipment, according to a news release. “I am delighted that we will receive $4 million as it will allow us to expand our voting locations and also to purchase more poll pads,” Carew said. HAVA was passed in 2002 and is designed to improve voting systems and access. The law sets new minimum standards in election administration for states to follow and provides funds to help states meet those standards, according to the United States Election Assistance Commission. Required HAVA programs and procedures include: • Provisional voting • Voting information • Updated and upgraded voting equipment • Voter identification procedures • Administrative complaint procedures
After further discussion, the City Council voted to table a motion. “Let’s draft an ordinance and make sure it addresses the concerns that have been indicated,” Mayor Chester Drash said. Stay tuned City staff will conduct research and draft the ordinance, which will be placed on a future meeting agenda.
line of duty. In a nutshell
Hollywood Park Fire Chief Eric Burnside said that prior to the bill, first responders who are injured on the job and fall under the workman’s comp plan received 70% of their salary from the state, with 30% of their salary covered through sick and vacation leave. However, with the passing of HB 471, cities are now required to cover the remaining 30%. “What that [law] requires the town to do is any first responder that has an on-the-job injury, and that falls under the workman’s comp plan, the city has to make that first responder whole,” Burnside said. Place 3 council member Dale Randol said drafting the ordinance will require care due to the fact that multiple aspects of the law are open for interpretation. “I think we got to be very, very careful,” Randol said. “We can’t be nonchalant because we could end up defining something as a workplace injury, where work comp doesn’t, and all of a sudden we’re on the hook. They don’t define any of that in the bill. They don’t define what is a workplace injury. They also don’t define [how the city has to] pay 100% of the lost salary.”
Occupational injury or illness rates per 100 full-time private sector workers
Texas
US
2020
2019
2021
2022
2023
SOURCE: TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE/COMMUNITY IMPACT
“The new state law now requires the municipality to cover the additional 30% on top of the workman’s comp, so the individual’s leave does not have to be used.” ERIC BURNSIDE, HOLLYWOOD PARK FIRE CHIEF
Shavano Park, Bexar County to appoint emergency management coordinator
event of a large-scale incident. OEM functions include: • Responding to emergencies/disasters within Bexar County and the region • Monitoring emergency/disaster incidents and managing the Emergency Operations Center • Coordinating public information and the dissemination of warnings • Strengthen community education through coordination of Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters
Shavano Park City Council entered into an interlocal agreement with Bexar County to jointly appoint an emergency management coordinator Nov. 24. Two-minute impact The appointee, selected by Mayor Bob Werner and Judge Peter Sakai, will coordinate all aspects of the Shavano Park/Bexar County Office of Emergency Management program, including the preparation and maintenance of an interjurisdic- tional emergency management plan. Fire Chief Darrell Dover said the appointment will allow the city to easily request help in the
"The city of Shavano Park will continue to handle all incidents that we are capable of handling. However, if it’s a large-scale incident ... this will allow
Bexar County to come in and assist us and create a seamless transition in requesting that help," DARRELL DOVER, SHAVANO PARK FIRE CHIEF
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