Sheriff’s office reports donations, a pending retirement and explores catastrophic inmate‑medical insurance

The Vernon County sheriff’s office reported a $1,000 donation from the Chad Wilde Meyer Memorial Foundation earmarked for the office’s Giving Tree and other outreach, and summarized recent departmental activity during the committee meeting.

The sheriff said Capt. David has announced his retirement; his last day was given as Feb. 13. The sheriff praised Capt. David’s long service and said the county will work with human resources to post the position. The office also described local incidents it responded to over the holiday season, including a fatal motor vehicle crash on Highway 82 that remained under active investigation.

Regarding inmate medical costs, the committee opened a discussion on whether to purchase catastrophic medical insurance that would cover high hospital bills for inmates with extended or intensive care needs. Officials said they sought quotes and were awaiting a formal bid; one quote request was sent to an outside vendor, and staff planned to follow up with the county’s current insurance provider.

“We thought it’d be prudent to at least look into catastrophic insurance, whether it’s how expensive it is or not,” Captain David said. He described steps already taken to gather jail census and average‑stay information for an insurer to price coverage.

Committee members noted legal opinions indicating that when the county holds individuals on certain holds (for example, probation or parole holds), the county may be required to keep them in custody even if they develop high medical needs. As a result, officials said catastrophic coverage could reduce potential county liability and large medical bills. Staff said they would return with quotes and, when available, bring the matter through the county’s committee structure; Cassie Hannan, administrative coordinator, said the proper process would be for this committee to make a recommendation to the General Government Committee, which manages county insurance matters.

The sheriff’s office also provided a brief Giving Tree report: volunteers and donors raised $1,050, spent $1,016.50 to serve 13 children, and returned $33.50 to the general fund. The sheriff described the program as a positive community engagement for law enforcement.

At the end of the public record excerpt, the committee voted to begin a closed session to discuss wage‑scale placement and step placements for specific individuals; the motion was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote.

No procurement decisions on insurance were recorded in the excerpt; officials said they would return with formal quotes and a recommendation through the county’s committee process.