Friday Recap October 3rd, 2025

U.S. District 7 special election

We are in the homestretch for the primaries for U.S. Congressional District 7. Election day is next Tuesday the 7th.

Candidates

Republican Primary Candidates

Democratic Primary Candidates

Both Stuart Parks and Lee Reeves have announced that they are withdrawing from the race. Their names will still be on the ballot but both are no longer candidates.

Here are the locations to vote on Tuesday

Go to Grassroots Citizens to see if you are in U.S. District 7.

Early voting ended on Thursday and the turnout has been low, around 11%. Williamson County totals are:

To see the all of district 7, go here

Williamson County Health Plan Changes

The County Purchasing and Insurance Committee voted on a new health plan for retirees as well as a change in funding for GLP-1.

This past year, the county paid out over $10 million for GLP-1 that is broken down the following way:

• Diabetic utilization: 498 claimants (4% of members) costing $3.8 million (10% of pharmacy spend)
• Weight loss utilization: 907 claimants (7% of members) costing $6.9 million (22.5% of pharmacy spend)

The complete presentation on the health plan and GLP-1 funding is in the summary of the Purchasing and Insurance Committee meeting below.

The total savings to the county for both looks like this:

Eliminating the HMO for retirees. $535,370

PPO Employer costs for retirees.  $1,319,421

Removing GLP-1  for weight loss. $6,906,712

Total savings for the county          $8,761,503*

*I verified these numbers with the benefits department.

WCRP BOMA Forum

The WCRP held a forum for the upcoming BOMA election. Four candidates attended: Patrick Baggett, BK Muvvala, Rodney Taylor and Erinn Watkins. It was very well run and I highly recommend that you watch it if you are in Ward 2 or 4. BOMA Forum. Early voting starts next Wednesday.

• Enjoying Friday Recap? Take a minute now and forward it to 3 people. Copy this https://friday-recap.ghost.io/ghost/#/editor/post/680aad97ab206e0001e15b3f in your email.

The AI program I use is pretty accurate, but it does make mistakes from time to time and I don't always catch them. I provide agendas and videos/audios when I have them available and recommend that you watch the video and follow along with the summary to get the most accurate report.

One of the limitations of AI is that if a participant's name is not called out, then they are listed as participant 1, 2, etc. A limitation with audio, as opposed to video, is that one cannot always identify a person by voice alone. As imperfect as these AI summaries are, they still give a pretty good account of a meeting.

Williamson County School District

Monday September 29th

Policy committee Agenda Video Audio due to a technical problem, the video stoped prematurely at which point the audio finished the session.

AI Summary

Action Items

• [ ] Dana - Work with Claire on acceptable use guidelines alignment Review and compare acceptable use guidelines to the wireless communication device policy language to ensure consistency before the work session.
• [ ] Participant 3 - Provide current wireless communication device policy for work session Include the existing wireless communication device policy alongside the proposed new policy so board members can compare the two versions during the work session.

Overview

• Board clarified that all board members will serve as non-voting ex officio members on textbook adoption committees, removing the "may" language and adding explicit non-voting status
• Claire presented a comprehensive rewrite of the wireless communication device policy implementing "away for the day" rules for all grade levels, including high school lunch periods
• Board will proceed with first reading of the cell phone policy at the October board meeting, with potential implementation by January 1, 2026
• Textbook presentation format will be simplified to allow curriculum specialists to present rather than requiring all 90 committee members to attend board presentations
• Committee feedback showed 800 fewer disciplinary referrals in Warren County after implementing away-for-the-day cell phone policy

Board member committee participation

• Board agreed to change policy language from "members of the board may also serve" to "shall serve" as ex officio members on textbook adoption committees
• All board members will be non-voting ex officio members by virtue of their elected office, similar to how the superintendent serves
• Participant 3 explained the executive committee recommends and the board votes approval for committee appointments scheduled for the October meeting
• Participant 5 noted that if multiple board members attend committee meetings, they must be noticed as public meetings due to deliberation requirements
• Board members can observe meetings without being official committee members, but ex officio status provides formal participation rights

Textbook presentation format

• Board agreed to remove requirement that "all committee members" participate in presentations to the board
• Curriculum specialists will present committee recommendations instead of the full 90-member committee
• Participant 9 confirmed curriculum specialists facilitate committees and can summarize teacher feedback and reasoning
• Board will receive individual teacher feedback contemporaneously with the committee during the review process
• Participant 6 praised the psychology curriculum presentation as an example of the quality information board needs from subject matter experts

Research examination requirements

• Committee will examine research studies supporting curriculum options, but Participant 9 cautioned that research validity is limited since the district doesn't teach with curriculum fidelity
• District uses reverse design starting with Tennessee standards rather than following textbooks page-by-page
• All state-approved curricula are 100% aligned with standards, meaning they touch each standard but may lack depth in some areas
• Teachers focus on standards they know well or find challenging when comparing curricula across multiple options
• Gap analysis for recently adopted materials will occur at the end of first quarter to identify missing components

Cell phone policy rewrite

• Claire presented comprehensive rewrite implementing "away for the day" policy for all grades, including high school lunch periods
• Policy defines wireless communication devices broadly, including phones, watches, earbuds, and AirPods
• Devices must remain silenced and stored off the body throughout the school day from first bell to last bell
• Warren County reported 800 fewer disciplinary referrals after implementing similar away-for-the-day policy
• Participant 2 opposed removing high school lunch access, citing 25-30 minute lunch periods and existing accommodations for work/college scheduling
• Policy includes exceptions for IEPs, 504 plans, and health care plans, though Participant 3 raised concerns about potential abuse by 5,000 IEP students

High school lunch phone access

• Committee consensus supported allowing high school phone use during lunch, but Claire's policy eliminates this exception
• High school lunch periods vary from 25 minutes to 1 hour depending on the school
• Participant 8 suggested compromise of designated "cell phone zones" during lunch for necessary communications
• Participant 4 argued current policy creates enforcement challenges since students access phones between every class period
• Participant 6 noted her children's school successfully implements complete away-for-the-day policy with positive results

Policy enforcement challenges

• Current policy allows informal warnings in hallways without formal consequences, creating inconsistent enforcement
• Principals developed consequence framework through committee work: first offense redirect, second offense confiscation, escalating to parent contact and administrative involvement
• Participant 5 noted administrators need board support for phone confiscation decisions due to parent complaints
• Policy includes search and seizure provisions and prohibited uses section addressing inappropriate content sharing during school hours
• Board will review policy alignment with existing code of conduct consequences before final reading

Williamson County Commission

Monday September 29th

Purchasing and Insurance Committee Drury Presentation Audio

Committee: Sean Aiello, Meghan Guffee, Gregg Lawrence, Steve Smith, Mayor Anderson. Commissioner Smith was absent.

AI Summary: Duration: 37:20
Action Items

• [ ] Charles - Follow up with local compounding company on discount pricing for GLP-1 medications Contact management at the local compounding company to discuss potential discount pricing below $250 per month for GLP-1 medications for county employees who may lose coverage under the new policy

Overview

• Williamson County approved United Health Care (UHC) PPO for Medicare Advantage retirees, saving $2.4 million total ($1.3 million for county, $800 average per retiree annually)
• Committee eliminated HMO offering due to only 122 enrollees and approved UHC's $269 monthly rate with 32.9% savings over current plan
• Approved eliminating GLP-1 coverage for weight management while maintaining medically necessary coverage, addressing $6.9 million in weight loss medication costs
• Implementation deadline is October 15th with UHC providing one-year rate guarantee and maximum $40 increase cap for 2027

Medicare Advantage RFP results

• Charles Pareigis from Drury Group presented results from Healthspring (incumbent), Aetna, Blue Cross, and UnitedHealthcare
• Humana did not quote due to inadequate implementation time
• Healthspring offered -7.6% rate reduction with three-year rate guarantee and $566,000 total savings
• Aetna quoted $328.21 rate with one-year guarantee, 18% savings, $50,000 implementation fund, and $40,000 wellness fund
• Blue Cross quoted $396 rate with five-year guarantee, but Vanderbilt is not in their Medicare network
• UHC quoted lowest rate at $269 with one-year guarantee, $25,000 implementation fund, and 32.9% savings

UHC PPO recommendation and savings

• Committee approved UHC PPO as recommended option with $2.4 million total savings and 32.9% reduction over current costs
• County will save $1.3 million annually (over 20% savings on $5.6 million cost share)
• Retirees will save average of $800 per year on premiums
• UHC offered second-year rate cap of maximum $40 increase ($20 medical, $20 pharmacy)
• Commission Lawrence noted UHC's rate seemed unusually low but Participant 4 confirmed UHC has strong Tennessee provider contracts

HMO elimination proposal

• Committee approved eliminating HMO offering due to only 122 retirees enrolled out of 1,600 total participants
• 33 of the 122 current HMO members would face coverage gaps with UHC's HMO network
• All current HMO members can transition to PPO option without disruption
• Participant 5 suggested many HMO enrollees likely use it as backup coverage while spouses have PPO

Plan design enhancements

• UHC plan design matches current Healthspring benefits exactly with several enhancements
• Worldwide ER coverage with no annual maximum versus current $50,000 limit
• Hearing exams reduced from $25 copay to $0
• Vision exams changed from discount plan to $0 copay
• Home meals increased from 14 to 28 per qualifying event
• Added house calls benefit: annual one-hour session with licensed healthcare practitioner in home

Cost sharing breakdown

• Total monthly cost for UHC: $417,000 with annual cost of $5 million
• Retirees will experience $800 average annual savings on their portion
• County employer share savings: $1.3 million annually from $5.6 million total cost share
• OptumRx pharmacy network has 100% geo access with minimal disruption to 14 small pharmacies

GLP-1 utilization and costs

• Total GLP-1 spend reached $10 million across both diabetic and weight loss usage
• Diabetic utilization: 498 claimants (4% of members) costing $3.8 million (10% of pharmacy spend)
• Weight loss utilization: 907 claimants (7% of members) costing $6.9 million (22.5% of pharmacy spend)
• Charles emphasized this represents zero cost three to four years ago when medications didn't exist
• Current BMI requirements: 30 or 27 with one weight-related condition

GLP-1 management options

• Committee approved option two: eliminate GLP-1 coverage for weight management, maintain medically necessary coverage
• Option one (Encircle RX program) would cost $189,000 annually with estimated $2.8 million savings
• Option three (no changes) would allow continued cost escalation
• Commission Lawrence supported elimination citing concerns about muscle mass loss (40-60% of weight loss) and rapid weight regain after discontinuation
• Local compounding company offers medications at $250 monthly versus current copays under $100

The committee discussed a local compounding company that offers GLP-1 medications at $250 per month - significantly cheaper than traditional retail but still more expensive than the current copays under $100 that county employees pay.This came up because the committee decided to eliminate GLP-1 coverage for weight management, which will affect the 907 claimants currently using these medications for weight loss at a cost of $6.9 million annually.Charles was assigned to follow up with this local compounding company about potential discount pricing below $250 per month for county employees who will lose coverage under the new policy.The compounding option represents a potential middle-ground solution - more affordable than paying full retail prices (which can be $1,000+ monthly) but still requiring employees to pay out-of-pocket since the county plan will no longer cover weight management GLP-1s.However, the committee didn't provide details about which specific company this is, their exact discount structure, or timeline for the follow-up discussion.

Thursday October 2nd

Public Health Committee  Agenda/Minutes/Resolutions

Committee: Barb Sturgeon (chair) Sean Aiello, David O’Neil, Chris Richards, Mary Smith. Commissioners Aiello and O'Neil were absent.

AI Summary

Overview

• Committee approved $85,572 Health Department budget amendment to cover salary costs not reimbursed by state contract—$59,700 for existing deficit plus $25,372 for employee raises
• Health Department has 33.5 FTEs with 16 employees on state cost-reimbursement contract creating funding gap due to hour differences and pay scale misalignment
• Committee accepted $95,000 Animal Center donation from Friends organization—$25,000 for PAWS Abilities program coordinator and $70,000 from Lakers endowment for spay/neuter services
• Committee accepted $25,000 donation from Cheryl A. Hall estate to upgrade animal control trucks with MDT communication systems

Health Department budget deficit resolution

• Cathy Montgomery (Director of public health) explained Health Department has 33.5 FTEs: 11 state employees, 6.5 county-funded, and 16on state cost-reimbursement contract
• State only reimburses 1,950 hours annually while county employees work 2,080 hours—130-hour difference per employee creates funding shortfall
• State policy limits reimbursement to 4.72% pay increase for counties not following state pay grades, while county approved 4% plus market adjustments up to 75th percentile
• 10 of 16 contract employees qualified for market adjustment based on Claire vendor study—7 have over 10 years tenure, 3 have over 20 years
• 6 of the 10 employees live in Williamson County
• Participant 1 confirmed department will exhaust all contract funds before using local dollars
• Commission approved resolution unanimously

Animal Center donation acceptances

• Friends of Williamson County Animal Center donated $25,000 for PAWS Abilities program coordinator position
• Program serves adults with intellectual disabilities through partnerships with Wade and Brightstone organizations
• Molly Darr leads program as part-time coordinator working under 28 hours weekly—program has waiting list due to limited mentors
• $70,000 donation comes from Lakers endowment annual draw for community spay/neuter services
• Participant 2 noted program is in its third year and has won statewide and regional awards
• Committee approved $95,000 total donation acceptance unanimously
• Cheryl A. Hall estate donated $25,000 for animal control truck MDT systems
• Upgrades will provide GPS tracking, CAD system access, and WiFi for 5 trucks serving 4 active officers
• System enables 911 dispatch to track officers during 24-hour response coverage from 6:30 PM to 7:00 AMapproved $25,000 estate donation unanimously

Next Week

Monday October 6th

Budget Committee meets a 4:30 pm in the executive conference room in the County Building at 1320 W. Main, Franklin Resolutions Transfers Minutes

Tuesday October 7th

Parks and Recreation meets at 5:30 pm in the executive conference room in the County Building at 1320 W. Main, Franklin Resolution/Minutes

Special Note: Since Williamson County does not record any meetings other than the commission, budget committee and planning commission meetings, I am recording all the meetings that I attend on my iPhone. We are in the process of reviewing a technology upgrade that will allow the county to record more meetings as well as include agendas, minutes and packets on our website. I will keep you up to date when progress is made

Board of Mayor and Aldermen

For this week and next week's meetings, go here

Election Commission

No meetings this week or next 

If not me, who?

If not now, when?

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Heb. 11:1)

“We work hard with our own hands. When we are vilified, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer gently.” (1^st Corinthians 4:12-13)

Blessings,

Bill

pettyandassociates@gmail.com

Community resources

If you like Friday Recap, check out these other grassroots conservative projects!

• Grassroots Citizens of Williamson County Provides free tools and information to help grassroots conservatives exercise their citizenship here in Williamson County.
• Tennessee Voters for Election Integrity is helping restore confidence in Tennessee Elections.
• TruthWire Local news and commentary.
• Williamson County Republican Party is one of the most active parties in the state and captures the conservative heart of Tennessee.
• Mom's For Liberty Williamson County is dedicated to fighting for the American family by unifying, educating and empowering parents to defend their parental rights at all levels of government.
• Tennessee Stands produces video media, podcasts, and live events, and provides social commentary on relevant issues in our state.
• M4LU is a new site developed by the national Mom's for Liberty but generated right here in Williamson County. The mission of M4LU is to to inform, equip, and empower parents with knowledge, understanding and practical tools.
• WCSB Substack. This site reports on the Williamson County School Board meetings. It provides accurate summaries of all WCSB meetings.

Help educate citizens of Williamson County

Want to support Friday Recap? Forward this newsletter to 3 people and invite them to subscribe. Use this link

Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Subscribe now by clicking below.