COBB COUNTY - The Cobb County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved an amendment to the current medical plan for county retirees and conducted a first hearing for a number of proposed code changes.

"We noticed that there were 100 employees in the current (medical) plan that were wrongly omitted from the county's plan, so this measure was done to ensure that they got what is fair," Olens said. "This is not enriching the early retirement program, but rather levels the playing field for everyone." The amended county plan, approved 5-0, will contribute 2.5 percent of the health care premium cost for each full year of service up to a maximum of 30 years of service, or 75 percent.

Employees who are eligible to retire before they turn 65 with 10 years of service to the county can have 25 percent of their health insurance premiums paid by the county until they reach 65 years old. One hundred seventy current employees are eligible to participate in the medical benefit plan incentive. The county also conducted its first hearing for a number of proposed changes to the county's codes, including an amendment that will allow those aged 18 to 21 to work with alcohol in establishments that are allowed to serve beer, wine and liquor. "Currently, as the code stands, no one in Cobb under 21 can work around alcohol, period. This amendment really allows restaurants and bars to hire busboys and dishwashers who are younger than 21 to work there, but those under 21 still cannot be bartenders," said Rob Hosack, director of community development, said. Another alcohol-related code change that Hosack proposed would allow restaurants to charge a corkage fee. That change would allow customers to bring their own alcohol into a restaurant.

Hosack said Vinings' Canoe restaurant initiated the code change so it could allow to charge a fee for diners who would like to bring their own bottles of wine to dinner. Hosack said these proposed changes, along with others that are still being discussed, such as height requirements on residential homes and the definition of a business for tax purposes, will be open to the public during the second hearing at the board's Feb. 9 meeting and the final hearing on Feb. 23. Also Tuesday, Bill Higgins, manager of the county's storm water division, asked that the board approve a property acquisition grant that would fund the removal of 31 residential properties within the Federal Emergency Management Agency-designated floodplain, and a property acquisition grant pre-application for the removal of 72 homes outside of the FEMA-designated floodplain. "GEMA has shown willingness to approve funds for 31 homes, with funding expected by June 2010. Those outside of the floodplain are expected to take longer for funding, with an expected date of January 2011," Higgins said. "Once these lands are purchased, they are designated as green space so there is no future devastation on the lands." The board approved the request 5-0. During the board's afternoon work session, it was revealed that another $300,000 was going to be given back to the county in saved costs from the new Superior Court building project, as project buyout is virtually complete. This brings the total savings on construction of the building to more than $1.2 million, with a current contract amount of $55,936,836 as opposed to the original contract amount of $57,175,436. The project is expected to be turned over to the county by December and to begin operations in March 2011. The elaborate clock tower is expected to be put in place on Saturday, February 20, though Virgil Moon, director of the county's support services agency, said the date could change depending on weather.