County seeks reserve coverage

Jay County Commissioners are quickly trying to get the county's police reserves covered under a worker's compensation plan.

After changes to the county's worker's compensation policy in February, Jay County Sheriff Department reserves fell into a gray area.

"We don't have any coverage for reserves," said Bob Brown of Barnum of Brown Insurance.

Brown told the commissioners Tuesday that he discovered the exception to the policy after the county decided to pass on a rostered volunteer addition.

The reserves had been covered under worker's compensation until a change in a renewal policy in February.

Brown said there is an option to add the reserves to the policy for $1,000 per year, but that option is limited and has a payout cap.

For $1,162, Brown said he could get all the reserves covered under a program that would have no claims cap.

The county would have to create a separate legal organization for the reserves so that they can obtain a federal ID number and keep an updated roster of reserves.

"You've got to have a roster and you've got to have the organization thing," he said.

Commissioners Milo Miller Jr. and Faron Parr agreed that's the best route for the county. Commissioner Jim Zimmerman was absent from the meeting.

"I think we have to do it," Parr said.

"If you call people in, they should be (covered)," Miller said.

Brown said he would speak with attorney Bill Hinkle about organizing the reserves, which would require the group to have a president and secretary/treasurer.

In other business Monday, the commissioners:

•Signed a contract extending the lease with the Jay County Fair Association on about 40 acres of the fairgrounds until 2050. The county owns the southern portion of the fairgrounds that includes most of the buildings.

•Approved installation of Compliance Dashboard, a free program that will serve as a checklist for health insurance claims in case of a federal audit.[[In-content Ad]]