Commissioners stick to same plan

The county will stay with the same insurance this year.

Jay County Commissioners opted to renew the county’s plan with liability insurance provider Bliss McKnight for one year during a special meeting Friday, citing a few benefits that edged the group over its competitor.

Commissioners recently received quotes from its current provider — it is represented by Bixler Insurance of Portland — and Tokio Marine, which was offered by Portland Insurance. Its current plan expires Monday.

Switching to the new provider initially would have saved the county about $17,000 per premium prices. (Conner Cox of Bixler Insurance pointed out that doesn’t include an estimated $8,100 more the county would pay for automobile deductibles with the new company.)

Jay County Sheriff Ray Newton asked if Tokio Marine would provide training similar to Bliss McKnight. He noted the company offers several trainings for officers as well as other county departments at no additional cost. (Confirming a question from commissioner Rex Journay, Cox said the company pays $7,200 on the county’s behalf for trainings.)

John Dickerson of Burnham and Flower Insurance, who stood in for Kyle Champ of Portland Insurance during the meeting, explained the company could offer trainings. However, they would not count as certified continued education credits, which police are required to maintain over time. He suggested the county could use the savings from switching companies and invest in training through other resources.

Tokio Marine offers higher liability limits, explained Dickerson.

The company would offer $5 million in excess liability limits with an additional $1 million in underlying limits compared to Bliss McKnight’s base limits of $3 million. (Steve Stockton of Bixler Insurance noted they have quoted higher limits before.)

Commissioner Chad Aker asked if the county had gotten close to its limit in years past. Stockton and Cox confirmed they had not.

“Well, the thing is you don’t know when that claim is going to happen,” added Dickerson. “All it takes is somebody looking the wrong way driving.”

He referenced the Indiana Tort Claims Act, legislation in place that dates back to 1974. The law stipulates a $700,000 cap per claimant in tort cases with a $5 million limit per occurrence. And for trips across the state line, he added, Ohio doesn’t cap its tort claims.

Aker noted the county wasn’t unhappy with its current coverage, instead pointing to the county’s tight budget as a reason for looking into other options.

Commissioner Brian McGalliard asked auditor Emily Franks her thoughts on working with Bliss McKnight, which has provided liability insurance for several years.

“Amazing, incredible,” she said. “I wish every vendor was like that. You call them up, and it’s never a ‘no.’”

Commissioners noted the free trainings and positive history with Bliss McKnight as reasons to stick with the company. They agreed to renew an agreement with the group for another year at $334,898. McGalliard also proposed they look into bumping their liability limits higher.

Also Friday, commissioners preliminarily OK’d Newton to apply for a grant for body cameras, which is due Feb. 17. Chief deputy Ben Schwartz said they’re hoping to buy 20 devices with the 50/50 matching grant.