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City staff say claims trending down; risk-management policy renewal to go on consent agenda
Summary
Insurance agents presented a six-year claims review showing steady claims counts and improving loss ratios; the city's newly created risk manager described a modernized risk-management policy that will appear on the council's consent agenda for readoption
City insurance agents and Albany staff presented a high-level review of city insurance claims and a proposed update to the city’s risk-management policy at the Oct. 20 work session.
Representatives from WHA Insurance reported 143 claims over the past six years with total incurred costs of roughly $2.97 million, averaging about $20,786 per claim; the city had 19 open claims at the time of the presentation, most trending toward closure. WHA said recent years show fewer “shock losses” and that the city’s claims performance and loss experience have improved, crediting early intervention and risk-management training.
Risk Manager Luke Chiqua introduced the updated risk-management policy, described as a modernization to align language with current practices, clarify roles and emphasize proactive risk reduction. Staff said the policy will appear on the consent agenda at Wednesday’s meeting for readoption.
On workers’ compensation, WHA said most claims are non-disabling and that the city’s reporting and return-to-work efforts are strong. The presentation noted public-safety departments account for the majority of claims, consistent with municipalities that operate fire and law-enforcement services.
Councilors offered brief comments of appreciation; no formal policy vote was taken at the work session.
