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Tiffin HR director reports staffing counts, safety improvements and retro refunds
Summary
Human Resources Director Deb Reamer updated council on staffing, seasonal hiring, workers' comp performance, group retro refunds and internal safety practices; city remains under expected modified losses, the director said.
Deb Reamer, head of the City of Tiffin Human Resources Department, briefed the council on staffing, occupational safety and recent workers’ compensation outcomes.
Reamer told the council the city employed 132 people in 2025, including 122 full‑time and 10 part‑time employees (her presentation listed 129 full‑time and 42 part‑time for an earlier period; current active headcount reported was 132). She said summer seasonal hiring is underway and the city expects returning seasonal staff for parks and recreation.
Reamer emphasized prompt claims response and training as drivers of cost reductions. She described a surprise BWC (Bureau of Workers’ Compensation) audit and said Tiffin’s “total modified losses” trended down from earlier years. Reamer said the city has qualified for a group retro program that produced refunds: “Refunds 02/2016 through now, you can see over a hundred and 19 thousand,” she said, and noted an additional refund expected late April (amount described in presentation materials).
She described claim‑management practices—rapid reporting, early supervisor contact and return‑to‑work focus—that she credits for lowering frequency, lost‑time and total modified loss metrics. Reamer said medical‑only claims declined from 10 in 2022 to six in 2024 and that the city’s experience modifier—used to calculate insurance rates—fell to about 1.0, which she said is unusually low for municipalities and helps reduce premiums.
Reamer also summarized routine HR functions (hiring, benefits administration and employee support) and highlighted internal safety programs, attendance at monthly safety council meetings and participation in Safety Congress to secure premium discounts. She urged managers to report injuries within 24 hours to preserve program eligibility and cited a group retro refund schedule that has returned funds to the city since 2016.
Why it matters: HR metrics influence the city’s insurance costs, staffing capacity for seasonal services and operational continuity. The reported declines in claims and the city’s continued eligibility for group retro refunds may reduce near‑term budget pressure on personnel and insurance lines.
