Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Risk Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Risk manager reports workers’ compensation, liability claims and museum security incident; county to deploy ID badges
Summary
Risk management staff told the board that two severe workers' compensation claims are driving payouts, that the county faces several liability claims in litigation and that a recent museum security incident prompted a coordinated law-enforcement response and a county rollout of photo ID badges.
Shelley Pierce, the county risk manager, and Scott Kaelin, risk analyst, briefed the board on workers’ compensation, liability claims and recent security incidents. Pierce said two severe, time‑loss workers’ compensation claims account for about 80% of current payout amounts and that surgery costs have increased about 6–7 percent compared with prior experience. "Those 2 severe injuries are what's causing our our payments to go up," Pierce said.
Claims and trend context: Pierce said the county has 16 open workers’ comp claims year-to-date, compared with 18 in an earlier year, and noted 2023 looks like an outlier with unusually low payments; she said she is investigating that record. On liability, staff reported eight claims in litigation and said four of those involve alleged abuse claims; Pierce indicated one liability matter may close soon but three remain active.
Museum security incident and badges: Pierce described a July incident at the county museum in which security contractors observed two individuals making threats. The county filed a report with Kelso Police Department, has surveillance and photographic evidence and instructed staff to call 911 and avoid approaching such individuals. County staff said they will begin issuing photo ID badges to employees and orange badges for vendors in line with recent facility and court moves and HVAC projects to improve site security.
Third-party claims and audits: Pierce said the county’s third-party claim administrator handles investigation and recovery efforts for third-party liability and that the county completed its annual risk-pool audit and cybercrime audit. Commissioners were reminded to notify the risk pool promptly of any potential liability issues so the pool can assist with mitigation.
Staff actions: Pierce said the county will cap some outdoor electrical outlet boxes to deter campsite charging and that facilities has been asked to implement that change where appropriate. No executive-session decisions were announced publicly.
