Miami County will issue a request for proposals this summer seeking vendors to provide property and casualty insurance, risk-management services and workers’ compensation coverage, county staff told the Board of County Commissioners at a June 25 study session.

County Assistant Administrator Lucas Mellinger said staff is asking the commission for permission to go to market for the county’s P&C, risk-management and workers’ compensation insurance, replacing or competing with the county’s current pool products (K Camp for P&C and K Work for workers’ compensation). The RFP will be open through July and August with proposals due the first week of September; if the county decides to leave KCAMP, staff must notify KCAMP by Oct. 1.

The commissioners and staff discussed evaluation criteria, the tradeoffs between pool products and commercial carriers, and specific coverage details that will need to be specified in the RFP. Commissioner Vaughn and others emphasized the importance of making apples-to-apples comparisons across proposals, including any differences in bonding, vehicle and inland marine schedules, and how new equipment is added and charged during a policy term. Participants also flagged claims-made versus occurrence-based coverage as a key issue to resolve in vendor proposals to avoid gaps for claims arising from earlier exposures.

Staff outlined options to solicit bundled and separate quotes for workers’ compensation and P&C so the county can compare both standalone and combined pricing. Commissioners suggested including service and performance metrics—such as frequency of physical facility evaluations, risk-mitigation assistance, and financial performance guarantees—in the RFP evaluation, not just premium price. Several commissioners recommended the five commissioners plus the county administrator serve on an evaluation committee to score proposals and review finalists.

Other practical considerations discussed included deductible structures, the possible premium impact of adjusting deductibles, and how facility replacement-cost appraisals and valuation frequency affect premiums. Several speakers noted differences between traditional broker placements and pooled municipal programs and said the RFP should request clear statements from bidders about how they treat added vehicles or equipment mid-term and whether they will match current bonding and coverage features the county receives through KCAMP.

Staff said the procurement will allow time for in-person site visits by insurers that prefer them and that they would return to the commission with the bids after the September deadline for a final decision.

The discussion was advisory; no formal vote or contract award occurred during the study session.