Carter County staff presented insurance-adjuster estimates for storm damage to county vehicles and advised commissioners to defer repair decisions to department heads, who will recommend whether to accept insurer payments and repair equipment.

Why it matters: Commissioners discussed that accepting a check from the insurer without repairing a vehicle would preclude filing another claim on the same damage in a future event. Staff emphasized departments should weigh vehicle age, repair costs and operational needs before accepting settlement checks.

Details presented: County staff member Judy Wright summarized adjusters’ net repair estimates after applicable deductibles. Examples cited in the meeting record include: a museum vehicle with an adjuster award of $6,472.28 (after a $1,000 deductible), a 2022 Ford F-350 estimate of $2,320.94 (after deductible), a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox estimate of $3,687.47 (no deductible), and two Western Star trucks with headlight replacements at roughly $970–$980 per truck. Wright said the adjuster did not examine four vehicles (a 2015 Chevy Silverado purportedly assigned to road department, a 2021 Ford F-150 from the sheriff's department and two 2025 Western Stars) because they were not present when the adjuster visited.

Board guidance: Wright recommended providing the adjuster estimates to department heads and allowing them to decide whether to accept the insurer's checks and repair equipment. Commissioners raised that money collected but not used for repairs would likely be deposited to the insurance or general vehicle fund; the board asked for department recommendations to be returned to commissioners.

Additional context: Wright said windshield-only claims sometimes fall below deductibles and produce a "credit" effect where the county would pay out of pocket; she said a separate adjuster might re-inspect some vehicles. She also said building adjusters had not yet inspected county buildings for storm damage.

Next steps: Staff will distribute the adjuster estimates to department heads, request written recommendations on repairing each vehicle, and follow up with the insurer about why some vehicles had a $1,000 deductible while others did not.