Cochise County supervisors approve letter to insurer after executive session on claim

Cochise County supervisors met Thursday, July 10, and after a closed executive session voted 2 to 0 to approve a letter to accompany a notice of claim submitted to the county's insurer.

The board entered executive session at 4:03 p.m. under Arizona Revised Statutes Section 38-431.03 to receive legal advice about a submitted notice of claim, discuss the county’s legal position and potential exposure, and consider options for resolution or response. The closed session ended at 4:20 p.m.

The action following the closed session came on a motion by Supervisor Gomez. "I move that we approve Mick Roosin's letter and authorize that letter to accompany the submission of Tom Crosby's claim to the county's insurer," Supervisor Gomez said. The motion was seconded and the presiding supervisor announced, "The motion passes 2 to 0 with 1 not voting." The board then adjourned.

The meeting notice stated members of the public would have access to the meeting room 15 minutes before the start and that supervisors could attend in person or by Microsoft Teams. The board cited ARS 38-431.03 in discussing and holding the executive session; that statute allows certain confidential executive sessions, including for receiving legal advice.

Attendance at the special meeting was two supervisors present with one absent. The transcript names a supervisor as absent and notes other county staff in the room, including a deputy account manager and the county clerk. No further public discussion or votes on the substance of the underlying claim were recorded in the public portion of the meeting.

The action authorizes the county to include the approved letter with the claimant's submission to the insurer; any insurer response or further legal steps were not discussed publicly and were not specified in the meeting record.