City officials told the finance committee the city’s Risk and Safety office is operating with several vacancies and that an executive search for the top risk position is underway. The committee heard that the office is responsible for insurance procurement, claims oversight, safety training, workers’ compensation and other functions that intersect with legal and financial risk.

“There's lots and lots of things that the risk staff performs,” the city manager said, noting the insurance market’s volatility and the importance of the function for city operations. Melanie (Risk Analyst) and staff described current capacity: two positions are on the risk-management side and three positions on the safety side — an administrative assistant (filled), a workers’-compensation manager (filled) and a vacant safety‑specialist senior; the office manager/director slot is vacant and under active recruitment.

Why it matters: Risk and safety handle the city’s insurance and loss-control strategy and coordinate outside counsel for litigation, so staffing and how the city structures in-house vs. contract legal support affect city finances and litigation exposure. The city attorney raised the same issue earlier in the meeting, noting the city’s self-insured retention has grown and recommending a review of whether more in-house litigators or different contracting approaches are needed.

Committee members asked for a plan to assess staffing levels and the mix of in‑house versus outside counsel. The city manager said an improved organizational model is coming and that a new risk and safety director will help lead an assessment of options; the city manager also said he expects to recruit a risk-and-safety leader and a risk-and-safety director search firm has been retained.

Officials said recent insurance-quote results had been reasonable compared with a year earlier and that the city maintains roughly a $1.5 million self‑insured retention for claims; discussion noted that the city’s reserve around liabilities is a key variable and that the city should examine whether more in-house capability is appropriate. The committee did not take a formal vote on staffing changes but requested further reporting and recommendations.