Bonner County, ambulance district begin disentangling insurance and claims; board told claims must be paid from district funds

County staff and district leaders discussed commercial and employee-benefit insurance, vehicle titles and claims handling as the Bonner County Ambulance Service District moves toward formal separation from county finances.

A county representative summarized the insurance work: underwriting inquiries are active with ICRMP (Idaho Counties Risk Management Program) and staff advised it is prudent to obtain multiple quotes for liability, property and workers' compensation coverage. The county's insurance manager said many carriers plan renewals and underwriting windows around spring and recommended pursuing quotes in parallel so the district will have options by the new fiscal year.

On statutory limits and claims: a county official stated that "by statute, we can't use county tax dollars to fund another district," and clarified that the district must pay claims and costs that belong to the ambulance district. County staff and the clerk's office advised that claims falling under the district's responsibility should be paid from the ambulance-district accounts (the transcript records that the district has collected roughly $2.07 million in tort tax receipts). Until titles and budgets are fully disentangled, staff recommended documenting responsibilities and producing memoranda of understanding for any county services that will continue to be provided to the district.

Vehicles and assets: staff noted the paperwork to transfer vehicle titles and other assets is incomplete in some cases; the county and district will need to coordinate title transfers so commercial insurers can underwrite the correct owner/operator. Staff also reported several aging ambulances at the county lot that may be auctioned; those vehicles have high repair costs and some safety issues.

Next steps and recommendations: staff recommended continued work with ICRMP and at least one additional insurer that specializes in fire/EMS coverage to compare quotes, to keep SIF (state workers' comp) as an option while soliciting comparisons, and to draft MOUs where the county provides specific services to the district. Commissioners directed staff to provide written clarification on which budget pays for which claims and to bring insurance-quote options forward during the normal renewal window.

Ending: Staff and commissioners agreed to pursue multiple insurance quotes, clarify ownership of vehicles and have the clerk's office document the budgetary responsibility for claims so that the ambulance district can be insured and funded as a separate taxing entity.