Board approves insurance renewals, public-health building purchases and procedural deadline; authorizes FEMA CRS recertification

The Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved its 2025 insurance renewal package and several one-time purchases for the county public health building, authorized the chair to sign paperwork for the county’s FEMA Community Rating System recertification, and set clarified deadlines for agenda posting.

The board voted to accept the county’s ICAP insurance renewal and related coverages after staff reviewed property, casualty and workers’ compensation changes and presented cyber-coverage options. The board also approved three items for the public health building—a lightning-protection installation, a water-softener system priced at $26,100 and additional security equipment priced at $24,059—and approved a housekeeping change to how claims are signed and an adjustment to the county’s agenda-deadline process. Supervisors voted to authorize the chair to sign the FEMA CRS (Community Rating System) annual recertification form.

Why it matters: the insurance renewal maintains a broad risk-management program for county assets; the FEMA CRS recertification keeps Pottawattamie County in a federal program that can lower flood-insurance premiums for property owners; the building purchases address immediate maintenance, security and equipment needs at the county public health facility; and the agenda-deadline clarification standardizes when departments must submit items for board meetings.

What the board approved and key votes - ICAP insurance renewal (ICAP property/casualty package, including current $250,000 cyber limit with options presented to increase limits): motion to approve passed. (Mover: Wickman; Second: Jorgensen.) - FEMA Community Rating System recertification: authorized the chair to sign certification form; motion passed. (Mover: not specified in record; Second: Supervisor Shea.) - Public health building — lightning protection (AC Lightning Protection bid): motion to approve passed. (Motion and second recorded; unanimous.) - Public health building — water-softener system, $26,100: motion to approve passed (moved and seconded; unanimous). - Public health building — additional security items (cameras and door access), $24,059: motion to approve passed (moved and seconded; unanimous). - Claims processing: MHPA designated as authorized signer for Board of Supervisors claims; motion passed. - Agenda deadlines: board kept the existing practice of distributing a draft agenda on Thursday, set a noon Friday deadline for department submissions (with personnel/payroll additions accepted through 9:30 a.m. Monday), and clarified handling for holidays; motion passed.

Several motions were moved and seconded from the dais and votes were voice votes recorded as ‘aye’ with no roll-call tallies provided in the meeting transcript. Where the transcript explicitly named movers or seconders, those names are recorded above; where not, the record shows the motion and a unanimous voice vote.

Context and next steps: On the insurance renewal, staff and the county’s risk partners presented options for larger cyber limits and sublimits; the board directed staff and the county IT representatives to meet with the insurer (ICAP) and Smith Davis Insurance to analyze exposure and return with recommendations before endorsing a higher cyber limit. For the public health building work, staff said the purchases will come from the land fund where noted.

The FEMA CRS decision keeps the county in the voluntary federal program that can reduce flood-insurance premiums for affected residents, and staff said they plan to continue working with FEMA to seek a higher (better) CRS classification.