Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Risk Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Risk manager says stairwell reopened; annex remediation under way; workers' comp claims down and closing faster
Summary
Risk management staff reported the north stairwell at the courthouse is open, remediation work at the annex building has begun with access restricted, and workers' compensation and tort claim caseloads have declined with faster closure times after process improvements.
Shelley Pierce, Cowlitz County risk manager, and Scott Killeen, risk analyst, presented operational and financial updates for risk management, workers’ compensation and liability claims.
Facilities and remediation: Pierce said the north stairwell at the courthouse reopened Dec. 9 and that remediation of the annex building began the prior week. Access to the annex has been restricted to remediation contractors and staff said they changed alarm codes for the annex building; the main administration building’s alarm panel could not be updated immediately and will require an eventual panel upgrade for individualized alarm codes.
Financials: Risk management fund revenue and expense lines were largely in line with budgeted expectations through year‑end; the department reported some timing anomalies because of a change in a risk pool billing cycle that temporarily increased service expense in 2024 and will be corrected with accruals.
Workers’ compensation and tort claims: Killeen said the county had eight open workers’ compensation claims as of Jan. 2, with three new claims added in December and two older claims dating to 2015 and 2023. He reported the county has accelerated claim closure times — average close time decreased from 148 days in 2020 to about 104 days in the most recent period, and excluding two outlier older claims the average was closer to 70 days — and credited more active case follow‑up and medical billing management with reducing reserves and estimated outstanding liabilities. The estimated outstanding exposures are routinely updated by the county’s third‑party claims administrator.
Tort claims: Tort/ liability claims also declined in December; staff closed four tort claims during the month and said several remaining older matters are approaching resolution or denial.
Ending: Pierce and Killeen said they will continue monthly meetings with the county’s risk pool and quarterly briefings to the commissioner panel; they emphasized that active follow‑up and coordination between risk staff, claim administrators and operating departments have reduced average claim durations and associated estimated costs.
