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Commissioners review costly helicopter-insurance quotes; nonprofit partner may cap county support
Summary
A first insurance quote to cover a county-use helicopter returned between $46,000 and $53,000 annually; commissioners discussed options including limiting county coverage to liability and reallocating existing county funds, while a nonprofit partner said it could not cover the full cost.
Commissioner Duncan updated the board on Sept. 23 about insurance quotes for a helicopter operated in cooperation with a nonprofit. The first full insurance quote returned at between $46,000 and $53,000 per year, substantially above prior full-coverage costs the county recorded (about $22,000 in an earlier year).
Lieutenant Ellis (speaking for the operational side) and county staff recommended reconsidering whether the county must insure the helicopter hull when the county will not own the aircraft; the nonprofit partner told the county it would not be able to absorb the full insurance cost and indicated a cap around $10,000 if the county redirected an existing $10,000 annual county payment for the helicopter program toward insurance.
Commissioners and staff discussed tailoring coverage to liability only, seeking reduced hull coverage or asking outside counsel for clarification. Legal counsel (both internal and external) has recommended the county carry some insurance for the aircraft while the program arrangements are finalized; staff said they were working to refine coverage options to lower the cost.
Why it matters: Insurance costs at the levels quoted could make the helicopter program financially unsustainable under current donation and nonprofit funding assumptions. County decisions about whether to cover full hull insurance, only liability, or to discontinue support will determine whether the program continues.
No formal motion to change funding was recorded at the status-update meeting; staff said they would continue to negotiate coverage options and return with refined quotes and recommendations. Commissioners noted that if insurance costs cannot be reduced below the nonprofit's capacity, the program may end.
