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City outlines risk‑management strategy to contain rising insurance and claims costs
Summary
City staff presented a risk‑management brief to Boise City Council calling for preventative asset and worker safety measures, cybersecurity readiness and annual, data‑driven goals to reduce claims and control long‑term cost growth.
City leaders presented a multi‑year approach to contain rising risk, insurance and claims costs and recommended annual objectives and measurable goals to reduce liability and preserve budget capacity.
Christine Miller, deputy chief of staff for public safety and infrastructure, told council the city’s historical investment in risk and safety funds has hovered just over $2 million annually but that national trends in insurance rates and litigation could drive that figure substantially higher without proactive measures. Miller said the city’s strategy is to focus on areas within its control — asset inspection and maintenance, employee wellness and training, data‑driven reviews, and cybersecurity preparedness — to limit long‑term cost growth.
Miller described four annual objective areas: workers’ compensation and employee wellness (including job hazard analyses and department risk reviews); employment‑related claims (updating the employee handbook and better guidance for people leaders); cybersecurity (tabletop exercises, remediation of audit findings and additional staff training); and general asset risk‑reduction (scheduled inspections and maintenance, and targeted training tied to incident reviews). She said these annual steps will support a longer‑term goal of curbing the projected expense curve for risk and safety.
Miller said some cost drivers are normal results of growth — more facilities and staff mean greater exposure — while others reflect external changes, such as 2016 and 2019 legislation that affect first‑responder or occupational presumptions for disease and post‑traumatic stress. She said the city will set annual key results so council can monitor whether mitigation measures are having the intended effects.
Council members supported the emphasis on prevention, wellness and cybersecurity. Council Member Willits and others noted tabletop exercises and training have strong value for readiness; Willits said investments in wellness “always pay off in the long run.” Council Member Nash asked staff to pursue additional employee engagement and to solicit operational suggestions from department heads and frontline workers.
Miller said the risk and safety team will coordinate with HR, legal, public‑safety chiefs and budget staff to develop measurable annual targets and report progress to council. There was no formal council vote in the briefing.
