Pryor Creek committee reviews workers' compensation renewal, hears plan to limit next year's increase

Speaker 3, presenting the CompSource renewal proposal to the Pryor Creek ordinance committee, said the city's experience modifier "was a 0.96" last year and rose roughly 37'39% because claims from 2022 and 2023 were added to the calculation. He told the committee that underwriters and the broker negotiated lower class rates and credits to offset that rise, noting that "police officers... that rate's down 11%" and municipal employee rates were reduced by about 18%.

"We were able to negotiate the premium down," Speaker 3 said, describing an outcome substantially below worst'case estimates and lower than some historical premiums. He told members the estimated premium increase is about 17% on an apples'to'apples basis, but projected the modifier should decline next year when roughly $160,000 of claims fall off the three'year average.

Committee members asked practical questions about claim handling and loss control. Speaker 3 described recent administrative changes intended to reduce the penalty impact of claims (for example, converting some incidents to "medical-only" when employees return within three days) and credited staff and the carrier's loss'control consultant, Ed Sheppard, for proactive safety work. "So there's things that you won't see monetarily... but it's all back of house stuff that can work," he said.

The committee sought clarification that attorneys listed on the proposal were municipal attorneys; Speaker 6 asked that Lisa Clayton confirm the lawyers referenced on the sheet. Members requested that HR flag any administrative needs and asked to place the renewal on the full council agenda so council can consider the formal action.

Next steps: the committee voted to advance the renewal package for council consideration and requested that counsel and HR review the final language and any technical clarifications before council action.