Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Insurance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Johnstown council votes to switch city insurance to Gallagher
Summary
At a special Aug. 26 meeting the Johnstown Common Council voted 4-0 (one member absent) to move the citys primary insurance placement from long-time agent NBT (NYMIR/ESIP) to Gallagher, citing lower cost, consolidation benefits, and recent service concerns with the incumbent.
The City of Johnstown Common Council voted Aug. 26 to switch the citys primary insurance placement from longtime agent NBT to Gallagher ahead of a Sept. 1 renewal.
Bradley Hayner, a council member, moved to transfer coverage to Gallagher; the minutes record the motion as seconded and show a 4-0 vote with Council Member Scott Miller absent. The motion as recorded states the change will take effect with the upcoming renewal.
Representatives from NBT and Gallagher presented competing proposals. Bill VanGorder of NBT summarized the firms roughly 30-year relationship with the city, said current placements are with NYMIR for general municipal coverage and ESIP for fire department coverage, and proposed a total premium of $465,565.99. VanGorder acknowledged the mayors concerns about responsiveness over the past year, apologized for any shortcomings and committed to improving service.
Gallagher representatives Matt Ossenfort and Dominic Gallo proposed a premium of $445,000, said Gallagher would place coverage with carrier Trident/Ascot (rated A++), and proposed consolidating the City and Fire Department on a single policy to reduce costs and administrative complexity. Gallagher emphasized the firms emphasis on local responsiveness backed by national-broker resources.
Council discussion focused on three practical issues: price, service responsiveness, and policy structure. Minutes note council members raised that premiums under NBT/NYMIR had risen about 37% over three years; they also asked for clarification on deductible structures, whether vehicle schedules on the policies accurately list all City vehicles, and whether the recent wastewater treatment plant loss was reflected in renewal pricing. Both vendors responded to these questions during the meeting.
The minutes do not record individual member votes by name; they report the motion passed with four ayes and one member absent. The meeting record contains an internal inconsistency in the recorded second on the motion: one motion block lists Council Member Eric Parker as the seconder while the clerks signature block later references Council Member Scott Jeffers as seconding; the minutes do not reconcile that discrepancy.
The minutes note the City continues to hold additional policies with NBT. The council thanked both firms for their presentations before adjourning. The minutes list an adjournment time of 12:41 p.m.
Next steps: the council implemented the switch effective with the upcoming renewal; the minutes do not specify if staff were directed to return with policy documents, assignment of implementation tasks, or whether any follow-up reporting to the council was required.
