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Commissioners approve insurance renewals as workers' comp, cyber costs rise
Summary
The board approved renewals for workers’ compensation with SAIF, property/liability with CIS, and cyber coverage with Cowbell; members debated a statewide rise in PTSD claims, payroll growth, and cybersecurity spending choices including a separate MDR purchase.
Umatilla County commissioners on June 17 approved a slate of insurance renewals and payments after brief but pointed debate about rising costs and cybersecurity risk.
Dan Denali, the county’s director of administrative services, introduced the annual insurance renewals. John Anderson, the county’s agent of record (Weedland Insurance), told the board the county’s cyber liability premium with Cowbell is roughly $28,955 this year and recommended staying with the carrier. He also outlined that the county’s workers’ compensation renewal with SAIF Corporation will be higher, driven by a $52,000 increase tied largely to statewide increases in PTSD‑related claims and a 2.4 million payroll increase.
“A lot of those items, Commissioner, would be as time changes — you have to keep up with what the current changes are,” Denali said, urging commissioners to weigh investment in security against insurance costs. Commissioners pressed for details on whether local IT improvements were translating to lower premiums. Anderson said the cyber premium is rising for that product nationally and was not reduced despite local security investments.
The board moved and unanimously approved three motions: renewal of workers’ compensation coverage with SAIF; authorization to pay SAIF $357,195.62; and renewal of property, liability and auto coverage with CIS. Commissioners also approved renewal of cyber liability coverage with Cowbell.
Separately, the board later authorized the county’s IT order for managed detection and response (MDR) through MS‑ISAC at an initial discounted price of $29,396.25 — a separate procurement the board discussed at length. IT Manager Riley Whorton said the MDR product provides 24/7 human monitoring and can quarantine affected devices in a large incident; the county had two smaller incidents in the prior year. Whorton noted a potential FEMA/OEM grant could reimburse the first year’s cost; commissioners authorized the MDR execution order after debate about long‑term cost and operational tradeoffs.
The approvals conclude the county’s annual renewals for the coming fiscal year (policy period July 1–July 1). Commissioners asked staff to continue evaluating options, costs and grant opportunities to offset cybersecurity spending.
