After hiring an outside insurance consultant earlier this year, the Randolph County Commission changed its insurance policy on Thursday. Commission President Mike Taylor said with the move, the commission will no longer cover vehicles from agencies like the Randolph County Ambulance Authority.
"In January the commission hired an insurance consultant to help put our insurance out on a competitive bid," Taylor said. "We found we had some overlapping policy."
Taylor explained that the county has insurance coverage for all agencies that fall under their "umbrella." He said the 4-H, the Senior Centers, the Elkins-Randolph County Airport and the Ambulance Authority all had insurance through the commission.
"Some places we covered the building, but not the contents," he said.
Taylor said the commission received four proposals from three companies. He said Commercial Insurance Company, based in Charleston, proposal was for $177,680; Allegheny Insurance of Elkins submitted two different proposals one for $151,721 excluding worker's compensation and another for approximately $200,000 that included worker's compensation; and a proposal from the West Virginia Risk Pool, based in Charleston, for $141,719 including worker's compensation.
Taylor said the Risk Pool has been around for approximately five years and carries insurance for 35 or 36 counties in the state. He said other agencies in the county can join the Risk Pool at a lower insurance rate.
"One of the things we had been doing is insuring the ambulance and the RCAA was carrying the personnel insurance," he said. "Each firm felt the commission covering the vehicles of other public agencies is not a good business practice."
The commission was also insuring two trucks used by the Randolph County Development Authority.
"We have to title the vehicles to them and they will have to get their own insurance," Taylor said. "At the airport the city owned the buildings, but we are insuring them."
The commission passed the measure with a motion from Chris See. Taylor said the policy took effect today at midnight.
"I truly believe we are going to be better off tomorrow than we are today," Taylor said during the meeting.
RCAA Executive Director Ray Chaney said once the new insurance policy takes place, the eight ambulances will be signed over to the authority,
"The commission has stated they will help us with the insurance costs," Chaney said. "If they do that we will be ok."
He said a recent insurance quote to cover the ambulances came in at $11,000 a year, but that quote was given to the commission.
"We have not gotten any quotes yet," he said. "The commission will cover the insurance until we get everything set-up."
The commission also approved giving the Elkins-Randolph County Chamber of Commerce $5,000 for the Mountain State Street Machines Auto Extravaganza. Chamber Executive Director Robbie Morris explained that when his organization took over the car show there was a "small nest egg" for this year's event.
"We want to request funding to have a nest egg in case we have a rain out year," Morris said. "This is a huge event for Randolph County."
Morris said there was about 130 participants who registered early for this weekend's event.
"It goes without saying that this is one of the biggest events that comes to Randolph County," Taylor said.
The commission passed a motion made by See to use $5,000 of Hotel/Motel tax money to help fund the car show.
Contact Anthony Gaynor by email at agaynor@the intermountain.com.
