Insurance matters highlighted discussion during the Clarksdale Public Utilities meeting Tuesday afternoon.
David Huggins of Fiser Agency spoke about insurance quotes for the 2021 year.
“Each year in January, they give us our new insurance rates,” said CPU general manager Curtis Boschert. “That will be for general liability workers comp, auto, that type of employer liability. We’re expecting them to go up. I’m not going to say all of them are going up, but our workers’ comp certainly is.”
Boschert said the workers’ comp insurance could go up approximately $80,000.
“I don’t think it has anything to do with COVID,” Boschert said. “Some things are industry wide in places and some are claims based.”
Neal Draper of Aflac spoke about providing supplemental insurance such as dental, eye and life insurance. The board approved going with Aflac and switching from the former supplemental insurance company Life Insurance Company of Alabama (LICOA).
“It’s not something CPU pays for,” Boschert said. “It’s what the employees can add.”
The board voted to hire the WGK engineering firm for engineering services.
“Every year, they do a new billing rate,” Boschert said. “I don’t think there’s any changes to it. It’s an extension to their services agreement.”
Boschert spoke briefly about the Missouri Public Utility Association apprentice program. He said CPU has used the MPUA program in the past. This year, he said it was going to be used to send an employee to school, but the employee decided they did not want to go.
“They have a program where they help train linemen,” Boschert said. “It’s a good thing.”
The board put in a request for qualifications for engineering services.
“This is where sometime back we put in and applied with the state to do water/sewer work,” Boschert said.
Boschert said it started when the stimulus bill began for COVID. The water/sewer work would be paid for through federal or state money.
“We just want to be prepared with an engineering firm to proceed if that happens (the money is available),” Boschert said.
