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LETTER to the DECATUR CITY COUNCIL <br /> Finance Department <br /> DATE: September 14, 2022 <br /> TO: Honorable Mayor Moore Wolfe <br /> City Council <br /> FROM: Scot Wrighton, City Manager <br /> Gregg D. Zientara, City Treasurer&Director of Finance <br /> Jenifer McCoskey, Risk Management Coordinator <br /> SUBJECT: Risk Management Insurance <br /> Continued social unrest throughout the country, increased occurrence of law enforcement excessive force <br /> events, as well as the weather-related events from convective storms and fire hazards, continue to drive a <br /> significant shift in the risk management profiles and risk coverage assessments in the insurance <br /> marketplace. <br /> Inflation and lack of building supplies have caused property carriers to build in premium increases to <br /> reflect undervalued properties. Carriers are scrutinizing client's Statements of Values, and in some cases <br /> demanding that values be increased by double digits for the 2022-2023 renewals. <br /> In the Umbrella/Excess Casualty market, carriers are restricting the amount of coverage limit they are <br /> willing to insure, necessitating involvement of more carriers at more premium cost to maintain desired <br /> policy coverage limits. <br /> In the matter of the Commercial Package renewal (1St level property, casualty, and liability coverage), our <br /> current incumbent carrier, AIX Specialty, is exiting the public entity marketplace. We shopped coverage <br /> with five package carriers. All carriers are requiring a minimum SIR or deductible of$250,000 for all lines <br /> of coverage. In addition, the underwriters are scrutinizing the property values and if they are not in line <br /> with reputable services such as Marshall & Swift, the carriers will contemplate higher property rates to <br /> reflect what they believe are under-valued properties. <br /> In the matter of Excess Property coverage, we were able to negotiate competitive renewal terms with the <br /> incumbent carrier with a slight rate increase that is in line with current market conditions, also taking into <br /> account the inflationary increase in the Total Insurable Values. <br /> The Cyber market is very concerned about systemic cyber risk, cyber underwriting practices, and where <br /> hackers may hit next, as ever escalating ransomware and cyber security risks continue to plague the <br /> cyber insurance market. Growing geopolitical tensions have also increased cyber risks for organizations <br /> worldwide as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has revived concerns for the potential for <br /> increased national cyber-attacks. <br /> The limited cyber carriers have responded to this hard market with higher rates, higher retentions, and <br /> larger coinsurance requirements. Many carriers impose sub-limits and coinsurance provisions specific to <br /> ransomware claims. <br /> With the ancillary lines of coverage such as Crime, Excess Crime, Auto Physical Damage, <br /> Boiler/Machinery and Gallagher Crisis Protect, each of those lines will see competitive renewal terms <br /> from a pricing and coverage standpoint. <br />