Sunday, January 24, 2010 THE DALLAS POST PAGE 7 HARVEYS LAKE BOROUGH New council comes under fire regarding insurance carrier By EILEEN GODIN Dallas Post Correspondent A decision to switch insur- ance carriers put the newly- formed council under fire dur- ing Tuesday night's meeting. Council met a room of ques- tioning residents as to why a decision to replace Walters As- sociates Inc. of Kingston with Thomas Insurance Group Inc. of Philadelphia was reached with- out obtaining bids and why the decision was made behind closed doors instead of publicly. Borough attorney Charles McCormick said council is not required by law to seek bids on services such as insurance carri- ers. Resident Michelle Boice, an insurance broker since 1978, said she filed an Open Records Request to obtain all informa- tion on the policy and how the decision was reached. She feels council violated the Sunshine Act which was created to make decisions made by governmen- tal agencies available to the public. Admitting that municipal in- surance policies can be com- plex, Boice said that, even though council is not required to seek bids, it should have called local insurance agencies and obtain proposals for review. Chairman Francis Kopko said the current insurance policy was “I can tell you it is impossible to obtain an insur- ance proposal on a municipality in only nine days.” Michelle Boice Harveys Lake resident set to end on January 16 and, due to time constraints, council did not have time to obtain pro- posals. He said Thomas Insur- ance Group Inc. approached council in 2000 when he was a member. When Kopko saw the current policy was ending, ap- pointments were made with the Walters Associates Inc and the proposed carrier. Kopko, council member Boyd Barber and secretary Susan Sut- ton attended one meeting. Then Kopko, council member Rich Williams III and Sutton met with the second carrier. Kopko said Thomas Insurance Group claims to save the borough $11,000. Boice did not buy Kopko’s ex- planation and said the proposal was dated January 12, “which is nine days into this new adminis- tration.” “I can tell you it is impossible to obtain an insurance proposal on a municipality in only nine days,” Boice said. She said the previous provid- er had insured the municipality for the past eight years. “Most policies do not end un- tii a cancellation notice is mailed out,” she said. “Have you mailed it?” Sutton said the notice had been mailed that morning. Boice said she did not see the “workers compensation page where the experience modifica- tion was applied” in the propos- “When, not if, that is applied, the workers compensation pre- mium will increase significant- ly,” she said. Boice said a complex insur- ance package to cover a munici- pality is based on several factors such as payroll, number of po- lice officers, miles of road, liabil- ity for fire department, police department and road depart- ment. “Too many things I think were missed,” she said of the policy. “I will not know until I see it.” Following procedure, Kopko made a motion to name Tho- mas Insurance Group Inc. the insurance carrier for the bor- ough. See COUNCIL, Page 13 CLEMSON MEETS PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and Pennsylvania Fair Queen Nicole Clemson, of Dal- las a student of The University of Scranton, pose with Punxsutawney Phil and his handler Ben Hughes at an agritourism press event at the 2010 PA Farm Show on Jan. 12. AMERICAN LEGION DONATES TO LIBRARY dh BMT students named to honor roll at Wyoming Seminary... Mary T. Kolessar, dean of Wyoming Seminary Middle School, has announced the Aca- demic High Honor Roll and Aca- demic Honor Roll for the first trimester of the 2009-2010 aca- demic year. HIGH HONOR ROLL Grade 6 Jake Kolessar, Shavertown. Grade 7 Corinne Conyngham, Shaver- : Madison Nardone, Sha- wn; Adam Rinehouse, Sha- vertown. Grade 8 Sai Abhishek, Shavertown; Gabrielle Coslett, Harveys Lake; Matthew Doggett, Shaver- town; Christopher Kim, Dallas; Andrew Levandoski, Dallas; Adam O’Brien, Hunlock Creek; Alannah Trombetta, Shaver- town. HONOR ROLL Grade 6 Dominique Coslett, Harveys Lake; Alexandra Cuddy, Shaver- town; Jacqueline Meuser, Sha- vertown; Jacob Ridilla, Shaver- town; Megha Sarada, Dallas. Grade 7 Kelley Gavin, Shavertown; Nathalie Joanlanne, Dallas; Nathan Shearn, Wyoming. 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From infant to adult, we celebrate all perfect smiles. % 2% Dr. Gary Nataupsky Riverside Commons, 575 Pierce St. « Suite 201 Kingston + 331-8100 « www.dr.gmn.com Daddow-Isaacs Dallas American Legion Post 672 made a $300 donaton to the Back Mountain Library. The SAL and Ladies Auxiliary also contributed. From left, are John Emil Sr., SAL Adjutant, Commander Joe Kelley, Martha Butler, Clarence J. Michael. Find your next vehicl online.
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