City officials hear proposal from insurance company

Sept. 20--In their regularly scheduled meeting, Woodward city commissioners heard a detailed presentation from a company that was seeking an endorsement from the city to market an insurance product to Woodward residents.

The policies would, ostensibly pay for repairs to sewerage and water pipes between a homeowners home and the connection to the city utilities.

According to Ashley Shiwarski of Utility Service Partners, Inc. if the city will endorse the company, it will mail information out to residents about a somewhat low cost policy that pays when the sewer lines or water lines break or become clogged that run between a home owners house and the City of Woodward's tie-in.

"So what we would do is partner with your city in order to make our completely voluntary program available to your residents," Shiwarski said.

If Woodward agrees to endorse the company, it in no way limits residents from getting the same coverage through another agency, she said.

The program is like any insurance product, which offers a home owner coverage on breakage or clogging, leaks, tree roots or destruction of the plumbing or sewerage and will pay to have those fixed.

In home plumbing is also covered (That is, the repair of the water and sewer lines themselves, but not damage caused by a leaking or broken line), she said.

"We do not cover what your home owners insurance would normally cover," she said.

She said often times, home owners are not aware that those water and sewer lines between the city infrastructure and homes are their responsibility but are not regularly covered by homeowners insurance policies.

The policies would range in price from sewer line coverage at

The policy covers up to $8,500 toward each and every repair incidence for the utility infrastructure alone, she said. It does not cover damage to a home.

The policies cost ranges from $5.75 per month to cover external water pipes, $7.75 per month to cover external sewer pipes and $9.95 per month to cover inside plumbing infrastructure.

She said the program is a month to month coverage and a home owner can cancel at any time.

However, the company will not market in cities where the city council has not approved and agreed to endorse Utility Service Partners, Inc. City Commissioner John Brown said he wanted to take the time to review the entire policy offered to Woodward residents before making any recommendation.

City Commissioners agreed to wait and research more before making a decision regarding partnership or endorsement.

In his regular report, City Manager Alan Riffel discussed the ongoing approval process regarding the final approval for the quiet zone to go forward.

"I think, worst case, we are looking at Thanksgiving," Riffel said.

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