Proposed insurance contract saves money for City of Wilkes-Barre

July 11--WILKES-BARRE -- Additional time to solicit proposals for insurance coverage resulted in $8,012 in savings from a package expected to be approved by city council this week.

Joyce Insurance Group of Pittston submitted the only proposal with a price tag of $422,690 after the city put out a request for proposals in May. The company has the existing contract with the city, awarded at the last minute last year at a cost of $430,702.

A vote for the new contract set to begin in August is on the agenda for Thursday night's council meeting.

The administration is pleased with the proposal and council isn't being rushed this time, said city Administrator Ted Wampole.

The city's coverage was going to expire three days before a new contract was presented to council for approval last August. Council didn't want to be pressured with the next contract and directed Mayor Tony George's administration to solicit proposals earlier to attract more interest and competitive offers for the financially struggling city.

Wampole, a former insurance salesman, said the administration set up an insurance advisory committee of Andy Reno and Rick Gazenski, both of J.W. Hoban & Associates, and Rick Wright, a State Farm Insurance agent. The committee worked with Joyce Morrash Zaykowski, the city's capital projects program manager, to put together the RFP.

"We did everything that council asked us," Wampole said Monday.

Five companies expressed interest in the RFP, but only Joyce Insurance responded by the June 19 deadline.

The new contract expected to be approved by council includes coverage for lines including property, general liability and public officials employment practices liability. It adds cyber insurance in the event of computer hacking at a cost between $8,000 and $9,000, Wampole said.

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