Council hears why referees now accept voucher payments: availability of insurance

A council member asked why referees would accept voucher-based town payment now after prior objections, noting the town had previously paid referees in a "gray area" or by cash. Staff and other speakers said the critical change was the availability of insurance coverage from the assigner's carrier: "Because of the insurance, we were able to do this because the company... said, yes. We will make sure that we're covering that." The exchange clarified that insurance availability, not an unexplained change in town policy, helped bridge prior objections.

Council members pressed on whether the company was unwilling to provide coverage earlier; staff replied that the insurer had not provided the same coverage previously. The discussion led into housekeeping questions about policy expiration and renewal, which staff said they would monitor and contact the insurer at expiration.