Improvement Services Committee refers traffic signal damage invoice to staff amid insurance questions

The Green Bay Improvement Services Committee on April 29 voted to refer to staff a request to reduce charges tied to damage of a traffic signal controller from an Oct. 25 accident, after hearing staff and law-department advice on insurance and cost-recovery options.

Public Works Director (name not provided) said the damaged cabinet had been newer and replaced about a year earlier and that the city’s standard process is to invoice the at-fault individual or their insurer. “This was an accident that happened on October 25,” the director said, adding staff had received a hardship request and that the at-fault party’s insurer would cover only up to $10,000 under its policy.

City Attorney Cotard recommended referring the matter to staff to submit a claim to the city’s insurer and to pursue cost recovery as appropriate. “It is the city’s policy to pursue cost recovery for damaged property,” Cotard said, while noting that recovering the full billed amount was unlikely in many cases.

Committee members pressed staff on how recovered funds would be applied. The director said recovered proceeds would be applied to the city’s $10,000 deductible, meaning the city’s insurer would pay the claims cost and the deductible would be reimbursed if subrogation succeeded.

One committee member described the resident at issue as experiencing significant hardship and urged sensitivity to the individual’s circumstances. After discussion about whether to bill the individual, to submit a claim to the city’s insurer, or to pursue other recovery steps, Alder Ritterbush moved to refer the item back to staff to draft and pursue an insurance claim and to investigate the insurer’s options for recovery. The motion passed 3–1.

Next steps: staff will pursue the insurance claim and report back with options and any potential ramifications of using the city’s insurance, including what additional collection or legal options would remain.