Dorchester adds $1 million in cyber insurance
Dorchester has decided to add $1 million worth of cyber crime coverage to its insurance policy, which will kick in if computer hackers are ever able to extract personal data from the village’s computer system.
The annual cost of the coverage is $1,033, but the village was able to offset a majority of that cost by increasing the deductible on its property insurance from $1,000 to $2,500 per claim. This will save $694 per year, leaving a net increase of $339 for adding cyber coverage.
The village board voted to make this change at its latest meeting on April 7, about a month after first hearing a renewal proposal from Jesse Furrer of Spectrum Insurance Prior to adding the cyber insurance, the village’s total premiums were set to increase of $3,509 over last year’s rates, up $43,431. That covers a year’s worth of liability, property, auto, and workman’s compensation insurance.
The village’s previous policy included $25,000 in cyber crime coverage, but board members did not think that was nearly enough to adequately cover a claim if either the village or a resident or employee was harmed.
So-called “ransomware” is the most common source of financial losses, according to what Furrer told the board. In these situations, hackers will lock up a computer and all of its data and demand a ransom payment to unlock it.
Village clerk Sue Ballerstein said she spoke with Seth Pinter at Computer TR, which provides anti-virus protection for the village’s computers, to see what he thought about increasing the insurance to $1 million.
According to Ballerstein, Pinter told her that Computer TR backs up all of the information on the village’s computer on a daily basis and provides anti-virus software that auto-updates every two hours.
In a summary of her conversation with Pinter, Ballerstein informed the board that the village computers only include Social Security numbers of employees — not residents — as part of its payroll system. Pinter did not feel the extra insurance coverage would be worth it if the cost to the village was more than a couple hundred dollars per year.
Board members felt that a net increase of $339, with a higher deductible on property insurance, was worth the extra cyber security coverage.
Trustee Keith Lageman said he likes the idea of having both the anti-virus protection provided by Computer TR and the additional insurance coverage in case something happens.
“I think they could work hand in hand,” he said.
The board renewed the village’s Memorial Hall lease with Jenny Halopka, owner of Tappers Bar, from May 1, 2021, through April 20, 2022.
Halopkaandboardmemberswentover a few changes to the lease agreement, including an added requirement that she do a spring walk-through of the hall with the village’s public works supervisor to point out any needed repairs.
A provision requiring prior approval by the village for “special” events was reworded to say “unconventional.”
Halopka said she is planning to host an April 17 event at the hall that will allow pet owners to get their animals microchipped by a dog rescue. She wondered if this qualified as an “unconventional” event that needs prior approval.
“I don’t think this is the ‘unconventional’ we were thinking about,” said village president Kurt Schwoch.
Activities such as midget mud wrestling, which have been held in the past under previous lessees, are more of a concern for village officials.
Halopka did mention that a semi-pro wrestling organization has asked about holding an event at the hall in October. She said the same organizer has run a similar event at Paradise Shores in Holcombe.
“It is not mud wrestling. It’s professional wrestling with an actual arena,” she said. “No mud, no sand, nothing like that.”
Still, Schwoch said that is the type of event the board would like to discuss ahead of time before granting approval.
Halopka also mentioned a number of other issues, such as installing a programmable thermostat and putting in new bathroom wall coverings. Trustees said they would address those issues at their next meeting.
The new lease agreement stayed mostly unchanged, with Halopka responsible for providing a $500 security deposit and paying $1 per month in rent. She is also responsible for paying all of the utilities, including gas, electric, telephone and water and sewer bills.
Halopka noted that the hall has been booked every weekend except one, from April 10 to Sept. 11, for weddings and other events this year.
“There is only one free weekend in there, which is really cool,” she said.
_ Resident Chris Christophersen questioned the board about why an ordinance allowing golf carts on village streets was never adopted. He also complained about the amount of dust coming from the local sawmill.
“You could write your name in the sawdust on my windshield,” he said.
Village president Kurt Schwoch said village officials would look into the issues he raised.
_ The board was updated on a complaint filed by former police chief Gary Leichtman last April with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce of Development. Leichtman had claimed the village owed him $1,551, but deputy clerk Christine Erikson said the actual amount owed was $127.92 after taxes.
“It was nothing intentional,” she said. “It was just overlooked things.”
_ The board approved a motion to spend $67,815 on a water plant upgrade to be done by a company called Energenecs. Utility operator Rick Golz said the village has been putting money aside for the past several years to replace a processor that’s passed its life expectancy.
The expense will be covered by the water utility’s future expenditure account, which has over $332,000 in it.
_ After meeting in closed session, the board approved a $1 per hour wage increase for clerk-treasurer Sue Ballerstein, bringing her pay to $19 per hour.
_ The board tabled a request from the organizers of the Dorchester Days car show to do a street sweeping on the morning before the show. Trustees wanted to know more about why the organizers were requesting the sweeping and whether they’d be willing cover the cost of a village employee’s overtime hours.
_ The board approved a motion to pay for additional police coverage from the Clark County Sheriff’s Department for Dorchester Days. Neither of the deputies who regularly patrol the village are available that weekend, so the village may have to pay overtime for other deputies.
Erikson said the village has been paying less than originally expected for its monthly coverage by the deputies, so she thinks the budget can absorb any extra costs associated with Dorchester Days.
