Member Benefits

Member Programs

SDA's Special Programs can save your district money, and program benefits can help you attract qualified employees. If you have questions, call (303) 863-1733.

Property & Casualty Insurance
The Colorado Special Districts Property and Liability Insurance Pool was established by SDA in 1988 to provide special districts with general liability, auto/property liability, public officials' liability insurance coverage as an alternative to the traditional insurance market. The Pool currently provides insurance coverage for 1,100 SDA Member Districts. Governed by a nine-member board of special district representatives, the Pool has been an extremely valuable service to those districts, which have joined over the years. Owned by the members, the Pool has significantly reduced rates to members in recent years. Click here for more information about The Colorado Special District Property and Liability Pool.

Health Benefits
SDA sponsors a thorough health benefits program, including group term life insurance, long-term and short-term disability programs, to meet the needs of SDA Member Districts. The program is administered by HRH of Colorado as part of the Colorado Employer Benefits Trust. Since retaining HRH of Colorado, the health benefits program has seen rates stabilize with increases only a fraction of what the standard health care market has experienced.

Retirement
SDA sponsors two deferred compensation programs, which are available to Member Districts for the benefit of their employees.

Deferred Compensation is a plan to assist employees in their savings program on a "before taxes" basis.

Credit Union
Employees of SDA Member Districts are eligible to join the Credit Union of Colorado, and enjoy a wide variety of investment, savings, and borrowing programs.

Workers' Compensation Coverage
SDA sponsors a Workers' Compensation Safety Dividend Group, through which Member Districts can obtain discounts based upon their workers' compensation contributions, by meeting certain safety and educational requirements. The program is designed to provide enhanced coverage to meet the special needs of the members.

Some of the enhacements include:

• Employer's Liability Limit:
  Bodily Injury by Accident - $2,000,000 Each Accident
  Bodily Injury by Disease - $2,000,000 Each Employee
  Bodily Injury by Disease - $2,000,000 per Policy
  

• Loss sensitive alternatives such as dividends and claim deductible options
  

• Coverage for Board Members and volunteers available
  

• Includes Federal Acts such as:
  Federal Empoloyeers Liablity Act (FELA)
  Defense Base Act
  

• Protection for foreign travel including Repatriation and Endemic Disease
  

Teamwork, communication and early intervention between the special district, the claims administrator, and the medical provider are required for a return to work program to be effective.

Assistance is available for the creation, implementation and oversight of return to work programs.

Relationships with designated providers assure the best medical treatment for your injured workers at reasonable pre-negotiated fees. Contact us for assistance designating accredited medical providers.

Realization of reduced workers' compensation costs begins with a dedicated claims team devoted to managing your claims. The claims adminstration team goals are:

• Compliance with local state and federal regulations
  

• Compliance with treatment guidelines while managing cost of medical care
  

• Reduction of litigation
  

• Returning workers to pre-injury status
  

• Claim reviews
  

On-site safety inspections help eliminate or minimize claims. Loss analysis, on-site training, seminars, access to training library and videos, and industrial hygiene services are offered to Pool members.

Prevention and detection of fraud related activities is an integral cost reduction factor of workers' compensation claims. Our claims administrator is dedicated to the elimination of fraud.

NCCI rating guidelines with adjustments for Preferred Medical Provider designation, utilization of Best Practices and Multi-Program discounts.

Lease - Purchase Financing Program
In cooperation with Wells Fargo, SDA developed a pro forma lease-purchase arrangement for SDA Members. The program provides a ready and expeditious source of funding for districts to construct or purchase facilities or capital equipment on a lease-purchase basis. The lease purchase concepts has been approved by the Colorado Supreme Court, and provides a means for local governments to finance small to medium capital needs without the cost and difficulties surrounding the issuance of bonds for such projects. Capital needs ranging from a few thousand dollars to as high as $10 million, may be ideal for lease-purchase financing.

Risk Management & Benefits Programs
The Colorado Special Districts Property and Liability Pool was established in 1988 to provide special districts with general liability, casualty, auto/property damage, and public officials' liability insurance coverage as an alternative to the traditional insurance market. At the end of 2006 the Pool was providing insurance coverage for 1,035 districts with annual contributions (premiums) of $12 million.

The insurance pool has a nine-member Board of Directors, nominated by the participating district members, and appointed by the SDA Board. SDA provides staff support to the Board. The Pool provides pooled risk management, but is reinsured principally by United States Fidelity & Guaranty (Discover Re). The Pool exceeds all requirements of the Colorado Department of Insurance for capital reserves, reinsurance and claims adjustment reserves. McGriff Seibles & Williams of Oregon, Inc., serves as Broker /Administrator and County Technical Services, Inc. (CTSI) as the Claims Administrator. Under their direction, the Pool is operating smoothly and efficiently, with significantly improved coverage and services for members.

At the 2000 Annual Membership meeting of the Pool, the membership voted to expand coverage to include workers compensation coverage for participating member districts. The Pool began offering workers compensation coverage in January, 2001.

The SDA health insurance, life insurance, and short and long term disability programs continue to be provided by the Colorado Employee Benefits Trust (CEBT), administered by HRH of Colorado. CEBT is a trust covering over 16,000 employees. Benefits and coverage under the CEBT program are similar to or better than most available programs, and premium rates provided continue to be competitive, and have experienced smaller increases than most other plans.

Health insurance rates have seen remarkable increases in premiums within the past renewal period, and the CEBT program has also been faced with the largest premium increases since SDA has been a participant. These rate increases, however, are industry-wide, caused in general by pent-up pressures for cost increases by doctors, hospitals and other medical providers. A significant part of the increase has also been in the cost and usage of prescription drugs.

Deferred Compensation is a plan to assist employees in their savings program on a before-tax basis. In addition to the deferred compensation program offered for several years by Gregory and Associates, SDA also offers the deferred compensation program of Nationwide Retirement Solutions, formerly known as PEBSCO, Inc., a nationwide provider of deferred compensation programs to local government entities.

Board members and employees of special districts are eligible to participate in the Colorado State Employees Credit Union through SDA membership. There are presently 105 districts with 642 individuals participating in this program.

SDA Surveys
Since 1987, SDA has conducted surveys for Water and Sanitation and Fire Districts to obtain updated information regarding district operations, services, rates and employee salary/ benefits to assist in District budget planning and development. In 2003, 108 fire districts and 85 water and sanitation districts 35 park and recreation participated. A survey was especially developed for Park and Recreation Districts that included questions relating to park and recreational district operations and a section for salary and benefit data. Surveys were also conducted in 2005, to which 94 fire districts, 131 water and sanitation districts and 32 park and recreation districts contributed. The findings were distributed to participating districts and are also available for purchase.

Community Relations Program
The Special District Association has long held the philosophy that if the public is going to trust its various elements of government, then it must know and understand the various elements of government. Over the years, SDA has not only worked to foster a strong and positive image for special districts statewide, but has also provided resources and encouragement for special districts to bolster their own images and to interact favorably with local media and the general public.

This is the tenth year SDA has sponsored a Community Outreach Awards Program, by which it judges and honors the outstanding public and community relations programs of member special districts. Awards will be made at the 2004 Annual Awards Luncheon at the SDA Annual Conference.

The SDA Media Relations program in past years has included a media audit, which identified the amount of knowledge and interest the various media outlets have in special districts and SDA; development of a statewide list of media contacts; updating and improvement of the SDA press handbook; focus groups; media relations training at the SDA Annual Conference and Workshops; and development of press background papers for media file information. In cooperation with Wells Fargo Investment Services, Inc., SDA developed a pro forma lease-purchase arrangement for SDA members. The program provides a ready and expeditious source of funding for districts to construct or purchase facilities or capital equipment on a lease-purchase basis. The lease purchase concept has been approved by the Colorado Supreme Court, and provides a means for local governments to finance small to medium capital needs without the cost and difficulties surrounding the issuance of bonds for such projects. Capital needs ranging from a few thousand dollars to as high as $10 million, may be ideal for lease-purchase financing.

Special Committees & Projects
Representatives from SDA serve on the Colorado State and Local Forum, the Fire and Police Pension Association, the Govemor's Advisory Committee on Governmental Accounting and the Water Quality Forum, as well as various other committees created for specific purposes.

A Model Personnel Manual was developed for SDA member districts in 1991, and is updated as needed. The first updates were presented in a special workshop at the 1992 Annual Conference, and additional updates are provided to each member district as applicable. The Model Personnel Manual was completely updated in 2002, and new updates are being made as necessary.

A Board Member Manual has been written by Collins Cockrel & Cole, P.C., for distribution to SDA member districts. James P. Collins discussed this manual and the important policies and issues contained therein at a special workshop at the 1992 Annual Conference, and a completely updated Board Member Manual was discussed and distributed to member districts at the SDA Annual Workshops in 2000.

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