Melrose Select Board Approves 60 Percent Workers' Comp Premium Increase

MELROSE — March 17, 2022 — Melrose Select Board approves 60 percent workers' comp hike and new building inspector contract. The board unanimously approved renewing the city's workers' compensation insurance at a total premium of $113,139 — a roughly 60 percent increase attributed to a higher experience modification rate from recent large claims and a regional surge in municipal PTSD claims — with the general fund share set at $88,411. Before voting to approve a new one-year contract with Inspectron Incorporated, which acquired the previous building inspection firm, one council member cited two complaints about "disrespect towards the person" and flagged unusual structural engineer certification requirements being imposed on local projects, prompting discussion about inviting the new vendor to a future meeting. The board also unanimously approved Resolution 2022-19 authorizing an application to the Minnesota DNR Outdoor Recreation Grant program for a Sauk River Park campground expansion featuring 18 new electrified campsites and a renovated 550-square-foot bathroom facility, with a target opening of the 2023 season.