City of Las Vegas lends logo to sewer line insurer

If you get mail with the Las Vegas city logo on it, city hall may not be the sender.
The city of Las Vegas has inked an agreement with Service Line Warranties of America that allows the company to use the city’s logo for mailings touting its sewer line insurance program. The program, also associated with the National League of Cities, insures sewer lines that extend from residential properties within Las Vegas city limits.
Las Vegas property owners are responsible for sewer lines extending from their homes to the main sewer line, which is often in the middle of the street. As a result, they are on the hook for any necessary repairs to their sewer lines even if it’s outside their property boundaries in right-of-way areas.
There’s no obligation to buy the insurance, which costs $7.50 a month, or $6.75 if homeowners sign up within 60 days.
“The city saw this as an opportunity to make available to citizens an option to purchase insurance to cover the costly repair of sewer laterals, which are currently the residents’ responsibility,” city spokesman Jace Radke said in an email.
Information about the program started heading to mailboxes on Friday.

In exchange for letting Service Line Warranties of America affix the city seal to its mailings, the company is paying Las Vegas a $74,187 brand license fee, under its three-year agreement with the city. The city also gets 10 percent of the revenue the company receives from Las Vegas homeowners signing up for the program.
Of course, the company is hoping people are more likely to read their mail instead of ditch it when they see the city seal.
“It’s a real challenge if it comes out as junk mail,” said Jeffrey Olson, regional manager Service Line Warranties. “If it comes out with a Las Vegas seal on it, they read it, typically.”
The program has a $4,000 cap on repairs needed within property boundaries and another $4,000 cap on repairs made in the right-of-way areas, including the street.
About 170 municipalities nationally participate in the program, he said. The company is currently exploring the prospect of offering the program in North Las Vegas.
For more information, call Service Line Warranties of America at (866) 922-9006 or visit www.slwofa.com.

Contact reporter Ben Botkin at bbotkin@reviewjournal.com or 702-405-4519.