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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEmergency Management & Communications 10-22-08 AMENDED NOTICE OF MEETING AND AGENDA ST. CROIX COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE October 22, 2008 —9:00 a.m. .NOTE: Committee will meet at the Government Center, Community Room Hudson, WI 54016 CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS DATE OF NEXT MEETING OLD AND NEW BUSINESS 1. Emergency Service Agency Representative's Concerns and Issues A. Sheriffs Dept. B. Municipal Law Enforcement C. Fire Services D. EMS Services E. Public Health 2. Communications Center Headsets 3. Communications Center 911 Phone Maintenance 4. * *Communications Center Wireless 911 Grant 5. Director's Report — Emergency Management A. 2008 Plan of Work - Letter to the state B. FFY 09 Requested training to date C. 2008 Budget Update D. 2009 Budget Update E. Update on Current Grants 6. Director's Report — Emergency Communications A. Staffing Update B. 2008 Budget Update C. 2009 Budget Update 7. Committee Chairman's Comments ADJOURN (Items may be taken in different order) ** Additions /Changes /Corrections Items for County Board approval must be submitted to the County Clerk's office by Wednesday morning preceding a County Board meeting. 10/20/2008 9:01 AM MINUTES — OFFICIAL Emergency Management and Communications Committee OCTOBER 22, 2008 PRESENT: John Borup, Julie Speer, Roger Rebholz, Dave Ostness, John Mortensen - County Board; Casey Swetlik - Emergency Communications; Jack Colvard Emergency Management; John Shilts, Jeff Klatt, Kristen Anderson— SCC Sheriff's Dept.; Doug Briggs— Somerset PD; Chuck Whiting— Administrative Coordinator; Carlene Jensen — Salvation Army; Ed Thurman — Public Health. Excused: Craig Nelson Chair Borup called the meeting to order at 9:05 a.m. The 9/8/2008 Minutes were approved on an Ostness /Rebholz MOTION. DATE OF NEXT MEETING: NOVEMBER 12, 2008 @10:00 a.m. ST. CROIX COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER, Community Room EMERGENCY SERVICE AGENCY REPRESENTATIVE'S CONCERNS AND ISSUES A. Sheriff s Dept. — Shilts informed that Digital Video Recorders for the Jail will be processed through the Wireless 911 Grant. Chair Borup asked about Sheriff s Dept. Budget; Shilts commented that the Capital Outlay, vehicles, equipment, one position, and a security officer's position are affected. Colvard informed that a Homeland Security Round 5 Equipment Grant is coming and will allow purchasing of portable radios for security officers and mobile radios for cars. This is a 75/25 grant. B. Municipal Law Enforcement — Briggs inquired about the EOC Operations Class and other State - sponsored classes upcoming. Colvard explained that an EOC Operations Class will be held 11/18/08 in New Richmond. Another EOC Operations Class will be held 1/20 &21/09 in Turtle Lake, WI. A NIMS ICS /EOC class will be held on 1/22/09 in Turtle Lake, WI. Colvard has given all members of this Committee handouts concerning these classes. C. Fire Services — Not in attendance. D. EMS Services — Excused. Colvard and Ostness addressed the Inventory of Trailers. One trailer is in New Richmond, Baldwin, and Hudson. They are maintained by each municipality's ambulance director. The inventory and rotating of outdated supplies has not been done yet, as Colvard is aware of Colvard would like a letter sent to each EMS Chief addressing this issue. Colvard has applied and been approved for a Homeland Security grant in the amount of $30.922 to resupply and add to these trailers. A Rebholz / Ostness MOTION was made for Colvard to send this letter. E. Public Health — Thurman reported that PH has been working with Emergency Communications setting up a phone bank system which would route calls in a PH emergency situation. PH has viewed a Mass Clinic video which focuses on the Special Needs population and addresses their needs. PH asked EM to assist with gaining experience in the use of hand -held radios. Rassbach Company has agreed to let the County use several citizens band radios. Public Health staff is trained in NIMS 800. Thurman reported that he will be giving a press release concerning positive rabid bats; Baldwin had an incident. Thurman also reported that the public now has only one point of entry at the Health and Human Services Bldg. COMMUNICATIONS CENTER HEADSETS Swetlik explained, along with a handout, that the vendor this department has been using for the past 14 years for headsets has closed their doors without notice. Swetlik estimates that headset supplies that he has on hand will last until February or March of 2009. Swetlik explained that his 2008 budget can support this purchase; this is not a budgeted item for 2009. Swetlik explained that the approximate cost of new headsets is $7,500. Swetlik explained that through the Wireless 911 Grant, fifty percent of this cost could be reimbursed if he purchased prior to the sunset of this grant, which is November, 2008. The PSC cannot commit to reimbursing this purchase, but it is a qualifying item. A MOTION by Ostness /Speer supports ordering of these supplies in 2008. COMMUNICATIONS CENTER 911 PHONE MAINTANCE Swetlik explained, along with a handout, the 911 Phone Maintenance Contract. This is actually a computer maintenance contract, which allows a pledged response from of two hours or less in the event of a 911 failure. This maintenance contract ended with Bearcom August, 2008. Swetlik received a quote from Bearcom for another maintenance contract for one year, which is $21,677. This money is in place in the 2009 budget. Another company, IES can also offer maintenance for the phone system. Swetlik advised that there were four components to the maintenance agreement: 1) Pledged response time in the event of a catastrophic failure, 2) Software maintenance and upgrades, 3) Hardware maintenance, and 4) Mapping and Statistical system maintenance and upgrades. All of these components were covered with the Bearcom quote. IES is able to provide coverage through December of 2011 with a quote of $21,488.39 for the software and pledged response time. This means that there could be additional out of pocket expense in the event of a hardware, mapping or statistical failure. The $21,488.39 quote also matches the amount that will be infused in the 2008 budget from the wireless 911 grant reimbursement. A MOTION by Rebholz /Speer to approve the maintenance agreement with IES for the 911 phone system with payment taken from the 2008 budget. Discussion on how this will allow for $21,677 to be removed from the 2009 budget. Swetlik also explained that he has been participating in meetings that involve the drafting of proposed legislation that will allow for the majority of costs associated with the 911 - Center's operation to be covered by the 911 surcharge fee that already appears on a customer's phone bill. Swetlik explained that current surcharge goes directly to the phone companies. The legislation would allow for an increase of the current surcharge and allow for the majority of the Center's costs to be reclaimed through a noncompetitive grant process and removed from the levy. The Public Service Commission would be the governing body of this process. The proposed legislation is in the draft stage and the process consists of several representative 911 Centers (St. Croix County being one) as well as telephone companies and the Public Service Commission. Discussion related to concerns over money being paid by St. Croix County residents being placed in a pool for other counties to use. Swetlik advised that Minnesota has had a similar process in place for recouping 911 costs for many years and Illinois has recently passed a similar bill. Swetlik advised that Wisconsin was one of only three states without this type of legislation. Continued discussion with the Committee deciding that Swetlik should continue to participate in the drafting process and bring information back. COMMUNICATIONS CENTER WIRELESS 911 GRANT The Wireless 911 Grant includes funding for security equipments directly related to the safety of the 911 center and staff. Because the PSC changed from a line -item cap to an overall grant cap, EC will be reimbursed for 50% of the costs associated with the latest enhancement to County's security equipment. Swetlik will also attempt to recover a portion of the costs associated with previous headset repairs, CAD maintenance as well as the Digital video recorders for the Sheriff's Dept. DIRECTOR'S REPORT — EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT Colvard explained that two times a year he needs to report to the State summarizing his Plan of Work accomplishments. Committee members received a copy of the 2008 second -half Plan of Work Letter. Colvard gave a summary of all open grants. The County will receive approximately $104,000 in pending grants. Colvard explained that all his training either by himself or WITC is State - approved and 100 percent reimbursable. 2008 and 2009 budget figures were a handout for Committee members. Colvard's 2009 operations budget has not increased within the last five years. DIRECTOR'S REPORT — EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS Swetlik informed that there is one full -time dispatcher position open which is currently being posted within the union. He hopes to fill this position as soon as possible. There is another 0.7 FTE position open which will not be filled until April of May of 2009. This will allow for approximately $10,000 to be removed from his 2009 budget in an effort to help balance the overall budget. Swetlik supports the later starting by recognizing that activity in the Comm. Center isn't typically as high from January — April verses the summer months. Swetlik explained that his 2008 budget is currently at 70% verses estimated 75 %. He is confident in his 2008 budget, and the 2008 budget will have a surplus of approximately $50,000. Swetlik commented that the 2009 budget will be less approximately $32,000 because of the late starting of this dispatcher position and the withdrawing of $21,677 for the 911 phone maintenance contract. SHORT AND LONG TERM GOALS Whiting stated that the 2009 budget is close to being balanced. There are still a few unbudgeted items being considered. Finance will finalize the budget on 11 -6 -2008. COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN'S COMMENTS Borup attended the WCA Conference; Borup commented that it was "excellent ". This conference also addressed interoperability issues. Mortensen and Borup will review and approve next month's bills at 9:30 a.m. For next month's agenda item: EM Director's Contract The meeting adjourned at 10:33 a.m. Recording Secretary Emergency Mgmt. Administrative Secretary