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Home My WebLink About07-08-98 Emergency Government CommitteeST. CROIX COUNTY NOTICE OF COMMITTEE MEETING TO: Thomas Dorsey, Chairman St. Croix County Board FROM: Charles P. Mehls, Chairman COMMITTEE TITLE: Emergency Government Committee DATE OF MEETING: Wednesday, July 8, 1998 TIME: 8:30 a.m. LOCATION: Baldwin Agricultural Center Main Conference Room CALL TO ORDER R ROLL CALL ADOPTION OF AGENDA DATE OF NEXT MEETING OPEN ACTION ON PREVIOUS MINUTES NEW BUSINESS 1) Shelter Plan/Procedures for Baldwin Ag Center 2) EOC Equipment 3) First Aid Training 4) Director's Report 5) Approve June Bills 6) Survey of "At -Risk" Areas in County 7) Mutual Aid Notification 8) Jail Salvage 9) Public Comments ANNOUNCEMENTS AND CORRESPONDENCE POSSIBLE AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING: ADJOURNMENT (Agenda not necessarily presented in this order) SUBMITTED BY: Jack Colvard, Emergency Government PHONE #386-4719/386-4718 DATE: June 25, 1998 Copies to: County Board Office Committee Members County Clerk News Media/Notice Board MINUTES Emergency Government Committee July 8, 1998 PRESENT: Chuck Mehls, Art Jacobson, John Mortensen, - County Board; Jack Colvard, Pam Benson - Emergency Government; Bruce Brantner - Emergency Communications and Chuck Christenson - Land and Water Conservation. Chairman Mehls called the meeting to order at 8:39 a.m. The agenda was adopted on a Mortensen/Jacobson MOTION. Minutes from the June 3, 1998 meeting were approved on a Jacobson/Mortensen MOTION. NEW BUSINESS #1. Shelter Plan/Procedures for Baldwin Ag Center A letter requesting Emergency Government's assistance in developing a shelter and evacuation plan for the Baldwin Agricultural Service and Education Center was shown to Committee members. Per Richard Gade, Executive Director of the Farm Service Agency, procedure requires that USDA Service Centers develop and post a plan. After discussion, a. Jacobson/Mortensen MOTION was approved that Emergency Government assist in this planning. #2. EOC (EmergencQperations Center) Equipment The Committee looked over the Main Conference Room in the Baldwin Ag Center to see how it was equipped as an alternate EOC. Per Brantner there are 14 phone jacks in the Conference Room, all using a digital PBX system. Brantner will work with Baldwin Telecom to see if the existing phones in the Government Center EOC could be transported and used in Baldwin. A County -owned stand-by generator, is on a trailer at the Village of Baldwin wastewater treatment plant and could be brought over for use. The hook-up for this needs to be completed. There are quite a few marker boards on the walls, as the room is equipped for teaching, but there are no office supplies in the Conference Room. Per Christenson, there are TVs and VCRs in the building, used for training. However, an outside antenna and/or cable is needed for normal reception, particularly for weather information. Currently, if the generator was hooked up to the;Ag Center the lights and outlets only in the Conference Room would be operational. There would be no heat or cooling in the room. Brantner will work with David Best in Maintenance to see if the generator could also operate the boiler for heat to that room. Colvard asked who is the keyholder for the Baldwin Ag Center and that will need to be checked out. ...A short break was taken at 9:20 a.m. The meeting resumed at 9:25 a.m... After further discussion regarding the Baldwin alternate EOC, a Mehls/Mortensen MOTION was approved that the Committee determine the total cost to equip/complete both the Hudson EOC and the alternate Baldwin EOC, so that amount can be included in the '99 budget. Brantner said a UHF radio can be used for communication between the Baldwin Ag Center and the St. Croix County Dispatch. Also discussed was possibly having municipalities purchase UHF radios for alternate communications, in the event of a disaster. #3. First Aid Training Two letters were received from the Land and Water Conservation Department requesting first aid training for staff due to the number of staff and visitors on -site each day. Per Christenson, some personnel have had training, but not all. Colvard stated that there is money in the budget to cover that training. After discussion, a Mortensen/Jacobson MOTION was approved that Emergency Government ask Personnel to send a letter out offering First Aid training in Baldwin to employees at the Baldwin Ag Center. Other employees in the area could be invited to attend. #4. Director's Rem Colvard gave the Committee members copies of a letter that is being sent to the Regional Office regarding the work done in the past quarter, April through June, 1998. Next discussed were the number of courses held this past quarter and scheduled to be held during the present quarter. To date this year more than $16,000 in training awards has-been given to St. Croix County. Colvard, Brantner, and Mehls plan on attending a State -offered course on terrorism later this month. Rooms are paid for by the State. Other information hand-outs included: A new toll -free emergency sheet for spills and an updated memo on how to obtain the National Guard's assistance during an emergency. Damage reporting and assessment after a disaster.were next discussed. Colvard received notice yesterday that a local electric co-op had approximately $73,000 in losses from a June 26th storm. Per Colvard, normally the State requires an initial report of storm damages within 24 hours after a storm. He will be turning in a report to the State regarding the co-op's damages. Also discussed were what exactly would be covered if the County would be included in a Presidential Disaster Declaration. Public/Municipal/School/Co-op losses included under a Disaster Declaration are the following (if uninsured only ): debris clearance, overtime hours and benefits, equipment damaged, road system repairs, bridges, culverts, public buildings, and park damages. Most assistance from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) after storm losses when a Presidential Disaster has been declared consists of grants and low cost loans. After discussion, a Mehls/Mortensen MOTION was approved that Emergency Government send a letter out to all municipalities, school districts, and co-ops within the County with information regarding reporting damages after a storm. Colvard also showed the Committee a letter this office received from the State, requesting that Emergency Government mail out a training needs assessment to all public services within the County. The department's postage budget for '99 may need to be increased as a result. #5. Approve June Bills Following discussion, a Jacobson/Mortensen MOTION approved the June bills. #6. Survey of "At -Risk" Areas in County_ Mehls showed the Committee a draft memo and survey he wrote to Ron Volkert, Chief Deputy in the Sheriff's Department. In it, Mehls proposed that officers may be able to assist Emergency Government in determining the number of homes/businesses/schools, etc. in unincorporated areas of the County. V. Mutual Aid Notification Mehls spoke briefly regarding possible mutual aid notification through dispatch. Colvard stated that 2 liability issues will need to be gone over with local municipalities. #8. Jail Salvage Mehls stated that revamping of the jail panels will start this fall. Mehls will keep in touch with Karen Humphrey regarding possible equipment that could be used in one of the County EOCs. #9. Public Comments Per Mehls, Bob Emberger from the RACES (amateur radio club) talked to him regarding equipment needs. This will be an agenda item for the next User Board Committee meeting. Christenson spoke regarding an upcoming study being requested for several Glenwood City dams. He may be asking Emergency Government to write Emergency Action Plans on those dams in the future. NEXT MEETING The next meeting will also be held in the Baldwin Ag Center. No date has been set. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND CORRESPONDENCE ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 11:20 a.m. on a Jacobson/Mehls MOTION. Respectfully submitted, A�✓y Arthur Jacobson, ecretary