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Home My WebLink About08-17-98 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: Monday, August 17, 1998 TIME: 8:30 a.m. LOCATION: Baldwin Agricultural Center Main Conference Room CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL ADOPTION OF AGENDA DATE OF NEXT MEETING OPEN ACTION ON PREVIOUS MINUTES OLD BUSINESS 1) Cost of Equipment to Complete EOCs (Emergency Operations Centers) 2) Unincorporated County Areas Survey Results NEW BUSINESS 1) 1999 Budget Review 2) Director's Report 3) Approve July Bills 4) Notification Procedure 5) Prairie Island Exercise 6) Presidential Disaster Declaration 7) 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: August 3, 1998 Copies to: County Board Office Committee Members County Clerk News Media/Notice Board MINUTES Emergency Government Committee August 17, 1998 PRESENT: Chuck Mehls, Art Jacobson, John Mortensen, - County Board; Jack Colvard, Pam Benson - Emergency Government; Bruce Brantner - Emergency Communications; Richard Gade - Farm Service Agency; and Chuck Christenson - Land and Water Conservation. Chairman Mehls called the meeting to order at 8:32 a.m. The agenda was adopted on a Jacobson/Mortensen MOTION. The date of the next meeting was set for Tuesday, October 13, 1998 at 9.00 a.m. in the Government Center. Minutes from the July 8, 1998 meeting were approved on a Mortensen/Jacobson MOTION. NEW BUSINESS #5. Prairie Island (Training) Exercise Gade gave a report on the tabletop training exercise he attended with Colvard on July 21st. This exercise concerned a potential release from the Prairie Island Nuclear Power Plant. Discussions were held regarding what actions should be taken to protect the public. Per Gade, more local involvement would have been beneficial, due to the serious consequences if there ever was an actual nuclear release. State personnel from DATCAP (Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection), DHHS (Department of Health and Human Services) and WEM (Wisconsin Emergency Management) led discussions and FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) was there to evaluate the exercise. During an actual nuclear incident, it could be many hours before State personnel would arrive in the area. In the immediate aftermath, local personnel would need to take charge. Many potential problems and concerns were brought up to the State, but few answers were given. After discussion, Mehls requested that Emergency Government contact the State for a copy of FEMA's exercise critique. OLD BUSINESS #1. Equipment needed to Complete the Hudson and Baldwin EOCs (Emergency Operations Centers) Brantner met with Baldwin Telecom, who will be able to upgrade older phones for use in the EOC. The outside connector for the generator is being completed. David Best from Maintenance stated that the existing generator, built in 1956 or 1957, is a single-phase generator and will run the lights and outlets only in the Baldwin Ag Center's Main Conference/Education Room. The boiler could be made operational with the generator, but the boiler pumps used to circulate heat in the building require a 3- phase generator. Discussion followed on moving the County's trailer -mounted generator to the Baldwin Ag Center and storing it there. Brantner identified the equipment needed to complete the County's main EOC located in the Government Center's Community Room: coax cable, antenna, VCR, additional TV and wall mount, public address system, wireless microphone and miscellaneous parts. The additional equipment would also be available for all departments using the Community Room. After discussion, a Jacobson/Mortensen MOTION was approved that Emergency Government purchase equipment and materials necessary to complete the Hudson and Baldwin EOCs with monies from the 1998 budget, if possible. ...Christenson and Gade left the meeting after these two items were discussed... OLD BUSINESS, continued: #2. Unincorporated County Areas Survey Results Mehls showed the Committee survey sheets Ron Volkert (from the Sheriffs Department) returned to him. Per Mehls, approximately 800 people live in nine unincorporated areas of the County. Information from the survey included numbers of: homes, trailer homes, businesses, churches and potential hazardous sites in the unincorporated areas. After discussion, it was decided that Emergency Government should send a copy of the survey to local fire and ambulance services covering those areas. NEW BUSINESS #1. 1999 Budget Review Colvard gave the Committee members copies of the Emergency Government and SARA (Superfund Amendment and Reauthorization Act) budgets. Each budget was reviewed. After discussion, it was concluded that all line items that were increased were due to uncontrollable costs. One item not included in the budget was E-mail. After discussion, a Mortensen/Jacobson MOTION was approved that Emergency Government add E-mail to its budget for $132. Next discussed was new equipment needed. Both computers in the Emergency Government office failed the Y2K (Year 2000) hardware test and will need to be replaced. Per Colvard, one computer can be replaced through an 80/20 grant in 1999; the other will be replaced through a grant in the year 2000. If need be, the office laptop computer can be utilized until a second computer is purchased. After discussion, a Mehls/Jacobson MOTION was approved that the Committee accept both the 1999 Emergency Government and SARA budgets as discussed and revised. #2. Director's Re oorrt, Per Colvard, almost half of this year's department budget (46%) is being reimbursed by grant funding The following handouts were given to Committee members: "Disposal of Storm Damage Waste" (from St. Peter, Minnesota); Milwaukee Journal article on Year 2000 Disaster; memo from James Janke, St. Croix County Resource Agent, regarding the Y2K computer bug; letter to all local elected officials, public non-profit organizations, and school districts regarding reporting storm/disaster damages; and an American Red Cross memo sent out to County emergency response services regarding shelter locations and Red Cross activation policies. The annual Governor's Conference on Emergency Management will be held September 29 and 30 in Milwaukee this year. All Committee members were invited to attend. Colvard stated that there will be a symposium; on the year 2000 for local officials on October 8, 1998. A time and place have not been identified. #3. Approve July lls A copy of the July bills was handed out to Committee members. After review, a Mortensen/Jacobson MOTION approved the July bills. OA #4. Notification Procedure This item was tabled until the next Committee meeting. #5. Prairie Island Exercise This item was covered earlier... #6. Presidential Disaster Declaration Colvard stated that St. Croix County is included in a Presidential Disaster Declaration due to extensive storm damages sustained by St. Croix Electric Cooperative during the July 18-30 storms that struck the County. There was approximately one million dollars in estimated damages. The City of New Richmond is also turning in losses from those storms. St. Croix Electric Cooperative and New Richmond will receive grants funded by FEMA (75%) and the State (12.5%) if their loss documentation is approved by FEMA. V. Public Comments Colvard is getting a cost estimate from Maintenance to update signs at the Government Center to "Emergency Management" as 'Emergency Government" no longer is the official statutory name. First aid training will be held on September 24th at the Baldwin Ag Center. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND CORRESPONDENCE ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 11:00 a.m. on a Jacobson/Mortensen MOTION. Respectfully submitted, � J Arthur Jacobson, Secretary