HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-10-98 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: Tuesday, November 10, 1998
TIME: 9:00 a.m.
LOCATION: Baldwin Ag Center
CALL TO ORDER
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ROLL CALL
ADOPTION OF AGENDA
DATE OF NEXT MEETING OPEN
ACTION ON PREVIOUS MINUTES
OLD BUSINESS
1) Emergency Operations Center -Baldwin
NEW BUSINESS
1) County -Owned Generator
2) Y2K (Year 2000) Concerns and Issues'Jim Janke
3) Director's Report
4) Approve October Bills
5) 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 #3864719/3864718
DATE: October 26, 1998
Copies to: County Board Office `. Committee Members
County Clerk News Media/Notice Board
MINUTES
Emergency Government Committee
November 10, 1998
PRESENT: Tom Dorsey, Chuck Mehls, Art Jacobson, John Mortensen, - County Board; Jack Colvard,
Pam Benson - Emergency Government; Bruce Brantner - Emergency Communications; Chuck Christenson, Land
and Water Conservation; Jim Janke, UW Extension; Don McGee, John Traxler, Cynthia Deringer, Village of
Baldwin.
Chairman Mehls called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. All introduced themselves to each other. The agenda
was adopted on a Mortensen/Jacobson MOTION. The next meeting will be held Friday, November 13, 1998
at 9.00 a.m. in the Government Center. After discussion, Minutes from the October 13, 1998 meeting were
approved on a Jacobson/Mortensen MOTION.
OLD BUSINESS/NEW BUSINESS
#1. Emergency Operations Center - Baldwin / County -Owned Generator
Mehls spoke regarding the Baldwin Ag Center being the County's alternate EOC (Emergency Operations
Center) and the lack of a back-up electrical power supply to the building. Discussion focused on the
County -owned generator currently being stored at the Baldwin wastewater treatment plant. The
possibility of this generator being used as a back-up power source was then discussed.
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Colvard next invited Baldwin officials to a training session which will be held for Baldwin and the
surrounding area early in 1999. Two of these training exercises have been held in 1998, for public
officials in the Hudson and New Richmond area. The purpose of these training exercises is to support
public officials in their emergency planning.
Next brought up by Mehls was who the keyholders to the Baldwin Ag Center are. He stated that the fire
department does have a key, as well as County employees and maintenance.
9:40 a.m. Baldwin personnel left after discussion of these two agenda items...
NEW BUSINESS, continued
#2. Y2K (Year 2000) Concerns and Issues
Jim Janke stated that computer technology controls a lot of day-to-day things most people don't realize,
including household necessities (such as heat, electricity, sewer systems). He has been collecting quite
a bit of information on Year 2000 potential problems and handed out several articles to Committee
members.
Per Colvard, County computers have been tested for Year 2000 problems, however, local governments
and agencies may not realize that there is a potential problem and may not have tested their computers
to see that they will work correctly on January 1, 2000.
After discussion, Janke and Colvard will work on sending out information to local municipalities and
agencies regarding potential Y2K problems.
Janke left the meeting after this agenda item...
#3. Director's Report
104 State training needs assessment surveys were sent out to local public officials and emergency
responders in the County. The survey results will be used to determine what classes will be funded
and/or presented in the coming year(s). If there is enough local interest some courses may be offered
locally.
Colvard read excerpts to the Committee from the State's West Central area meeting Minutes which
commended this County's nursing home planning and public official training exercises.
The new EMI (Emergency Management Institute) course book was shown to Committee members as well
as a recently received list of State -offered courses.
Next discussed was a recent incident where Colvard responded to a hazardous material spill at the request
of the River Falls Fire Department. He was able to drive past roadblocks only because local responders
recognized him. After discussion, a Mortensen/Jacobson MOTION was approved that Emergency
Government order a magnetic amber light for the Director to use on his vehicle when responding to an
incident.
All municipal and agency training costs from FFY (Federal Fiscal Year) 1998 ($13,801) have been
reimbursed to the County by the State.
#4. Approve August and September Bills
A copy of the October bills was handed out to Committee members. After review, a Mortensen/Jacobson
MOTION approved those bills.
#5. Public Comments ;, ,
Jacobson stated that the Baldwin Hospital will be purchasing a new back-up generator and the previously
used one may be available. This generator is automatic, and would start up without being manually
hooked up, an important feature if the electrical power would go out on a week -end or evening. Dorsey
mentioned that a local farmer had an automatic generator on his hog farm.
Christenson next spoke regarding the ten County -owned dams in the Glenwood City area. Several dams
have had repair work completed recently. Once reports are submitted by the DNR to the State, the
County should have up-to-date flood plain mappigg designations in that area. Colvard will be working
with Christenson on updating four of the dam EAPs (Emergency Action Plans). Six additional EAPs will
need to be written for the remaining six dams.
ANNOUNCEMENTS AND CORRESPONDENCE
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 11:23 a.m. on a Jacobson/Mortensen MOTION.
Respectfully submitted,
Arthur Jacobso , Secretary
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