Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-27-2001 Meeting I Pl[BLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE COMMITTEE ROOM - August 27, 2001 1:30P.M. PRESENT: M. Williams, Co-Chairman, J. Brigham, S. Shepard, members, Commissioners H. Brigham, A. Cheek, W. Mays; W. Hornsby, Deputy Administrator, J. Wall, Attorney, D. Williams, Interim Comptroller, T. Allen, IT, Chief C. Scott, Fire Dept., D. Dlugolenski, EMA, L. Bonner, Clerk of Commission. ABSENT: Mayor B. Young, Commissioner L. Beard. MEDIA: S. Eidson, metro Spirit, H. C. Williams, Augusta Chronicle, G. Eskola, Channel 6. Provide progress report on identifying requirements for a Community Emergency Notification System and discuss procurement plan to implement an affordable, effective and efficient system throughout Augusta Richmond County. I Mr. Dlugolenski: At a previous Public Safety meeting this Committee validated the requirement and need for what is called an Emergency Notification System. In light of recent circumstances, due to two releases from two chemical plants a communication committee was formed comprised of myself, IT, all the different public safety organizations. At that meeting we decided to develop a RFP or RFQ that will be sent to 10 vendors. The request will be due back in by September 20. The committee will then meet and review the qualifications and rank the vendors according to qualification. This system will provide a greater capability and foresight in reducing the communities risk to future disasters. This system will provide the speed, flexibility, reliability, and affordability to notify hundreds of people every single minute and provide them with the essential and critical elements of information to save lives and protect property. No funds are being requested at this time. The EMA is aggressively working with the private sector to develop partnerships to offset the total cost for this system. However, if local the local private funds are not available, the anticipated first year total program costs should not exceed $50,000 and cost to renew will be approximately $20,000 per year. In two weeks we'll also have the capability to override the television stations in any emergency right from my office. I Mr. Cheek: To follow along with that SRP has a memorandum of agreement with Richmond County and several of the surrounding counties is planning on rolling out publicly its wind system which is a $400,000 set of wind towers located at four of the chemical sites throughout the county. In conjunction with our reverse 9-1-1 system we can literally clock a release from a given time, calculate the plume or the puff, the distance, the speed that it's traveling and the concentration and with the new reverse 9-1- I system notify people of a release in under three minutes. They're planning on coming before us around September 17 and they will be requesting this through their public relations channel. Mr. Brigham: So move we receive this as information. Mr. Shepard: Second. Motion carried unanimously. I Report from Commissioner Cheek regarding mosquito control. At this time Mr. Cheek gives a report on mosquito control and the lack of funding from the Health Department. Mr. Shepard: So move to receive this as information and that we refer this to the Administrator for budgetary consideration. Mr. Brigham: Second. Motion carried unanimously. Report from the Administrator regarding the status of the recruitment process of the Augusta Fire Chief's position. (Requested by Commissioner J. Brigham) Mr. Kolb: We received about 50 application for the position of Fire Chief. We have narrowed it down considerably and we're in the process of interviewing potential candidates. Hopefully you'll have the recommendation sometime in September. Mr. Brigham: Will we be interviewing 3 candidates in September? I Mr. Kolb: No, the plan is for me to make a recommendation. Mr. Brigham: Is that the ordinance, Mr. Wall? Mr. Wall: The Administrator is the one to make the recommendation. It's not required under the ordinance to interview three candidates. Mr. Williams: The Administrator making a recommendation to us is one thing, but I think we should have at least two other choices. Mr. Wall: The Commission will have to decide the process. The ordinance provides that the Administrator recommends the department head. The state law mandates that the names 0 f the top 3 candidates be released at least 14 days prior to the hiring and that would apply to a department director. So you would know some information about the top three candidates. Mr. Shepard: So move to receive this as information. Mr. Brigham: Second. Motion carried unanimously. I I Provide update of the filming of the Commission meetings. (Deferred from August 13 Public Safety meeting) Mr. Wall: I met with Mr. Hewitt and it was his recommendation that we outsource the filming of the Commission meetings to Comcast and I am in agreement with that. The recommendation is to outsource. The question is really an open records question as far as whether or not that information would be accessible by the public. I think it probably is an open records but we still think it would facilitate things to have the outsourcing of the Commission meetings avail ourselves to the savings and also let Comcast deal with those request. Mr. Brigham: So move to approve the outsourcing to Comcast. Mr. Shepard: Second. Mr. Brigham: I think as part ofthe contract we should include that the open records law be followed. And as a matter ofthe contract the films are made available to the public. Mr. Williams: What will the cost be? I Mr. Hewitt: As we discussed at the last meeting the consensus then was due to the cost savings involved that Comcast would be awarded and the additional verbiage could be added. The cost savings would come from them having the right equipment. The cap will be $1,800 a year. Motion carried unanimously. ADJOURNMENT: With no further business to discuss the meeting was adjourned. Lena J. Bonner Clerk of Commission Ibb I PUBLIC SAFETY . AGENDA COMMITTEE ROOM - August 27, 200 I 1:30P. M. I. Provide progress report on identifying requirements for a Community Emergency Notification System and discuss procurement plan to implement an affordable, effective and efficient system throughout Augusta Richmond County. 2. Report from Commissioner Cheek regarding mosquito control. 3. Report from the Administrator regarding the status of the recruitment process of the Augusta Fire Chiefs position. (Requested by Commissioner J. Brigham) 4. Provide update of the filming of the Commission meetings. (Deferred from August 13 Public Safety meeting) - -