Council authorizes temporary agreement with Sequoyah County for emergency management coverage

Summary

The council authorized a temporary intergovernmental agreement allowing the city’s emergency management officer to provide emergency management services to Sequoyah County while the county hires a permanent director. The county had already approved the agreement; the contract is limited to major disasters and is temporary.

The Tahlequah City Council on Oct. 6 authorized a temporary agreement allowing the city’s emergency management officer to provide emergency management services to Sequoyah County while that county fills a vacant emergency management director post.

City staff said Sequoyah County is without an emergency management director and requested temporary coverage. The county approved the agreement the same day and the mayor signed the document. City staff said the arrangement is temporary and will be used only for major disasters; the county expects to hire a permanent director in three to six weeks.

City staff said Mike, a dual city–county employee, will cover duties under the agreement. Councilors approved the authorization in the meeting without recorded opposition.

The vote authorizes the mayor to sign the intergovernmental agreement and directs city staff to implement the temporary coverage only as needed for declared major incidents. The agreement is limited in time and scope pending the county’s hiring of a full-time emergency management director.