Liberty County approves emergency shelter agreement with Baldwin County

The Liberty County Board of Commissioners approved an intergovernmental agreement on Thursday to use Baldwin County facilities for emergency sheltering, a measure county emergency-management staff said will be signed by Baldwin County next week.

Emergency management staff reviewed the agreement and told commissioners it updates the sheltering plan the board adopted last year; the state and Baldwin County remain parties to the document. Staff said the Red Cross, Department of Public Health and United Way had been removed from the signature block because those organizations provide their own shelter plans as attachments rather than signing the county-state plan.

The agreement identifies a Baldwin County facility with capacity for 397 people; staff said the county anticipates evacuating about 150 people in a typical event to that site. The county will use school buses to move evacuees, staff said.

Commissioner Frazier made the motion to approve the agreement; Commissioner Stevens seconded. Commissioners voted to approve the intergovernmental agreement. Staff planned to travel to Baldwin County for the Baldwin board's Tuesday meeting to complete their signatures.

Commissioners and staff said they hope not to use the plan but emphasized the need to have arrangements in place during hurricane season and other emergencies.