Custer County ratifies Emergency Management Performance Grant application covering half of emergency-management positions

On Jan. 9 the Custer County Board of Commissioners ratified signatures and approved the county’s Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) application, a routine grant administered through the state that typically offsets roughly 50% of emergency management staffing costs.

Staff explained the EMPG supports about 50% of the emergency manager director position and 50% of a part-time emergency management staff member; the county match was described as the remaining 50% and the corresponding budgeted amount was stated during the meeting. A figure of $55,595 was mentioned as the county’s share already included in the budget. Board members said this grant is a standard, recurring part of county emergency-management funding.

Ratification: The board moved to approve the EMPG application and to ratify signatures that had been obtained on earlier dates. Commissioners voted “aye” and the chair declared the motion carried.

Details and next steps: Staff said approving and ratifying the application will allow the county to continue using grant support for emergency-management staffing and to apply the county match already included in the FY2025 budget. The board did not discuss any changes to the emergency-management staffing structure at the meeting.

Ending: The board approved ratification and the county will proceed with the grant as previously planned.