Council authorizes interlocal to use county emergency-management office space for fire marshal, health inspectors and emergency management

Chuck Blumenauer, the city's managing director of public safety, presented a plan to relocate the fire marshal's office, environmental health inspectors and the public-health preparedness coordinator into county-owned office space in the Midland County Sheriff's Office emergency wing. Blumenauer said the county purchased the facility for its own expansion and is allowing the city to use one of the identical wings at no monthly rent; the only anticipated city costs are IT and connectivity.

Blumenauer told council the arrangement will relieve cramped office conditions at Central Fire and the health department, improve emergency-management collaboration by providing proximate meeting and EOC (Emergency Operations Center) space, and create operational efficiencies such as consolidating food-truck permitting into a one-stop process. He described the existing permitting process as fragmented and inconvenient for vendors; the proposed co-location would permit a single weekly permitting appointment for health and fire-inspection needs.

Council members praised the county for purchasing and offering the facility and said the space will improve cross-jurisdictional emergency preparedness. The item passed unanimously.

Staff said the space includes multiple cubicles and offices, is fully furnished, and offers ample parking for vendors and staff. The county's emergency-management personnel and the city will be in close proximity to the sheriff's office, which officials said strengthens response capabilities during emergencies.