Portage council declines proposed shared emergency-management position with Kalamazoo County

The Portage City Council voted on Oct. 21 to not approve a proposed agreement that would have established a shared emergency-management staff position split evenly between the City of Portage and Kalamazoo County.

City Manager Pat McGinnis summarized background: the city previously used a half-time shared employee to provide emergency-management planning and inspections, but recruitment for a part-time replacement has been difficult. The proposed approach combined half-time Portage and half-time county funding to create a full-time combined position intended to attract qualified professionals; the draft agreement would have included a 90-day opt-out clause.

Council debate was wide-ranging. Supporters said the shared position would improve planning capacity without the cost of a full-time city hire and noted the importance of preparedness after recent weather events. Opponents raised concerns about accountability and the county’s ability to direct the shared employee—for example, whether the employee would report primarily to county management and whether that would impair Portage’s control during local incidents. Members also worried about state/federal grant implications, the county’s resource levels for emergency management and the potential that the county would use more than its 50% share of the employee’s time.

Dr. Pearson moved to not approve the proposed shared arrangement; the motion carried on a roll-call vote with a majority of council members supporting the denial. Several council members suggested addressing emergency-management resourcing more comprehensively at an upcoming retreat and exploring the option of a Portage-controlled full-time emergency-manager position if the budget permits.