Council committee approves $100,000 transfer to pay consultant for draft emergency plan; consultants present draft and answer procurement questions
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Summary
Budget & Finance voted to send a $100,000 appropriation transfer to the full council to pay Golden Thread Agency for a draft emergency management plan. Consultants presented a base plan with department annexes and a five‑hazard focus; councilors asked for RFP documentation, invoices and clarifying procurement materials before final approval.
The Budget & Finance Committee voted Jan. 28 to forward a $100,000 transfer to the full council to pay Golden Thread Agency for the preparation of a draft city emergency management plan. The committee also requested the RFP, evaluation materials, and the consultant invoices be included in the full‑council packet.
Administration said the work responds to a prior council directive to complete a comprehensive plan before hiring an emergency management director. Fire Chief Patrick Delaney, who participated in the project, described the document as a base plan that remains stable and department annexes that specify operational roles — "who does what, when, with what resources" — and allow departments to develop annex‑level procedures.
Karen Martin, founder of Golden Thread Agency, and Sean Martin (project lead) said the deliverables shared via OneDrive include a 38‑page base plan, multiple department annexes and hazard annexes. They said they prioritized five hazards—active shooter, hazardous materials incidents, large‑scale fires (conflagration), flooding, and winter storms—based on a department‑wide survey. The consultants emphasized the plan is meant to be a living framework and recommended that department heads develop SOPs, run exercises and add hazard annexes (for example, a gas‑explosion annex) as needed.
Councilors pressed procurement details: one councilor said online searches did not show Golden Thread Agency as a municipal emergency‑planning consultant and asked how the firm was selected. Administration said a city RFP and selection process occurred, that multiple firms responded, and that procurement documents and selection scoring will be provided to the full council. Committee members also requested the invoices supporting tonight’s request; administration acknowledged the invoices should have been in the packet and said they will be supplied.
Why it matters: A citywide emergency plan sets roles, communication lines and operational annexes for hazards that can disrupt public safety and infrastructure. The committee’s vote forwards payment for work already completed and asks for procurement transparency before final council action.
What’s next: The committee forwarded the transfer with a recommendation and asked staff to include the RFP, scoring documents and invoices with the item at the full council meeting.
