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Commissioners repeal temporary burn ban and discuss emergency communications gaps
Summary
After a recommendation from Mister Sheets to lift the burn ban, commissioners moved to repeal ordinance 2024-21. The board then discussed difficulties reaching residents during the ban and asked staff and the sheriff to research emergency-notification options beyond newspapers and radio.
Mister Sheets recommended lifting the county's burn ban, citing improved conditions. Commissioners moved to repeal the temporary ordinance (identified in the meeting as ordinance 2024-21) and the motion passed by voice vote.
Following the repeal, commissioners discussed challenges in notifying residents about the ban while it was in effect. Staff reviewed prior tools — including Everbridge, which county staff said previously cost about $12,000 per year and required cell-phone sign-up for text messages — and noted limited uptake among cell users. Commissioners and staff discussed alternatives such as geofencing services that can push alerts to all phones in an area and the potential role of local news outlets and the EMA; staff said they would research options and work with the sheriff.
Commissioners emphasized they did not want to overuse emergency alerts for items that do not meet the threshold for immediate widespread notification, but they asked staff to explore better ways to reach residents about county emergencies and time-sensitive ordinances in the future.
