Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Emergency Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council weighs full-time emergency manager after staff cites over 2,000 hours of emergency-management needs
Summary
Staff said ongoing emergency-management work totals roughly 2,000 hours with 683 billed so far for consultants; council asked staff to explore a full-time town employee, consultant options, and cost-sharing with the Fire District and neighboring Los Altos, and to return with funding and partnership proposals.
City staff told the council that emergency-management responsibilities—prevention and mitigation, preparedness (EOC readiness, training), response coordination and grant administration—now constitute ongoing, repetitive work beyond the capacity of a part-time consultant. The city manager reviewed a list of deliverables and estimated over 2,000 hours of work had been identified, of which approximately 683 hours have been billed by the current consultant.
"We need someone to be able to manage that project," the city manager said, framing the job as a lead project-management role that coordinates county partners, grants, volunteers and the EPRC. Staff proposed hiring a full-time employee aligned near the Assistant to the City Manager pay grade (fully burdened rate near the top end ~ $250,000) and noted that typical consultant rates are $150–$200 per hour.
Public commenters from the Emergency Preparedness and Response Committee and residents urged a full-time position and emphasized the value of a local staff member to coordinate volunteers and ongoing grants. Several council members supported the need but asked staff to investigate cost-sharing options with the Los Altos Hills County Fire District and a potential shared position with the city of Los Altos. Staff was also asked to search for grant funding that could offset salary costs.
Council direction: staff will explore partnership and cost-share opportunities with the Fire District and Los Altos, evaluate grant sources to fund the position, and return with refined job-description, budget, and procurement options at the next meeting.
