Emergency manager outlines flood response, training and public meeting; EMPG reimbursements still frozen

Boyd White, identified in the meeting as the Emergency Management Agency director, briefed the commission on recovery work from the recent winter-storm and flood events. White said the EMPG grant that helps fund part of his position has not started reimbursements because of litigation over a federal fiscal start-date change, and staff have not yet been able to file reimbursements for work since July 1. He also described ongoing hazard-mitigation, scoping and training work, the status of the Code Red public-alert platform (which experienced service issues), and mutual-aid responses that helped during the flood event.

White highlighted a near-miss tanker-truck incident at Savage Lake and praised local volunteer fire departments and the health department for their roles in the early response. Commissioners announced a public meeting on Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. in the Ponderosa room at city hall where county, state and federal recovery partners will discuss resources, permitting and next steps; staff said the meeting is intended to answer property owners' questions about recovery assistance and the status of any disaster declaration.