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County administrator urges quick RFP for emergency manager after hazard mitigation plan lapsed
Summary
Administrator Francine told commissioners the county’s hazard mitigation plan is out of compliance and the emergency manager contract expired in 2023; she recommended issuing an RFP and expanding the job description to restore the Emergency Operations Center and eligibility for FEMA grants.
County Administrator Francine asked the Ogemaw County Board of Commissioners to approve a request for proposals and an expanded job description for a contracted emergency manager, saying the county’s hazard mitigation plan is out of compliance and the existing emergency management contract has lapsed.
“Our hazard mitigation plan is not in place and is expired,” Francine said, urging commissioners to act so the county can re‑establish an operating Emergency Operations Center and be eligible for federal grants. She said the last official plan on file dates from 2016 and that FEMA shows the county out of compliance.
Commissioners voiced concern about public‑safety and grant eligibility. Commissioner Seberg warned that, under state law, if no emergency manager is appointed the statutory duties may fall to the board chair. “In the absence of an appointed person…the emergency management coordinator shall be the chairperson of the board of commissioners,” Seberg said, arguing the board should not default into that role.
Commissioner Wolsey pressed for salary and funding details, noting other counties have part‑time emergency managers who wrote grant proposals to make positions full time. Francine said she had drafted a model RFP and had pulled job descriptions from neighboring counties to build a scope that would keep the county compliant and support grant applications.
The board discussed next steps: Francine recommended issuing the RFP quickly and returning with any edits, or else reconvening in two weeks for further discussion. Commissioners supported a staged approach — approve a final job description, then issue the RFP — and asked staff to research comparable salaries and grant strategies.
The board did not vote to award a contract at the meeting. Francine said staff will circulate the draft job description and RFP language and recommended coordinating with department heads to clarify mandated versus recommended duties before finalizing the posting.
Next step: commissioners directed staff to refine the job description and bring the RFP back for review and possible authorization to post.
