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Hobart council accepts city emergency plan after severe June storms; public works detail cleanup
Summary
The Hobart Common Council unanimously accepted a city-specific Comprehensive Emergency Operations Plan and heard department updates on extensive June storm damage, including 12.77 inches of rain and accelerated cleanup plans and volunteer efforts.
The Hobart Common Council on July 1 unanimously accepted a newly formalized City of Hobart Comprehensive Emergency Operations Plan and received reports on heavy storm impacts that officials said continue to affect streets, utilities and residents.
The plan, presented by Assistant Police Chief Pochron, is intended to supplement the county plan and provide city-specific contact lists and procedures for responding to emergencies. Councilmember Waldrop moved to accept the plan and Councilmember Kopil seconded; the motion passed on a 7-0 roll-call vote.
Why it matters: Council members and department heads said formalizing the plan will help new staff and streamline coordination with county and state partners during future severe-weather events. Mayor Huddlestun said the city has issued an Executive Order/Declaration of Emergency tied to the June 11 storm and that Fire Chief Lopez is coordinating damage assessment and cleanup with county and state officials.
Departments reported storm-related workloads and near-term actions. Public Works Superintendent Kent Moore told the council June was a challenging month for residents and crews; Public Works issued 266 brush tickets and scheduled neighborhood cleanups (north/east Aug. 1; south Aug. 29) and a city-wide fall cleanup Oct. 5-9. Lift Station Foreman Phil Schoon reported the system pumped more than 213 million gallons to the regional treatment authority in June, with an average daily flow of about 7 million gallons, and measured 12.77 inches of rain at the main lift station, including 11 inches in a two-week span.
Fire Chief Enrique Lopez told the council the fire department responded to 494 incidents in June (360 EMS calls, 32 motor-vehicle accidents, 30 hazardous-materials calls and other weather-related responses) and said crews completed a state-certified driver/operator training program. Assistant Police Chief Pochron reported a spike in calls for service: 2,710 calls in June, 1,292 officer-initiated; 96 adult arrests; and plans to swear in three new officers and six reserve officers.
City Engineer Alex Metz outlined emergency repairs on Arbor Lane and Arizona Street, described bidding and permitting timelines for projects including the Wisconsin Street bridge and a County Line culvert replacement, and said several paving and stormwater projects will proceed this summer and fall.
City staff and the mayor urged residents to use scheduled volunteer cleanups and noted that the Board of Works approved a revolving loan fund for downtown businesses to support local recovery. The Board also approved purchase of a new ambulance that city officials said will arrive in mid-2027.
The council ended the meeting after routine business and public comment.
