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Council presses for vital‑records inventory and plan for secondary site in EOP
Summary
Reviewers said the EOP must specify what constitutes 'vital records,' create an inventory and identify a secondary site for government functions if city hall is damaged; councilors proposed a staff inventory and possible temporary storage or relocation options.
During the EOP discussion councilors focused on preservation of vital records and continuity of operations. The draft asks city departments to identify vital records and plan for protection and recovery; councilors said Westport currently lacks an organized records inventory and that past evacuations relied on ad hoc choices about what to move.
"We don't really have a records inventory," Trenton said, describing items she and others moved during prior evacuations (minutes, ordinances and some permanent retention binders). Councilors proposed assigning staff (Jessica and others mentioned) to create an inventory and to identify practical storage and evacuation priorities, including temporary storage at the wastewater plant or a fireproof vault if appropriate.
The plan writer also highlighted the need to identify a secondary site for staff and the seat of government if city hall is not usable. Councilors discussed potential agreements with Oak Ridge to prioritize use of their facilities in an emergency, and raised questions about whether the lodge or the vault could serve as options depending on the scope of the incident.
What happens next: Staff will begin an inventory of vital records, evaluate possible off‑site storage options and include recommended priorities for evacuation and recovery in a revised EOP.
