EMA Commission Closes Out The Year

Mahaska County Emergency Management

Oskaloosa, Iowa- The Mahaska County Emergency Management Commission closed out the year 2018 with perhaps one of the most routine meetings of the year. To started off the meeting, EMA Director Jamey Robinson reported that he has finished a preliminary draft of the budget and presented it for review to the commission. Robinson took the commission through a birds-eye view of the budget, which included a line item of $15,000 in legal fees for the upcoming fiscal year. Robinson added that the budget reflects a drop in the EMA service levy for the county.

Robinson updated the commission on the progress of the 911 communications system project. Several members of the EMA commission are also members of the 911 board. Robinson informed those commission members who were not already aware that the 911 board has agreed to purchase the bulk of the individual radio units for the 911 communications system project. He and EMA Chair Russ Van Renterghem also informed the commission that the Board of Supervisors has opted to proceed forward with a bid from Racom for the new system. Racom was the only company to submit a bid directly to the EMA commission in response to the commission’s RFP.

In response to a question from Van Renterghem, Supervisor Mark Groenendyk said that contracts would be signed after the Supervisors have held a public hearing on the intent to bond for the project.

Robinson also briefly touched on the ongoing litigation between the Board of Supervisors and Mahaska County Emergency Management/E911. Robinson informed the commission that discovery for the case is ongoing and a trial setting conference will be held in January.

To close out the meeting, the commission elected new officers for the upcoming year. Russ Van Renterghem retained his position as Chair, while Tom Walling was elected Vice-Chair of the Commission, replacing Supervisor Mark Groenendyk as Vice-Chair.