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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024/06/18 - Special Board of Mason County Commissioners Proceedings Commission Chambers 411 N 5" St, Shelton, WA 98584 May 16, 2024 1. Call to Order—The Chairperson called the special meeting to order at 9:01 a.m. 2. Cmmr. Shutty led the pledge of allegiance. 3. Roll Call—Present:Present: Commissioner District 1 —Randy Neatherlin; Commissioner District 2— Kevin Shutty;Commissioner District 3—Sharon Trask. 4. Public Comment 5. Discuss the status of Fire District No. 12's ability to respond to fire and EMS requests. Mark Neary,County Administrator,was notified that Fire District No. 12's(FD 12)insurance through Nicholson&Associates Insurance was going to be cancelled as of Friday,May 17,2024 at 12:01 a.m. Mark contacted the Fire District Chief and was told that other insurance options were being looked into; however,FD 12 was unsuccessful in obtaining other insurance. Without insurance,FD 12 cannot utilize their resources. The only way Nicholson&Associates would entertain covering FD12 is if they had a complete turnover in administration. There will be a period of time that FD12 is not covered by insurance. At FD 12's special meeting,a mutual aid agreement was discussed. An email from MACECOM was sent out stating that beginning May 17,2024 at 12:01 a.m.,Fire District 13 will be the initial tone for all calls on the south side of Mary M.Knight Road and West Mason will be the initial tone for all calls on the north side. It was implied by FD12 that,under the mutual aid agreement,they would be covered for all fire and EMS calls. However,there is concern around resources,"gifting"public funds,and insurance not covering the responding Fire Districts. The intent of a mutual aid agreement is for the Fire Districts to be able to utilize each other's resources. Mark spoke with Tim Whitehead,Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, regarding the definition of a disaster and what authority the County has. John Taylor,Emergency Manager,discussed the Stafford Act which is the law that governs the difference between a declaration of emergency and declaration of disaster. An emergency is preparing for a potential life-threatening situation and a disaster is imminent. A disaster is declared to allow the County to exercise its responsibility to protect the public. A situation like this has not happened before. Fire Districts are considered Special Purpose Districts,are created by the state,and are a state entity. When looking at the oversight of government it should be the state's responsibility to oversee Fire Districts. However,it is unclear which specific agency does that. By declaring a disaster,the County puts Incident Command into place. Incident Command will audit the district services and inventory. This declaration would also notify the Governor of what is happening. A resource requisition process would be followed and a state number for declaration would be assigned. Depending on the audit,licensed or certified fire fighters or EMTs could be available within that district. Mark added that individuals within FD 12 would still call 911 and MACECOM would determine which entity(ies)would respond. Cmmr.Shutty asked,in an emergency situation the County is able to waive certain procurement and insurance responsibilities and/or liabilities,is there the potential that the state would work with FD 13 to allow them to provide service under a different set of coverage? John answered yes,because it reaches the insurance company's concern around the current leadership in FD 12. According to the Stafford Act,the jurisdiction's highest Elected Officials are in command until the disaster is over. It is important that the declaration states that command can only be transferred back to FD 12 if it is corrected. There will not be repercussions declaring a disaster,it is important to act soon. Cmmr.Neatherlin shared that declaring a disaster may allow the County to recoup expended funds. John added that the burden lies on the state. This is a safety issue that must be addressed and declaring a disaster gives them formal notification and requires them to take steps to rectify the issue. Mark shared there is a mechanism in this process that allows the County to potentially be reimbursed for costs. It is a common misconception that because ID 12 has Mason County in the name,that the County has oversight and responsibility over the Fire District. It does not. When an emergency is declared,the County takes responsibility and assigns Incident Command,which would be the Sheriff,and services would be requested. Since this is an unprecedented event,the state likely has no immediate resources. The Department of Natural Resources(DNR)would potentially have resources for firefighting. However, DNR crews are experts in fighting wildfires,not structural fires. It is important that there is not the perception that when the Commissioners declare a disaster,that the state will immediately provide a team of people. Cmmr.Trask wants to ensure all ideas go before legal counsel and risk. The County may be able to help develop a policy moving forward and situations such as this could fit into a legislative priority. 6. Adjournment—The meeting adjourned at 9:31 a.m. BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ATTEST: MASON COUNTY,WASHINGTON • ��C�11J�/�l McKenzie Smilf,ClerYcof the Board y Neat r n,Chair 10=- kk-- Kevin Shutty,Vice hair Sharon k,Commissioner 21 May 16, 2024 Special Minutes