Commission Board Meeting on Wed, May 25, 2005 - 6:35 PM


Meeting Information

  BUILDING 21 -- DOUGLAS COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS

 

    -Convene

      -Pledge of Allegiance

 

CONSENT AGENDA

      (1)    (a)   Consider approval of Commission Orders

 

REGULAR AGENDA

      (2)    Receive public input regarding 2006 budget

 

       (3)   Discussion of Homeland Security Grant Funds Proposal (Paula Phillips)

 

 (4)   Other Business

               (a)   Consider approval of Accounts Payable (if necessary)

               (b)   Appointments

               (c)   Miscellaneous

               (d)   Public Comment

 

       (5)   Adjourn

Jones called the meeting to order at 6:35 P.M. on Wednesday, May 25, 2005, at the Douglas County Fairgrounds with all members present.

CONSENT AGENDA 05-25-05
There were no consent items.

BUDGET 05-25-05
Jones requested public input for the 2006 budget. Jeff Dingman, Baldwin City Administrator presented a letter requesting funding for the relocation of a 16-inch waterline that is in conflict with project No. 23C-3890-01. This project is to realign the roadway of Douglas County Road 1055 and reconstruct the bridge over Coal Creek.

It was the consensus of the Board to take this request into consideration once the final budget has been prepared. No other public comment was received. No action was taken.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT 05-25-05
At their meeting on May 18, 2005, the Board discussed the FY2005 Homeland Security Allocation and directed Paula Phillips, Director of Emergency Management, to meet with the task force and revise their recommendations based on direction received. Phillips presented the following recommendation:

 1. Terrorism Training for First Responders -- $53,000

These funds will be available to all county law enforcement, fire, ems, public works, emergency management and emergency communications agencies to provide backfill and overtime costs for personnel to attend terrorism training.

Terrorism response training is now required for all first responders. The training is provided free of charge by the Department of Homeland Security, but the backfill and/or overtime costs needed to send front line personnel prohibits agencies from taking advantage of the training.

 2. Standardization of Firefighting Equipment -- $140,000

These funds will continue the project started with FY04 funds to standardize firefighter ensembles for all county fire departments. This will increase the ability of fire departments to provide mutual aid support for each other.

Currently there are four (4) different types of systems being used by fire departments in the county. Not all fire departments in the county have air packs for firefighters. Air packs are considered personal protective equipment but the cost of a single ensemble is cost prohibitive to the tiny operating budgets of the township fire departments and to the volunteers using personal funds to pay for equipment. The recommendation will fund approximately 45 ensembles.

 3. Fiber Optic Connection -- $10,000

These funds will provide $10,000 of the total $64,000 project to fund the purchase of fiber optic cable to connect Lawrence City Hall and the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center. This will allow the two governmental units to provide redundancy data capabilities for each other. The City of Lawrence and Douglas County will then share the remaining costs ($27,000 each).

 4. Utility Security Projects for Cities -- $60,000 ($20,000) each

$20,000 each will complete the security projects for Baldwin and Eudora utilities departments, and provide $20,000 towards the security projects for the Lawrence Water Department. The projects were started with FY04 Homeland Security Grant Funds. Each city has a security project plan for water and electric facilities. Each is working on their respective security plan in phases as budgets allow.

 5. Baldwin City Police Department Mobile Data Computers -- $30,000

The funds will be used to complete the mobile data computer project started by the Baldwin City Police Department with FY04 Homeland Security Grant Funds.

Jones stated he was inclined to eliminate the $10,000 allocated for the fiber optic connection and increase the standardization of firefighting equipment by $10,000 since he believed the monies for the fiber optic connection should be funded in a different fashion.

Pam Madl, Assistant County Administrator, stated that the County has put monies aside for this project and is waiting on the City to match the commitment. Madl added that this will be a great boon in terms of GIS and other shared data.

Jones then made a motion to support the above recommendation with the elimination of Item #3 in the amount of $10,000, and allocate those monies to Item #2. Motion was seconded by McElhaney and carried unanimously.

Jones stated for the record that in essence the County is agreeing to spend its share of the fiber optics costs with the City.


ACCOUNTS PAYABLE 05-25-05
Johnson made a motion to authorize a letter to the Douglas County Treasurer authorizing the Treasurer to credit the account of Bambino's in the amount of $60.65 against their delinquent taxes as authorized by state statute. Motion was seconded by Jones and carried unanimously.

Jones made a motion to adjourn; McElhaney seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

 

_____________________________ _____________________________
Charles Jones, Chairman                      Bob Johnson, Member

ATTEST:

_____________________________ _____________________________
Jamie Shew, County Clerk                   Jere McElhaney, Member

Location

County Courthouse
1100 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS 66044, USA