Minutes 03-10-2022 Work Session - Laserfiche WebLink

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6 Manager work with staff to determine when and why declarations should be extended, ended, or brought before the Board. She said an emergency should never be political. Bonnie Hammersley, County Manager, said the normal protocol is that the emergency management team discusses with the County Manager whether the county should be in a state of emergency. She said then the County Attorney puts together the state of emergency declaration, and then the Chair signs the declaration. She said staff on the ground advise the Chair if the state of emergency needs to be extended. She said it is coming up from emergency operations. She said she thinks the language does allow the Board to get involved, if needed. She said in most cases, the state of emergency happens quickly and then is done. She said they always follow up with the Board with the full impact. She said the pandemic just never ended and provided a different situation than had ever been experienced. Commissioner Bedford said it would be helpful if the team could share what the parameters are for why emergency declarations would be reconsidered. Commissioner Richards said she liked the words, "in consultation." She said she did not want to mess anything up but that she wants to understand what the parameters are so she could communicate clearly with the public. She said she wants to be able to share knowledge. She said she did not want to interfere with the process. Chair Price said that in the first half of the pandemic a lot of the information was confidential, but it was coming from emergency management and with the health department. She said the mayors and chairs were just signing the declaration, but it was being developed by the people on the ground. Commissioner Hamilton said she agreed that it is about being in consultation. She said she just wanted to get information about the basis for the metrics. She said this would allow the board to ask questions and understand. She said it is important as a Board to have that to educate the community. She said they are held accountable as a Board. She said that this unique situation of a long running emergency that it is vital that the whole board be involved. She said that when we have a long running emergency, people get tired, and others need to be deputized to get input. She said it was important to not let it get politicized and to look at the best interests of the community. Commissioner McKee said he would send language to the Board for amending the policy. Chair Price said that it can be brought to a future meeting for discussion and public input. Chair Price said she forgot to say at the beginning of the meeting that Commissioner Fowler had an excused absence from the work session. 1. Boards and Commissions —Annual Work Plan Summaries The Board received feedback and/or direction on the first group of boards and commissions' annual work plan summaries with their Chairs (or representatives) in attendance. (A second group of boards and commissions' annual work plan summaries is scheduled for the Board's April 14, 2022 work session.) BACKGROUND: In the past, as part of the Board of Commissioners' annual planning and goal setting retreats, the Board requested and reviewed/provided feedback on annual plan summaries from the County's internal boards and commissions. This information provided the Board with a yearly overview of the boards and commissions and their projected goals for the upcoming year. This particular process ended in 2007. The Board decided at its April 13, 2010 meeting to reinstate this process independent of the Board's annual retreats.