Fiscal Court Committees - Regular Meeting

to order. Uh first I want to apologize to the committee members uh and my fellow magistrates for the short notice of this meeting. I was made aware on Tuesday that this meeting would be necessary after the matter was raised during special call budget meeting. As we know, special call meetings are limited to the items specifically listed on the agenda which required us to schedule this meeting. With that said, I'm going to turn it over to Joy Scott. He can explain uh why the committee is now being made aware of this and why now we're working on a shortened timeline to complete this process and tell us about these storm bunkers.

Okay. Thank you, sir. And again um understand this brick process application comes very quick the email we got and uh we have to pre-apply to apply if that makes sense to you. Uh Harden County government has uh the emergency management has teamed up with link trail ad Leslie Ashlock and myself have been working handinand on this with Bonnie as well to get information gathered up so we could even apply. So the pre-application process happened. we did get approved to apply. Um, so again, that's uh that's kind of why this was called together so fast because we have to May 18th to get it in to to start the application process into the brick uh FEMA to to get approved to even get approved for the grant. So again, that's why everything when we got this email, it was going very fast. So, um, when did

we do the pre-application? Pre-application was done on the 20, April 25th, 26th. Yeah. Just the week before.

Yeah. It went, like I said, it was very quick and we had and that was into the KYM, Kentucky Emergency Management, just to they could look at this project and approve it if it was necessary that you all move forward or not. So, and [clears throat and cough] to explain the project is 10 tornado shelters for Harden County. Uh, in partnership with Harden County Fire Chiefs, uh, we're going to, if we get this grant, uh, place them throughout rural Harden County in our, uh, uh, most [clears throat] vulnerable areas for tornadoes at each fire station. Being the center point of each community is usually your fire department. So, uh, these are self-sufficient pods. uh no electricity goes to these. Um [clears throat] they've had really good success in the west with them. I think Hart County uh is kind of moving toward this direction as well and now is Grayson County. Grayson County, we sit down and have a meeting with their emergency management director and he he will apply for 10 same concept we're doing with partnership up with the Grayson County Fire Department. So, and then they're also looped in with Lincoln Trail AD. We're all working together on this to to try to get this project into Harden County.

How do they secure the bottom of Okay, so in the price tag, you've seen the quote here on page two. Uh that's that's everything inclusive. There's a concrete pad poured and it's bolted to that concrete pad. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. So these shelters, who's are they going to stay open at all times? Are they going to be locked? And then if there's

We'll get if we're suspecting bad weather coming, then we can open the shelters up, unlock them. But you would you don't want to leave them open all the time. But uh yeah, but uh if we have a bad storm coming, we're we work such hard county fire departments work so good with emergency management, we can contact the fire departments to unlock the shelters if needed. Um, I did talk to the manufacturer. Um, these fit 25 to 30 people. Uh, we could probably squeeze a few more in there, but again, these are areas that does doesn't have any type of protection now. So, most of these areas been going into Vine Grove and Ray Cliff for shelter during tornadoes. [clears throat] Yes, sir.

Question. Is there a mechanism to inform the public when they're at capacity and not available again? Well, again, that's during the crisis, you know, again, or is that coming in the future? That that will be addressed, but we we do have good partnerships with our faith-based community good community as well. Some of our churches that have basements could could handle overflow uh if we had to. So, yeah, White Mills [clears throat] Christian Camp's a good example. They have that bunker that they I I will call them. They'll open that up for us as well too to handle some overflow. I might have been reading a little bit whenever you're So the keys for access to them will be at the fire departments. Yes sir. And then so what if

So anybody at the fire department could be able to Yes. Mhm. As far as maintenance on them, who's going to be responsible? They're pretty much maintenancefree, sir. Um that's the great thing about them. There's no electricity goes to these. Um, so basically, you know, I can keep an eye on them to if you know, need to be washed off or something, but other than that, they're pretty much they're still. So, I was just thinking possibly we just saw what happened to Etown Fire Department, you know, a bunk or something like this. There could be spiders or

who's going to pay to are we going to have to you do any extermination in them or spray every once in a while? Would that be the volunteer fire departments? each one of them take care of that or is that something I mean again I think that that's bridge we'll probably have to cross when we get there on that but yeah I would definitely it probably would need some type of you know pest control um but uh at least an inspection on too to make sure if something build up [clears throat]

so we uh I'm looking here all sources of matching funds will require a commitment at the time of application So you say that that we have the pre-application was approved. Is this is this where the word application is that pre-application?

Uh Bonnie there. Um the May 18th uh deadline on there is be able to get the statement of the uh costs and benefits. It's not regular their long one but cost effectiveness. And so that's May 18th. Then we have until June. It's on there. The first date on June at the end of the email. Let me see. We have till June 5th is the first draft of the application

and it that would require us coming through court. What what what we want want now is that um you give permission to go on ahead and move forward that you all do want to do this application even through the June 5th because they have to have that ahead of time. That's what this why we had to do this all of a sudden. We got these short notices too. So May 18th uh well for this court we want to put a resolution through to give the judge executive the ability to do this application and it will be through uh Lincoln Trail is helping us with that and then June [clears throat] then by June 5th 5th we will actually submit the application then we have to wait and hopefully get an award

that's when okay and then that's go when we get the award that's when it comes back through fiscal court and fiscal court will have to approve the contract that'll go to Jenny at that time and all that. So, the way I understand that the time we say go ahead and submit the application, we're committing that we're committing the money. If if approved if approved approved. Yeah. They want to do that so that you're not wasting right the brick money out there.

Yeah. And and I to speak on something else, not only for our citizens, which this is a this would be a milestone for Harden County to have some type of protection out in these areas, but for our first responders, too. I mean, we have, you know, EMS stations that have no place to go during a tornado that can utilize these as well. Our sheriff's deputies in those areas and some of our firefighters. So, uh, you really don't want your fire department being inside of a metal building waiting for a tornado to come through. Uh, but you want them there to be able to respond to help people too. So, this would be very beneficial for them as well.

Um, from an aesthetic position, obviously these are pretty stark white. Is there is there an opportunity for them to be painted? Should they be painted? What about signage? Uh, adding some signage to notify people that's what that's there for. Sure. Anything like that? Sure. I mean, obviously, you know, if we did get approveof that to get the advertisement out to a public notification to where they're located at and what they're there for and uh you know, and that they will have access to them. But painting wise, I mean, I wouldn't say there'd be a problem with painting any color you really want to. So, obviously, it probably is nice to be like over that white box. It's probably easier to say that white box.

There you go. Well, and that can all be put in this application if you have suggestions for that because right now it's the quote just for the um installation in place, the concrete p pad and these units. So, if we want signage and some other things in there, we can put that in that application that goes. Have there been other areas where this model is set up to where you can find out how successful it has been? uh you know out west there has been uh I know they're doing some out west and I know eastern Kentucky has quite a few of them now um in the mountain region itself u but I think right now there's some under construction in Hart County at some of the fire stations in Hart County

I'm just talking about historical have they been successful is what I'm trying to yes you're talking about in storm events yes they have been successful uh my my big concern is when people know they're there does it encourage them to leave their safe place that maybe they have at home and then they're caught getting in there and they get there maybe it's full. What What would we do as far as

again? I think you know that overflow having some of the areas that we're talking about, you know, having some churches for a backup plan that could handle overflow in some of their basements. Uh again, the churches have stepped up during these tornado events and really uh helped out Harden County Emergency Management uh by open their churches up to us. So, and have man those shelters for us if we needed needed to be there. So, um, that would be the back of plan. Well, I think my point is like a lot of these are remote areas of the county. Yes, sir. So, if you have one located at a fire station and it's in a remote area, there's not another place to go to real quick because when a tornado is coming, it's here a lot of times before you and gone before you know it.

I just don't want to put it somewhere where folks are going to thinking they can get into it and get there and maybe they're not not may not even be unlocked

already be full. Again, I I think you know [clears throat] you know with with our pre-notification system and our advanced warning system now that uh that we've made extreme measures of of of notifying people earlier now this is where that comes into play and uh [clears throat] again this would be more in the mobile home region. There's a lot of the mobile homes affected in these areas uh knowing they're coming. We get a lot of phone calls emergency management myself Mr. with we answer a lot of phone calls about where they can go and we have people leaving Eastu to drive to Rackcliffe or to Vine Grove to get to seek shelter. So, uh I think this would be a big benefit for them. Okay.

On your notification system, can you if if a certain region I'm just going to use Glendale for example, like if if Glendale shelter is full, can you say just to that area, hey, Glendale shelter is full. Here's the other like can you can you split it up? I think we can we could do that. It's done by region. Subscribers, but if we put out a mass notification saying everybody everybody would get it. Say like somewhere. Yeah. So you get someone leaving a potential safe place to get to [clears throat] to go to a safe place, a safer place, and in turn they get turned down and they have to go somewhere else and you know just caught in the middle of it. I guess at that point

I see communication is going to be crucial for this. I mean it it could be lifesaving because as we've already talked about people are leaving their homes Yes. to come to a shelter. it's full, you know, and and communi if it's done right and and it but communication has got to be first priority here with this and and not just during the storm or before the storm, but before we let's say we we agree to this and this this happens,

we've got to communicate to our county, to our citizens what we're doing, how this is going to work, you know, and you know, are you signed into, you know, the alert and the right. It It's just so crucial with this because we could cause more harm. Yeah. Than we do good if we don't communicate it effectively. I think at the end of the day and and I do understand that and we we we do a good job with communicating with people.

Yes, you do. But but this is something totally new and people aren't expecting this. And you're always going to have I didn't know anything about that. Oh, I I didn't hear that. You know, I didn't get that alert. I didn't get that that notice. It's It's just so crucial with when you do something like this. Public education is a key. Absolutely. Absolutely. [clears throat] So, you've ga you're going to have a a plan set in motion just for communication on this. Okay.

And Okay. A lot of the calls that we get are people that are in homes that don't have a shelter. You know, you're if it's hard enough getting these people out of their homes as it is and if they've got a basement, they've got a place that they consider their safe area, they've got their supplies, I don't think those are the people that are going to leave. It's more of your people that are in these single level homes, these, you know, manufactured home, these trailers that aren't in a secure place. And cuz a lot of we get a lot of calls like that. Hey, you know, I live in a I live in a tire. You know, I don't have a storm shelter. Where do you go? I think, you know, I don't think we're going to pull a lot of people away from

Well, you shouldn't pull any Well, right. But I'm just saying that's secure. That's not what this is designed. Exactly. You shouldn't pull any of those those kinds of of folks out of their secure place. I'm just concerned about communication plan. you know, it will be one of those there will be a communication plan in effect. Yes, ma'am. And that's and you know that statement that we give out, you know, if you don't have a secure place, we have this available. That's I mean, what about did we check with KCO about the exposure liability exposure? Uh, I haven't sir. No, I I have not idea if we make a call with them.

Yes, sir. I'm assuming every site will be able to accommodate one of these buildings. One, every site. Yes, ma'am. Will have all of the the no issues with with zoning or planning or anything like that would be able to you already know that they will be able to accommodate [clears throat] one of these buildings. Again, I've spoken with I've spoken with all the fire chiefs um and we've talked about their their areas. I don't think there'll be an issue at all with putting these in there by building codes. I don't I'll have to speak with planning zoning as well. Yeah, that that might be another the next step. Yeah. To

and the dimensions are on here. Okay. More questions from the magistrates. Have you checked with any counties that have them whether or not to have vandalism issues with graffiti and all that stuff? I haven't. Again, [clears throat] this is fairly new to our region. Like I said, Hart County is under the process now of putting these in. I know Grayson County has got the go on there, so they're writing for it as well. Uh I [clears throat] don't think they've been around here long enough to get any kind of data like that from

But well, aren't these You plan to have them all near right next to the fire stations where a lot of people are going anyway? Uh West Point, they won't happen because it's in flood plane. But you know, [laughter] we don't watch shiny new building. It's pretty attractive. Yeah, it is. But they're right next to fire stations that are majority of our fire stations do have cameras now, too. So that's a that's a huge benefit county and it's kind of cut down our vandalism from their stations as well too. So and all of them have plenty of room to put them. Yes. Yeah. To to my you know after talking with most fire chiefs. Yes. We got plenty of room for these. There's not going to take up a lot of lot of space. We have the 10 sites already. Yes. Already.

Yes. The commitment from all fire departments and room for parking. I assume if you had 20 people 10 15 extra vehicles. That's the least if someone's concerned, they'll park in the ditch probably. [laughter] I'm just saying the ditch, but you don't want to get some people parked in odd places and then emergency vehicles. Yeah. So, you mentioned no electricity or any no plumbing, I'm assuming. So, selfsufficient. Tell me what's going to be inside. Just there will be a light inside of it that run by a solar panel on top of it and then one on the outside for a light on the outside of it and that's it. The ventilation systems you can see in the picture here. These are natural ventilation systems in here. So, u there's no electric involved in these at all.

What do you have in there? Going to have cotss. You going to have chairs. Chairs people. Okay. Emergency first aid kits, that kind of thing. And and just the bare we we we have enough supplies. We can put some I know it's located there by the fire, you know, on this fire fire station property. So, okay. Well, there'll be emergency management people there. Yeah. Uh either fire volunteer fire or emergency management because that's what they normally do now [snorts] uh with all these shelters. So you just basically it's just a for chairs and and and we'll have waters and supplies in there for them. Uh people we we have a pretty good stock pile thanks to Mr. Dwit over here uh put together for Harden County. So

this [clears throat] bid that's in here is that the only one that you received? Yes, sir. This is the [clears throat] This is the only one that I know that makes this type of the shelter at this price. Uh if you get into like [clears throat] Miss Whitehead was saying about bathroom stuff, you get your price almost triple. So, uh you know, uh the only the storm shelters we have in Harden County right now is a safe room of bankro the underneath of the regular station one fire station is a tornado shelter as well. Uh that's the only thing we have right now. And those those are million million dollars projects. Millions of dollars went into those projects. Uh Maldro has a really nice safe room. Uh it's a actual safe room. It was brought I think it was bought under the brick as well at one time. Is that correct?

I don't know if it's under brick. I know it was through Fame Man. We we've been we've been pursuing that for several years and cannot get funding on that. But we've been but we've been pushing for something like that. Yeah. A similar structure. No. No. That's a large structure from big concrete building. How is it? It'll utilize. Yeah, pretty much the whole mold goes. Yeah, it'll house all the mold. It's not utilized until there's a storm. Yeah, I know that. But yes, how well is that? But people from West Point go there.

And they and they've al, you know, and they they're very good about opening up to Harton County residents as well. We've had that kind of conflict. If we fill up Vagro, we fill up Braglift, then where else can we go when Maltro will take you in too? So, yes. How long does people typically stay in these shelters or ste seek shelters for till usually till the storm passes? really like a couple I mean I know generally speaking but like when you have them at the shelters and rack left cliff and stuff I mean normally it's going to come gone in 30 45 minutes that

yeah just depending on of [clears throat] course damage is a big thing you know what kind of damage is in that area and if it's safe for them to go back into their areas uh but they don't they don't want to be away from home too long or just the threat's gone if if their area is damaged they could go into the fire department or a more comfortable area, right? Then we'd have to we'd have to if if a big storm for instance came through a big at one particular area, we'd have to set up some type of a shelter, not just not a storm shelter, but actually a shelter to house people uh in that event a big storm came through.

Just walk us through we get a WHS or whoever says we're going to have a tornado that's going to reach our in [clears throat] 15 minutes, what happens? Well, again, you're going to have our our rave alerts will go off. uh notifying people talking about as far as opening up the shelter. Well, again, we we'll put out a notification to the fire departments to make sure they're unlocked. Um and at that point, they will be open and then we can put that out as well on social media that the tornado sh the tornado boxes, we'll call them tornado boxes are open. Uh so if you need to seek refuge, that's where you go to to seek refuge alert system. Then my next because your communication plan that you're going to develop

has already been put into effect and the community already knows what they're going to do and if they need to go. Yes, ma'am. And we public education, you know, we're and I keep saying that. I I don't want you think that I I don't think it and that's why we push so hard for RA to educate people about RAV and and which is really the numbers have grown so great on that and you know RA is so underutilized. We could do more with RAID too. Uh not just for storms, but it's a great notification system on all all instance any kind of emergency and it and you just said it's under utilized because people don't know about it. Yeah. People what we've had

but not not as many that could. I'm just saying you know it's part of your communication plan. That's been that's been our big drive this miss this this year is to to really push it and and like I say Richard has done a great job too getting information out to people and it's been a it's been a team event all county departments has helped us I realize that I don't don't think I'm being critical sure I just want to ensure that that plan we will have a plan in place I promise and they you already have emergency plans in place to do a lot of this already specific they do for tornadoes but at least we have this one for This needs a separate communication advocate for correct. Okay.

Because we've heard about response times at volunteer fire departments. Correct. 12:30 in the afternoon. Siren's going off. Can we rely on somebody to get that storm shelter open? I can [snorts] assure you that myself or Richard Dit will have every shelter open in Harden County if it's a stormy day coming because with the advanced warning systems now uh we can predict these storms when they're in Paduca. You know that gives us plenty of time to get these open. Again, that's why we live in a great age of notification now. So if we know those days are coming, we'll make sure they're open.

It would seem logical to have one person designated or two designated to open them and close them.

Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. So again, and and if it's storming, we're here in EOCC anyway. I I hope everybody in Harden County should know that we we are we're maning that EOCC, watching the weather in the event something major does happen. So we have personnel on hand to go and make sure those are opened up and closed up. And you know, if we're under tornado watch, of course, you know, the sense the sense is heightened of keeping an eye what's going on. So we're under tornado watch there. You've got you're going to have a check person. Hey, who's in charge in this area? Who who is going to be the person that you're counting on to open this up? Same way once it's cleared, who's locking it? Cuz we don't want those crews going out cutting trees or whatever being absolutely no one there and it left open at that time. So, yes, that would be all that would be that would be pre-planned. [clears throat]

Yes. Moving forward, this is a 7525 match grant. county being required to pitch in 25% right state does not cover any of that 25% that 25% is equivalent to 88,800 I'm assuming 12 like 12 1250 that's again that'd be a onetime expense that's not for any type of maintenance or that would be the worst case there is this uh grant program at the state level that is in the economic development cabinet They still have money available. You will apply for that and they won't pay the whole 88,000 or 89,000

up to we would still have to do 10%. Because the size of our county so it would take it down to 20. Right. Right. Right now, their website says they're closed, not taking any applications. But I've been talking to Leslie Ashlock at Elad and she believes what they have this little disclaimer at the top that they're still working through the budget process. So, she believes that it'll be open and we can apply for it with this.

So, she she's working through that because they they will actually do the grant. There also could be a possibility through the Kentucky Association of Mitigation Managers that uh since we've got this much, but we still need some help with these because they're the ones like Mold Draw that paid for that paid for that that center. Well, 100%. So, with the amount it is, it's not a guarantee, but the worst I can say is no, it doesn't hurt time asking to push for that. We will seek every avenue possible. Mhm. So 89,000 is worst case. Worst case scenario it is. Yes. Is it 10% of 75% or 10% of the 25% amount of 25 of our

of our So let's talk worst case scenario to pay 89,000. I would assume that the intent would be used legacy fund or pilot agreement or something along those sorts. So what's the recommendation? I'm going to shock the world. I think if there's a project legacy fund goes to this would be one because it's countywide benefits the whole county. So I have no problem with that.

Yeah. And it'll end up coming if we get the grant. You all agree get the award. Still has to come through as a budget amendment for next year because we're going to it's a reimbursement grant. So we'll have to put the pay for the whole amount up front and then get the money back from FEMA. So there's that process. Uh but LEAD will take uh a management fee. I think it's around 1%. But that comes off the top. We don't have to share in that 7525. FEMA will pay 100% of their management fee. So uh and like I said, they're doing it for Grayson County. So it'll be more uniform, more it was nice to be able to combine with them too and to be regional. Uh they like those kind of programs instead of one off. So,

so obviously we don't have enough time to truly go through the committee. So assume today probably should funding source would be probably legacy fund. Yeah, legacy legacy fund very appropriate for this safety and health you agree. So I mean seems like a no brainer. So I would assume this needs to go on court next week. That's why we did it emergency. Well, we can't. Yeah, the resolution to allow to move forward to apply. We need to apply. Yeah, it's be on the agenda. Yeah, I'm excited about it.

I I think it's great. I just delighted with it. I I really am. It's And [clears throat] it's so so needed. It's a great opportunity to to help our citizens. Well, and and like you said, it's going to be at each each station. So, it's it's it's going to be countywide and it's it's a it's a plus. It's a benefit. Again, you know, I'd [clears throat] like to commend the fire departments, too, for you know, ask this ask on upon them. You know, they were excited to be a part of it. So, that was there's been a lot of work behind the scenes and just want to commend these guys for working behind it to get us to this point.

Another thing, it's a little bit in there. this money for this whole project is it going to somebody in some other state? It's going to a neighboring county. Yeah. Uh so you know that just you know money being spent here is still staying at home. So if there's any type of issue or what you know then it would be easy getting you know okay any type of issue or whatever no problem getting them here. [clears throat]

All right. Well we'll get it on the court. um Tuesday we get I guess we're going to find out until probably August I guess July August or something that time frame. Yes sir. I think they're moving pretty fast but and if they don't again thank you all for coming short notice. I apologize for that but again these these grants unfortunately are just bang bang bang. Seems to be a pattern

with grants but you know and sometimes it happens this way. But I appreciate your foresight and and and the work that you've done in the this, you know, prompt response and in trying to trying to get everybody together and get this going. So, we certainly don't want to miss any opportunities like this. Nothing else, we will adjourn at 4 p.m. Thank you. There you go. Bonnie, it was perfect.