911 Commission/Communications Commission Meeting Minutes
Wednesday June 14th, 2023, 6 PM
Washington County EOC – Emergency Communications Building
2183 Lexington Blvd., Washington IA 52353
In attendance: Richard Young, Cara Sorrells, Stan Stoops, Ryan Miller, Mark Robe, Jared Schneider, Jack Seward, Jr., Illa Earnest, Roy Felts, and Melvin Rich.
At 6:00 PM, Chairman Richard Young called the 911 Commission meeting to order. Present were representatives from Brighton, Crawfordsville, Kalona, Washington, Wellman, the Board of Supervisors, and the Sheriff’s Office. Absent was representation from Ainsworth, Riverside, and Emergency Management. A quorum was determined. Chairman Richard Young made a request for an approval of the agenda. Mark Robe made a motion to approve the agenda as presented. Jared Schneider seconded the motion, and the agenda was approved with no one opposed. A request was then made for a motion to approve the minutes for the last meeting dated May 10th, 2023. Mark Robe made a motion to approve the minutes from the last meeting and the motion was seconded by Ryan Miller. No one was opposed and the motion passed.
The approval of claims was next, and Cara Sorrells detailed the claims. The claims included a maintenance contract payment to WahlTek for $4,328.10, $709.44 paid to Cummins to disconnect the Wellman generator, $2,506.82 paid to Republic Companies for 911 sign supplies and steel posts, a maintenance contract payment to Vertiv for $7,209 for the UPS units in the building, a maintenance contract payment to DPT Service of $3,000 for the CRAC units in the building, $1,260 paid to Frontline Public Safety Solutions for a 1-year renewal on the quality assurance program software, and bi-annual budget transfers of $4,680 to WCSO for IT services concerning 911 mapping maintenance and $15,000 to Communications for PSAP database maintenance. Additionally, Sorrells asked for authorization to move the bi-annual budget transfer for PSAP IT services claim totaling $31,263 from Communications to the 911 budget after an evaluation of the year-end fund balances for both budgets. If approved that would bring the total of the claims to $74,922.68. The receipts totaled $128.02. Ryan Miller made a motion to approve the claims with the addition of the claim for PSAP IT Services totaling $31,263. Miller asked that Sorrells modify the claims spreadsheets to reflect the change. Miller’s motion was seconded by Mark Robe. The motion to approve the claims was passed unanimously.
Sorrells reported under new business that there will be an ECRF (Emergency Call Routing Function) migration on June 29th, 2023, at 8 PM. There is nothing additional that we need to do but the emergency calls will migrate from a method of database routing/location to GIS based routing with enhanced location capabilities. This statewide GIS database is what each county uploads their data to regularly to meet the statewide GIS standards and qualify for the GIS grant(s) from HSEMD’s 911 program.
Sorrells also reported that she is working on a quote to bring back for a computerized ProQA program from Priority Dispatch. Currently the staff is using manual flip cards to give EMD (Emergency Medical Dispatch) pre-arrival instructions. Sorrells watched a demo, and the program would be integrated with the CAD (Computer-Aided Dispatch). Questions answered within the CAD call would trigger the right EMD card to use and the proper instructions. It would also have an AI (Artificial Intelligence) training model for new staff to use.
The only agenda item under old business was an update on the storm damage to the Wellman site and we will discuss this in a joint meeting with the Communications Commission. The next meeting date will be August 16th, 2023, at 6:00 PM.
At 6:14 PM, Chairman Ryan Miller called the Communications Commission to order. Present were representatives Stan Stoops, Ryan Miller, Mark Robe, Illa Earnest, Jack Seward, and alternate Melvin Rich. A quorum was determined. Chairman Miller then made a request for an approval of the agenda as published. Mark Robe made a motion to approve the agenda as presented. Stan Stoops seconded the motion, and the agenda was approved with no one opposed. A request was then made for a motion to approve the minutes for the last meeting dated May 10th, 2023. Mark Robe made a motion to approve the minutes from the last meeting and the motion was seconded by Jack Seward. No one was opposed and the motion passed.
The approval of the claims was next. Cara Sorrells detailed the claims and removed the PSAP IT services amount which was discussed earlier in the 911 claims approval process. The total of the claims after the change was $6,173.52 and the revenue was $15,0000 after the budget transfer from 911 for database maintenance. The claims included a workman’s comp payment to IMWCA for $1,155 and $3,033 to the Iowa Department of Public Safety for IOWA system access from April – June 2023. A motion was made by Mark Robe to approve the claims as presented. Robe’s motion was seconded by Jack Seward, and the claims were approved with no one opposed.
There was nothing for the Communications Commission under committee reports.
There was one item for discussion under new business and that was Policy Tracker software from Frontline Public Safety. They are the provider of the quality assurance program software that is currently used in dispatch. Sorrells would like to utilize the policy tracker beginning this next fiscal year to manage policies more efficiently. It will help keep track of what needs to be updated and when, and send out notices to the staff when a policy has been implemented or updated for an electronic signature. The yearly costs will be comparable to the QA program in the range of $1200-$1500. Sorrells asked for the authorization to pursue the Policy Tracker software program. A motion was made by Mark Robe to authorize Sorrells to do so. Robe’s motion was seconded by Jack Seward and approved without opposition.
Under old business the Commission(s) moved on with discussion and updates concerning the rebuilding of the Wellman tower site. Sorrells began with an update on moving the existing damaged portable radio building and removing the concrete pad on the property for Wellman Telephone to proceed. We had received a local quote to do those things for a $5,000 cost to Washington County. Sorrells had reached out to Cellsite Solutions to see if they would be interested in the damaged building for salvage and to put towards the replacement building, we will need to place back at the site. Secondary roads should be able to assist us with the removal of the concrete pad after the damaged building is gone.
Jack Seward reported on how he had been working with our primary insurance carrier ICAP, secondary insurance carrier Sedgwick, and Envista Forensics on the insurance claim. There have been some hurdles, and Envista was hired by Sedgwick to investigate our claim. The investigator with Envista feels the equipment on the tower is a total loss, however the equipment in the damaged shelter can be salvaged, “cleaned”, and put back in service. This proposal goes against everything that RACOM, Washington County, and industry experts believe. There is also an issue with getting the approval to go ahead and order equipment with long lead time. Lastly, it is apparent that since we have not had such a large disaster/catastrophic claim of this nature that we need to sit down with Horak Insurance and update things that are insured and things that are obsolete or out of service. The portable radio building has been identified as being underinsured. Jack Seward is scheduling a Teams meeting with ICAP, Sedgwick, and Horak Insurance the next day at 2 PM. Sheriff Schneider and Cara Sorrells will participate in the call. Chairman Ryan Miller asked if it would be possible to record the meeting and also asked that an email be sent out to the Commission afterwards with an update. It was also mentioned that someone had drone footage of the damage after the storm and that it might be helpful. They thought Deputy Lucas Snedigar went out and took some good footage on his own time and it would be beneficial to get it.
The next Communications meeting date was also set for August 16th, 2023, at 6:00 PM.
Mark Robe made a motion to adjourn the Communications Commission meeting. Jack Seward seconded the motion. The meeting was adjourned at 6:59 PM.
A motion was made to adjourn the 911 Commission meeting by Ryan Miller and seconded by Jared Schneider. The meeting was adjourned at 6:59 PM.
Respectfully submitted by,
Cara Sorrells
Official Publication, minutes to be approved at the August 16th, 2023, meeting. Any amendment to the minutes will be reflected in the following meeting minutes.
Published in The News, Thursday, August 17, 2023 L-246
