The Lyon County Commission has approved the creation of an emergency/communications manager position and has supported a budget transfer of more than $175,000 in general fund contingency to cover its salary, benefits and services.
The job’s duties will stand separate for the first time in more than 12 years after former County Manager Jeff Page was hired as county manager and took on both roles. Page recently announced his retirement after serving as Lyon’s fourth county manager.
“The public is often attuned to us when there is an emergency going haywire, where there’s a flood, fire, shelter setup, and it makes sense to have a person sitting in the cockpit,” human resources Director Eric Milavsky told the board.
The position serves as emergency management coordinator with duties including the implementation of an operations plan and establishment of an operations center as needed; serving as incident commander; developing goals, objectives, policies and procedures with the county’s emergency management activities; making presentations and recommendations regarding activities and representing the county at emergency management meetings and conferences; applying for, obtaining and administering grants and making sure the county remains in compliance; and serving as the county’s public information officer.
Milavsky said it’s a “natural fit” for the person to perform the communications aspect of the job to be on call to the local lieutenants in the sheriff’s office in Lyon’s communities.
Commissioner Ken Gray, representing District 3, asked if it would be possible to partner with Storey, Douglas or Churchill counties to help absorb the costs for the position, noting when one natural weather emergency impacts a county, it is likely to impact a neighboring community in another.
Milavsky said staff has made contact to fire districts in other jurisdictions to explore options about coordinating resources.
“We get flooding from Storey County,” Gray said. “It makes sense to have a unified plan.”
Commissioner Wes Henderson, representing District 4, was reluctant to make it a full-time, 40-hour-per-week position to start, although he said having a PIO available would be necessary.
Comptroller Josh Foli responded and said staff felt the work likely would justify the emergency position to be full-time.
“My recommendation to the board is we take a look at creating our own position to start with,” he said. “It’s big enough, I think it’s going to have to be full-time.”
The budget transfer of $175,689 also includes $14,000 for services and a one-time vehicle purchase of $61,000, which typically is spent on a Ford Explorer the sheriff’s office usually makes.
While board members questioned the vehicle price, board Chair Vida Keller noted the position will be wearing more than one hat and will travel frequently throughout the county.
The motion to approve the position passed 5-0.
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