Ida McClelland

The meeting began with a roundtable introduction session. A key discussion point was the finding that the Anderson County LEPC is not in compliance with bi-laws regarding officer elections from the previous year. New officers were appointed to fill unexpired terms, including a Secretary/Treasurer, Chairman, Vice-Chairman, and Information Coordinator, all serving terms ending December 31st, 2025. Members were asked to review the bi-laws and suggest changes, with a suggestion made to offer a Zoom option for meetings, excluding the final annual meeting. The session concluded with a roundtable update from each entity regarding their organization and relevant happenings.

The meeting was called to order and included an invocation. Under Old Business, a review of the bylaws was conducted, resulting in updates to Articles 2.4, 3, and 4, as well as KORA costs in the final rule, with a revised set scheduled for the next meeting. New Business featured the formation of subcommittees for funding/grants, training, and exercise, and a presentation by Southern Star on pipeline safety. A roundtable discussion allowed members to share organization-specific updates, and it was suggested that exercise planning take place during the September meeting.

The meeting covered various topics including the election of officers, which resulted in the retention of the current officers for 2022. Discussions included upcoming trainings and exercises planned by different organizations, such as a mock fire drill with Garnett firefighters, active shooter training for the school district, and a contaminated water supply exercise for the City of Garnett. A grant was received to fund a full-scale hazard materials exercise in Hawkins. Roundtable discussions provided updates from various organizations on projects and activities, including road expansion, building renovations, fire department activities, EMS updates, health department resources, and updates from local businesses and the city.

The meeting included a review of the COVID-19 pandemic response, with plans to conduct a hot wash to identify areas for improvement. The renewal of the Local Emergency Operations Plan (LEOP) was discussed, along with the need for emergency exercises to maintain compliance with the State of Kansas.

The meeting covered various topics including the election of officers, review of the County Emergency Operations Plan and ESF partners, and organization reports. Discussion included updates on FEMA aid, upcoming trainings (Red Cross/Shelter Management, tabletop exercise on tornadoes, Red Cross Smoke Detector Week), recent trainings (Active Shooter Mitigation, Stop the Bleed), courthouse renovations, harvest activities, sewer repairs, a new water treatment facility, pipeline construction, and road preparations for an upcoming snowstorm. Reports were also given on the status of the renewable diesel plant project and a new mapping program for dispatch.