To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Tyler S. Brown, Sheriff
Prepared By:
prepared
Nathan Fogg, Director, Office of Emergency Management
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Subject:
title
Renewal of Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between Arapahoe County and the City of Littleton for Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Functions
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Purpose and Request:
recommended action
The Sheriff’s Office requests the Board of County Commissioners to authorize the Chair of the Board of County Commissioners to sign and renew the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between Arapahoe County and the City of Littleton for provision of Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Functions and authorize the Sheriff’s Office to maintain the one Full Time Employee (FTE) to the Office of Emergency Management in the Sheriff’s Office.
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Background and Discussion: The ACSO OEM provides emergency management services to the residents of unincorporated Arapahoe County and current contract municipalities, Centennial, Englewood, and Littleton. In 2023, the City of Littleton recognized the importance of having access to professional emergency managers. During the discussions with the interim City Manager and Police Department, the parties realized that IGA where the City would pay for an Arapahoe County 0.5 FTE that would meet the City's needs while unifying the plans, concepts, and operations of Emergency Management organizations within the county. This unification of planning, organizing, equipping, training, exercising, and responding serves to simplify disaster response and recovery and is expected to yield increased efficiencies as the program matures. The City, as noted in the IGA, will pay for 0.5 FTE ($66,691 inclusive of benefits) and equipment to support the position but receives the benefit of the entire office. Cost increase requests will be submitted in writing to the City of Littleton no later than June 15th of each year.
The efficiencies are gained through the application of consistent planning, training, and responding. The OEM will direct the work of the new emergency management specialist in support of the IGA. Each party to the agreement can expect improvements, the City with items outlined in the agreement and the County by having additional staff to support, more fully, a mission which we would likely accept in the event of large-scale disaster. Long-term, this model is likely to gain momentum with other municipalities and is on the cutting edge of Emergency Management paradigms in Colorado. The first year of IGA is completed and is ready to be renewed with support from the City and the Sheriff’s Office.
Fiscal Impact: The fiscal impact to the county is negligible to maintain the one FTE in OEM, the costs of the 0.5 FTE and equipment are to be paid by the City of Littleton through this IGA. The OEM will direct and oversee the 0.5 FTE's work program, review and approve work product, and in some instances support the City’s efforts with the entire staff. The Sheriff’s Office uses the Emergency Management Performance Grant to fund the other 0.5 FTE costs.
Alternatives: The alternative is for the County to not renew the IGA, terminating the FTE, and return the OEM function back to the city per the IGA. Littleton would continue to maintain nominal responsibility for this function, with the option, per C.R.S., to turn over OEM responsibilities to ACSO when they choose to do so and without financial obligation for costs.
Alignment with Strategic Plan:
☒Be fiscally sustainable
☒Provide essential and mandated service
☐Be community focused
Staff Recommendation: The Sheriff’s Office and OEM recommend signing the IGA.
Concurrence: The City of Littleton and their Police department support the renewal of this IGA.