By ANDY GOODELL
OSKALOOSA — They took it back.
Despite the urging of supporters, the Oskaloosa City Council voted to return funding to the Mahaska County Emergency Management Office back to $1 per capita. The council had previously approved an increase to $1.50 per capita at their May 18 meeting.
Before the council’s vote came down, members of the Mahaska County Emergency Management Commission heaped praises on Emergency Management Commission Coordinator Jamey Robinson.
Gene Rouse, training officer with the Eddyville Fire Department and emergency management commission member, said Robinson’s abilities stood out during the floods of 2008 that threatened Eddyville.
“Eddyville is still there partially because of him,” said Rouse. “I can say I’ve been in the trenches with this young man. He knows what he’s doing and we as a commission want to continue to do this for the citizens of Mahaska County.”
Mayor Dave Dixon said the two issues serving as an impasse where the Emergency Management Office’s budget and the “weighted voting system” associated with the office. The voting system would allow each township in Mahaska County equal say, despite drastic population and funding contribution differences.
The vote to return to $1 per capita funding came after the city’s Finance Committee met previously to discuss the increase.
Councilman Jimmy Carter put forth a motion to return funding per capita to $1. Carter, who also serves as Finance Committee chairman said he was not comfortable with increasing Robinson’s salary from $20,800 to $48,000 or making his position full time, saying neither was “necessary.”
Councilman Aaron Ver Steeg agreed, calling the increase in funding “quite a jump.”
Councilman Wesley Wills questioned why the city council would reconsider the increase to $1.50 per capita because they had already made their decision at the last meeting.
“We’re doing this backwards,” Wills said.
Councilwoman Lori Smith voiced her support for the emergency management office. She suggested the Emergency Management Office be funded at a $1.50 per capita and to let Robinson be full time for a year, saying doing otherwise would not give the office a “fair shake.”
“Let them show what they can do,” Smith said.
Carter and VerSteeg responded by saying it would be difficult to scale Robinson’s position back to part time if it didn’t work out as a full time one after a year.
The Mahaska County Emergency Management Commission first began plans to request additional funding when they voted on the issue in January. Robinson said there has been a lack of communication since that time, which had caused the city council to be unaware of this decision.
Robinson said his office brings in funding, even when there hasn’t been a recent disaster in Mahaska County. He also noted that if his position were full time, more grants would be able to be applied for.
In order to be prepared for any upcoming disaster, plans need to be certified, Robinson went on to say. Without those plans and the time to complete them, the county is unprepared, Robinson said.
“There’s a lot of those plans that need to be put together that are not in place,” said Robinson. “If the Parkersburg tornado became the Oskaloosa tornado, we’re not ready.”
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Herald City Editor Andy Goodell can be reached at news2@oskyherald.com
