Propaganda versus public safety

Commissioners urged to revisit county government's role

The year’s first Commissioners’ Work Session and Meeting yesterday were brief, and Towne Road was not mentioned until public comment.  Due to County policy, Commissioners do not answer questions during the public comment period. However, one attendee requested that the Commissioners consider holding an interactive forum where the community could ask County leaders questions that persist about the Towne Road Levee Setback Project.  Another speaker asked about the promise, made on December 26th by the Commissioners and DCD Director Bruce Emery, to update the County website with steps the County is taking to reopen Towne Road by September 30th – information on those updates was unavailable.  I offered the following public comment:

“In 2014 the County held a ‘Towne Road Work Group’ meeting led by County Biologist Cathy Lear.  The summary of the meeting read: ‘Without Towne Road or equivalent access, emergency response time may be increased by 3-7 minutes’ and ‘If emergency response vehicles are located more than 5 miles away, fire insurance rates increase from $425 to $1000.’

On June 19th of last year, the Fire Chief said in an email: ‘removing connections increases response times and could have a negative effect for the citizens who live in and around that area… These connections can have an effect on insurance ratings for neighborhoods around that area also.’

That email was sent to all three Commissioners.

On August 23rd a home burned north of the Towne Road closure.  The responding units traveled via Towne Road but were forced to detour five miles once they found a locked gate.  The mother and her two daughters survived, their dogs did not.  Once the fire was out, the family's only belongings were the pajamas they wore.  Fire Chief Orr said via email, ‘the added response time certainly added to the loss for that family.  I have encouraged the County Commissioners to have a larger view and to consider the ramifications of their actions regarding closing any public right of way.  I certainly understand the appeal of a pedestrian trail, but I would hope that public safety would outweigh that appeal…’

That email was shared with all three Commissioners.

On September 25th, Sheriff King said that I had been the first to ask him about the closure of Towne Road.  I thought the Commissioners would have asked first responders if a closed road had any effect on public safety.  The Sheriff replied, in part, ‘anytime you close a road response times (depending on the destination) could be affected.’  He also said, ‘Scenarios like this certainly would have impacts to our response time... Closing a road would inevitably have some impact to public safety.’  

I sent Sheriff King's email to all three Commissioners.

And yet, at the September 26th informational meeting, the County didn't tell the public that they knew response times could increase and insurance rates could rise.  With an emphasis on recreation, not public safety, the County even proposed closing the road to traffic.  When someone at the meeting asked if our community's first responders had any input, it was Commissioner Ozias who took the microphone and gave an explanation.  County staff felt it was more appropriate for a commissioner to answer that question, not the Fire Chief who was in attendance and had been speaking to Commissioner Ozias moments before.

The ‘Towne Road’ disaster has exposed severe leadership, procedural, and ethical problems that have opened the public's eyes.  Consequently, confidence in the integrity of the government, and the Commissioners, is eroding.  At the last meeting, Commissioner French reminded the gallery that Board Meetings are for the Commissioners, not for the people.  What is for the people?  When are we allowed to participate?  Who represents our interests when it comes to public safety? 

County government's role isn't to propagandize and repackage information.”