BOCC moves forward with WCSO EOC take over

HANNAH COLLINS | The News

Sheriff Kevin Crews of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) took another step up to the podium yesterday at the Board of County Commissioners meeting to discuss absorbing Emergency Management in Washington County.

June 12, at the board workshop, Crews presented his plans for assuming control of Emergency Management (EM) from Washington County. Clay Milton, County Attorney, stepped up along with Crews to extrapolate on what they have been doing to move the county in this direction. 

Milton shared that he had consulted with other counties that have already made similar transitions, including Marion County, whose EM resolution will serve as a framework for Washington County’s version. “I did speak to the Marion County Emergency Management Director and they passed a resolution. They did something similar to what is being proposed here.” stated Milton. Milton stated that the Marion County EM Director is sending him a copy of their resolution. He added that Marion County’s resolution—broader due to its larger population—will serve as a model, with adjustments to meet Washington County’s specific needs.

Milton said a key part of this process is clarifying what authority will shift to the sheriff’s office, what roles the county staff will retain, and which responsibilities will be assigned. Because Sheriff Crews is a separately elected official, Milton recommended the county adopt a resolution and create an interlocal agreement to formalize the new structure.

With hurricane season already underway, Crews urged the board to allow WCSO to start the transitioning of EM immediately. “I’ll take it over immediately so my team can start planning and preparation,” he said. The urgency is also driven by the upcoming retirement of current EM Director, Lynn Able, who is set to retire at the end of August. Crews said early involvement would help ensure a smooth transition under a new director.

Commissioner Wesley Griffin agreed with this, making a motion to immediately start the process of transitioning EM to the WCSO. Commissioner Joey Brock seconded this motion. However, Deputy Clerk, Risha Brantley, asked whether the motion also included animal control, which Crews had discussed taking over at the workshop. Due to this line of statements, Commissioner Ashlynn Marquez proposed amending the motion to include animal control and to specify that while WCSO would assume operational control now, the EM budget would not transfer until the new fiscal year begins on October 1. Griffin accepted the amendment.

When the topic was opened for discussion, Commissioner David Corbin asked Milton how this motion would affect the board moving forward. “What does that mean for the board if this is approved today?” asked Corbin. Milton clarified that although no resolution is in place yet, the vote would signal the board’s intent to move in that direction.

“I know that the sheriff needs to get in that office, to be in touch with the current Emergency Management Director, [and] to get as much training as possible with the anticipation that this resolution will get done within the next 30 days,” Milton added.

Chairman David Pettis remained hesitant. “Until we have that resolution where he knows what he’s doing and we know what we’re doing, he can’t be in charge, correct?” he asked.

Milton acknowledged the unusual nature of approving the motion without a resolution in place. “Im a little bit concerned with jumping straight into this and saying ‘Hey, you take this over’ without having that resolution.” stated Milton. “Right now you have an emergency management director that is still on staff until August. Is she now an employee of the sheriff’s office: effective as of passing this motion?” Milton explained further. “I would think not. I would think everything stays in place until the end of the fiscal year when he takes that budget over. But, does his staff need to get in there and get training? Absolutely.”

Pettis said this interpretation made more sense to him. “We [the board] make this decision today, you would start the training process or your transition,” he said, clarifying that operational command would officially begin once the resolution is finalized.

Commissioner Corbin suggested that Lynn Able work directly with Milton and Crews on both the resolution and training, helping guide the sheriff’s team through the transition while she remains in her current role.

Jeff Massey, County Administrator, also voiced some concerns. “Without that roadmap [resolution], I don’t like our odds.” stated Massey. He continued stating that he believes they should have the resolution in place first so the sheriff knows exactly what he is doing, Massey knows what he is doing, and the transition is smooth. “If we just go into it blind, we are not going to have the best results,” he said. 

Ultimately, the board voted to allow the sheriff and his staff to begin the training and transition process, while the county attorney and staff work on drafting a formal resolution. Griffin noted that if needed, the board could hold an emergency meeting to approve the resolution once it is ready.

The only dissenting vote came from Chairman Pettis, who clarified that his decision had nothing to do with his confidence in the sheriff. “I’m just not at peace with making the decision yet,” he said. However, he promised Sheriff Crews his full support moving forward with this matter.

Sheriff Crews has a positive outlook on the collaboration. “This integration will foster a more efficient, coordinated, and resilient emergency management framework, ultimately better serving the citizens of Washington County.”