The Ada County Commissioners voted Thursday to extend the local disaster emergency hazardous winter weather declaration possibly until January 31st.
Director of Ada County Emergency Management Doug Hardman explained to the Commissioners during an open business meeting Thursday that, because of monumental winter storms over the last nine days, there are “still significant challenges for the cities, utilities, schools, hospitals and citizens.” Hardman said, according to the National Weather Service, a similar weather pattern should be expected for the remainder of the month.
“Extending the declaration activates any and all applicable local or intergovernmental disaster emergency plans. It authorizes issuance of orders and regulations to protect life and property, eases purchasing and contracting restrictions by removing the requirement to seek competitive bids and is a prerequisite for a State declaration,” said Ada County spokeswoman Kate McGwire.
Ada County Emergency Management says it will continue to provide support to ongoing life safety, incident stabilization and property preservation efforts across Ada County related to the current weather hazard and assist in the continuity of critical local government services, according to McGwire.
