Before they can prepare Oxford for the next big disaster or emergency situation, officials are busy organizing themselves in one large group.
The newly-formed Oxford Preparedness Task-force (or OPT for short) held it’s first formal meeting Friday, May 9.
The 20-member task force consists of representatives from the township board, village council, village administration, school district, village police, Oakland County Sheriff’s Department, Michigan State Police, Oxford Fire Department, village Department of Public Works, village water plant, township and village planning commissions, Oxford Area Chamber of Commerce, Oxford Community Development Authority, POH Medical Center-Oxford, village and township engineers, township parks and recreation department, and township water and sewer committee.
The task force’s purpose is to prepare Oxford for any and all possible emergencies or disasters ranging from terrorist attacks to water contamination to weather-related problems.
Township Trustee Charles Kniffen was elected chairman of the task force, while village President Steve Allen was selected as vice chair and Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jennifer Duncan-Salter named secretary.
Four subcommittees were formed by the task force ? Water/Sewer/Infrastructure, Disaster Plan, Communication and Emergency Transportation and Housing.
Named to the Water/Sewer/Infrastructure Subcommittee were village DPW Director Don Brantley, township Trustee Shirley Clancy (who also serves on the township water and sewer committee), village engineer Doug Skylis, township engineer Shannon Perry, township Planning Commissioner Kallie Roesner (who also serves on the township water and sewer committee), and village Water Plant Superintendent Jim Smith.
Clancy suggested that perhaps a representative from the Oakland County Drain Commission (which operates the township’s water system) should also be added to that subcommittee.
Named to the Disaster Plan Subcommittee were Fire Chief Jack LeRoy, village Police Chief Neymanowski, county Sheriff’s Sgt. Glenn Walker, state police Sgt. Lynne Walker (from the Lapeer post), POH Medical Center Administrator John Koloszvary and Oxford Schools Communications Director Edie Paradowski.
The Communication Subcommittee is comprised of Allen, Kniffen, Paradowski, Duncan-Salter and township Supervisor Bill Dunn.
The Emergency Transporation and Housing Subcommittee consists of LeRoy, Neymanowski, Walker (OCSD), Paradowski, Koloszvary and village Manager Mark Slown.
All future task force meetings will occur at 9 a.m. on the fourth Friday of the month at the second floor of the Oxford Memorial Veterans Civic Center. The next meeting is June 27.