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Midland County Newsletter July 2020

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Midland County Newsletter July 2020 MIDLAND COUNTY NEWSLETTER JULY 2020 IN THIS ISSUE New Utility Vehicle for Rail Trail The Opening Hours of an Emergency COVID-19 Update Recovery Process & Financial Aid Overview 2020 July Board of Review: Notice to Property Owners Regarding Appeals Getting Help, Helping Others Midland Area Farmers Market Michigan Vaccination Rates Drop, Could Lead to Outbreaks 2020 Census August 4th Primary Elections Household Hazardous Waste Collection Dams in Michigan Sparklers are Dangerous! Ouch - She Bit Me - Mosquito Update NEW UTILITY VEHICLE FOR THE RAIL TRAIL! Independence Day Trivia Midland County Parks and Recreation would like to thank the Firework Injuries and Safety Tips Friends of the Pere Marquette Rail Trail for their generosity and County Directory partnership throughout the years including donating funds to purchase this Kubota RTV. This utility vehicle will help staff greatly with clean-up, manual cutting, trimming and spraying work on the Pere Marquette Rail Trail. Wave when you see us out working on the trail! Follow Midland County on Social Media for the Latest Updates All Midland County Parks are currently open to the public for recreation except for Sanford Lake Park and the section of the Pere Marquette Rail Trail from Averill Creek to the Salt River Bridge. IMPORTANT DATES THE OPENING HOURS OF AN EMERGENCY July July - National Picnic Month Bridgette Gransden, July 1 - National Postal Worker Day Administrator/Controller July 3 - Independence Day Holiday (Offices Closed) Midland County July 4 – Independence Day July 11 – World Population Day On Monday May 18, 2020 the County of Midland’s Emergency July 15 – National Pet Fire Safety Management Team, under the leadership of Jenifier Boyer, Day Emergency Management Coordinator, had concerns that the July 18 – National Hot Dog Day county was going to experience high levels of flooding. As the day progressed, we also became concerned about the high water levels July 21 - Household Hazardous Waste Collection being experienced at Wixom Lake and the potential impact on the Edenville Dam in Gladwin County. This dam borders Midland July 24 - Amelia Earhart Day County’s Edenville Township. Over the course of the day all eyes July 30 - National Cheesecake Day had been on the two dams north of Edenville in Gladwin County – the Smallwood and Secord Dams. What happened with those two dams would directly impact both the Edenville and Sanford Dams. Sanford Dam is the dam that is the furthest south and the only one located in Midland County. After conversations with Boyce Hydro staff and local fire departments, a virtual activation of the Emergency Operations Center happened about 11 p.m. Monday night. Primary discussion centered on whether or not we were at a point of needing to evacuate people in the event of the dam failing. The decision was August made to fully activate the Emergency Operations Center and begin Children’s Eye Health and Safety the evacuation process of those homes in Edenville Township, Month Jerome Township and the Village of Sanford. Local township fire Family Fun Month department volunteers from across the county were dispatched to begin evacuation about midnight. Dogust 1st - Universal Birthday for Shelter Dogs Emergency Management began working with public safety partners Aug 4 - U.S. Coast Guard Birthday after the 2017 flood to identify impact areas that may need Aug 7 - National Light House Day evacuation in future flooding in conjunction with a dam failure. The plan included such things as the flooding inundation area, advance Aug 10 - National Bowling Day notifications, and the amount of time needed to evacuate. Aug 11 - Household Hazardous Waste Collection We believe the reason we had zero loss of life is twofold. We took Aug 19 - World Humanitarian Day quick action to evacuate and people listened to the warnings. You can knock on hundreds of doors but we can’t control if people Aug 21 National Senior Citizens Day actually leave. Although the dam didn’t fail until Tuesday afternoon on May 19th, people were already out of their homes and out of harm’s way. July 2020 2 COVID-19 UPDATE: Positivity Rate, County Mass Testing Results and Interventions to Prevent Disease Dr. Catherine M Bodnar, MD, MPH Medical Director County of Midland Department of Public Health We may feel as if we are done with the coronavirus, but regrettably, the coronavirus is not done with us. We have heard much in the news about the increased numbers and what they may indicate: more testing or resurgence of disease. Which is it? The positivity rate sheds light on the significance of the increased cases. The positivity rate is the percentage of people testing positive for COVID-19 in relation to the total number of people tested that day. The timing of reporting can vary, (i.e., less reporting on the weekend, catch up reporting early in the week), so the rate can be looked at as a 7 day rolling average to account for the Positivity Rate = # Positive Tests x 100 day to day reporting variance. # Total Tests The World Health Organization (WHO) advised governments that before reopening, rates of positive COVID-19 testing should be at 5% or lower for 14 days. A high positivity rate may indicate that the state is testing only the sickest patients who seek medical attention and therefore not enough testing to know how the virus is spreading within its communities. A low positivity rate is an indication of sufficient testing capacity and the ability to make informed decisions about reopening and staying open. The State of Michigan’s positivity rate remained under 3% June 6th through June 24th. The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center tracks weekly percent change in positivity in all states. The bottom line: We must remain vigilant and it is critical As of June 24th, Michigan has an increased to continue the following practices: positivity rate from 1.4% last week to 2.1% this √ Socially distance at least 6 feet from non- week. While Michigan remains less than a 5% household members positivity rate, we are currently heading in the √ Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth wrong direction. Midland County’s positivity √ Wash hands often with soap and water for at rate has had a greater fluctuation because of least 20 seconds, especially after going to the less availability of testing and has shown several bathroom, before eating and after blowing your recent spikes due to local outbreaks. nose, coughing or sneezing The Midland County Department of Public - If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol based sanitizer Health hosted a mass COVID-19 testing clinic with at least 60% alcohol in conjunction with the Michigan National - Always wash hands with soap and water Guard, Michigan State Police, and the Michigan if hands are visibly dirty Department of Health and Human Services on √ Wear face coverings in public May 30th and 31st. The driver for this testing √ event was the May 18th – 20th flooding event Stay home when sick involving Midland and surrounding counties. √ Covering coughs and sneezes The great majority of the individuals tested √ Throw used tissues in the trash right after use were Midland County residents. A total of 2,415 √ Routinely clean frequently touched objects and individuals were tested, with 6 COVID-19 cases surfaces using a regular household cleaning wipe identified. The positivity rate for this testing or spray event was about 0.25%. July 2020 3 RECOVERY PROCESS & FINANCIAL AID OVERVIEW A global pandemic and a historic devastating flood have impacted thousands in Midland County. Relief efforts are dynamic, evolving and will require a phased and collaborative approach. Individual needs will be diverse and multi-faceted. There are numerous sources of financial relief that may be available. There are also considerations at the local level about building in a flood plain, insurability and proper permitting. PHASE ONE | EMERGENCY Local government and voluntary agencies provided for medical needs and basics like food, shelter, personal care items and cleaning kits. PHASE TWO | RELIEF The initial data collected through self-assessments and actual assessments was submitted to the State of Michigan. That data has now been given to the federal government for consideration of a Disaster Declaration, which could mean potential Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance. Actions for Homeowners: 1. Document damages (home, vehicles, medical, other This information has been structures). extracted from the FAQ document 2. Work with your insurance company and utilize available at ReliefMidland.Com. personal insurance dollars. Click here for the full text. 3. If your insurance claim is denied, be sure to get a written denial. 4. Work with volunteers and National Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) groups for initial mucking-out and drying. If volunteers or VOADs have not been to your home for initial clean-up or mucking out, call United Way of Midland County at (989) 631-3670. 5. Utilize personal savings and interest-free loans available to repair the damage. PHASE THREE | LONG TERM RECOVERY The Long-term Recovery Group is comprised of community organizations, faith-based groups, corporations and volunteers that collaborate and coordinate long-term recovery efforts. Long-term Recovery Group Structure: 1. Financial Support: Raise and allocate local dollars for flood relief; manage in-kind donations. 2. Volunteer Coordination: Coordinate local and national groups to aid in rebuilding. 3. Housing | Rebuild & Construction: Meet short-term housing needs; oversee construction management plans, leverage in-kind donations and coordinate skilled volunteers. 4. Public Relations | Outreach: Communicate about resources, processes and ways to connect with basic needs, case management, construction support and financial help. 5. Case Management | Assessment: Guide individuals through the recovery process and connect them with financial and human resources along with basic needs.
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