Chapter 4.45
DISASTER MINIMIZATION
Sections:
4.45.010 Overview of district.
4.45.050 Disaster vulnerability.
4.45.070 Computer system backup.
4.45.080 Computer system replacement.
4.45.090 Alternate finance office.
4.45.110 Disaster preparedness testing.
4.45.010 Overview of district.
The Cross Valley Water District was created in 1989. Previously, a private water association had operated the utility systems. A three-member board of commissioners, elected to six-year terms, governs the district. The district provides water services, principally from groundwater aquifer sources, and sewer services in certain areas. The district operates with administrative employees and utility field workers. [Res. 2021-11-4; Res. 2011-5-5 (Att.).]
4.45.020 Purpose.
This financial disaster minimization policy is designed to lessen the impact of a disaster upon the financial, investment, water and sewer utility billing and payroll operations for the Cross Valley Water District. This policy is not intended to prevent disasters from taking place, but is solely focused on managing the financial operations after a disaster in addition to or as amended by the current Emergency Response Plan and Risk and Resilience Assessment. [Res. 2021-11-4; Res. 2011-5-5 (Att. § 1).]
4.45.030 Scope.
The district’s financial staff is responsible for the following: billing and collection for the water and sewer utility accounts, fire hydrant meters, miscellaneous accounts receivables and payables, payroll/personnel, utility local improvement district (ULID) billings and collections, and investment of district funds and collecting interest on those investments. The scope of this policy is to ensure that operations of the district are not impaired in the event of a disaster. This includes backing up and maintaining access to the financial software system, protecting the ability to collect and report revenues, ensuring that the district has the ability to pay for emergency repairs and/or payroll in the event of a disaster, and has properly trained personnel available to continue with normal operations of the office. [Res. 2021-11-4; Res. 2011-5-5 (Att. § 2).]
4.45.040 Prioritization.
The priority of the various finance operations responsibilities are generally listed below. However, the order of priority might change due to workloads or time of the month or year.
(1) Computer System. The reestablishing of computers and the computer software is the highest priority. The district has an off-site computer and off-site access that could be used to reestablish the financial software programs, at an off-site location.
(2) Payroll. At a minimum, the district has two employees that can process payroll on a routine basis: the finance manager and the finance staff regularly responsible for payroll. There is a payroll manual that authorized staff can follow. The general manager has authorization to approve and release payroll on the bank’s online website.
(3) Budgetary. The reestablishment of the budgetary records including the year-to-date data once the computer system is reestablished, and the backups completed, budgetary records, including the year-to-date data, would have to be reestablished.
(4) Utility Billing Collection. The district has multiple methods for payments, such as mail, various electronic methods and by phone. Payments would likely be uninterrupted; record of the payments would be inputted after the computer system had been reestablished. A secondary location for collection of payments would have to be established, if the current office location was destroyed. The majority of the electronic payments automatically post to our bank account like the electronic services mentioned above and payments by mail or at a secondary location would need to be manually deposited. All payments would need to be inputted into the billing software.
(5) Investment of Funds. It is anticipated that excess funds would already be on deposit in the local banks or pooled funds. Should any current investments mature during a time of disaster, those would be dealt with on an individual basis by the finance manager or his/her designee, as soon as practically possible.
(6) Accounts Payable. Accounts payable processing would be limited until a computer and a printer were back up and running.
(7) ULID Payments. All ULID payments received via U.S. Mail would be held at the USPS facility in Snohomish for pickup. A secondary location for collection of payments would have to be established if the current office location was destroyed. [Res. 2021-11-4; amended during 2015 codification; Res. 2011-5-5 (Att. § 3).]
4.45.050 Disaster vulnerability.
The district is subject to the following disaster situations: flood, earthquake, fire, thunderstorms with lightning, rainstorms with wind that may bring down trees, ice/winter storm, small aircraft accident, terrorists and cyberattacks.
(1) Flooding. The district’s buildings may have minor flooding if the site sharing million-gallon reservoir broke open in a natural disaster.
(2) Earthquake. The district surrounding area is subject to earthquakes. There is potential for some structural damage if the earthquake were severe enough and flooding if the Vine Street Reservoir was severely damaged in a natural disaster.
(3) Fire. The district administration buildings are surrounded by tall old growth trees. The buildings were built and completed in 2004 out of brick, wooden shingle facings and metal roofing. There are smoke detectors connected to an alarm system and fire extinguishers in all of the buildings. The garage is made out of metal so damage may be limited unless chemicals were involved. The offices are located close to the fire department, which would shorten response time.
(4) Thunderstorms and Lightning. Cross Valley Water District has been affected by thunderstorms with lightning damaging the power, telephone and alarm systems. Generators on site are wired into the building and power would resume momentarily and the alarm system would not affect the finance office. If the phones were down, then the after-hours call services would be contacted. Cell phones would be used for employee communications.
(5) Rainstorms/High Winds. The district is subject to high winds. The administration building is surrounded by tall old growth trees, and high winds may bring a tree down on the building, damaging the power, telephone and alarm systems. Generators on site are wired into the building and power would resume momentarily. Outside communications would be directed to the after-hours call service and cell phones would be used for employee communications.
(6) Ice/Winter Storm. Ice and severe winter storms may occur. Heavy snow and ice could result in possible damage to the building, depending on the severity of the storm. Travel tends to become hazardous, therefore leading to a possibility of some office personnel not being able to make it to work safely. Because the building is on a backup generator, power outages would not be a major issue, unless the power outages were for a long-extended period with no fuel available at the fuel station if the back-up generator failed.
(7) Small Aircraft Accident. We have a small airport located less than 10 miles from the district offices. There is a possibility of an accident although unlikely.
(8) Terrorist Activity. Although the possibility exists of a terrorist-related event happening here, that possibility is low. The district does not warrant that kind of activity. A slightly larger possibility exists that an irate customer might act in a moment of rage. The district has procedures in place for employee safety to notify responders.
(9) Loss of Building. Cross Valley Water District has an old cinder block building that would survive any fire or other type of loss and rebuilding could begin if the main building was destroyed or damaged.
(10) Cyberattacks/Cybersecurity. Cyberattacks and cybersecurity are addressed in the district emergency response plan and risk and resiliency assessment. [Res. 2021-11-4; amended during 2015 codification; Res. 2011-5-5 (Att. § 4).]
4.45.060 Decision tree.
In the event of a disaster, normal lines of communication may be interrupted. In the event that an employee is injured or killed, communication and normal operations would be disrupted for an indefinite period of time. Below is a list of areas that we would address if a disaster occurred.
(1) Communications. It may be necessary to contact employees if a disaster were to occur after hours when no one is at the district offices. In this event, the general manager would be notified and then would call the finance manager and the operations and maintenance manager. Each manager would then be responsible for contacting the employees in their department and giving instructions on the next business day’s operations. In the event that injury or death occurs, the same line of communication would be established, adjusting it where necessary, depending on the people involved.
The general manager, finance manager and operations and maintenance manager would have to determine if the current offices are operable for normal business, or if operations would need to be moved to an alternate site. Office personnel would have to be notified of this information immediately, so they would know where to report for work.
(2) Alternate Decision Making. Depending on the type of disaster and injury or loss of life, alternate decision-making powers may have to be assigned on a temporary basis to an individual who would not typically have that decision-making authority. If the general manager, finance manager or operations and maintenance manager were injured, killed, or otherwise unavailable, critical decisions would be handled by their next most senior surviving staff member. The president of the board or one of the commissioners would need to be contacted and any other decisions that did not need to be made immediately could wait for the board of commissioners to hold an emergency meeting. Alternate decision-making powers would only be granted on an emergency basis.
(3) Check Writing. Since Cross Valley Water District has four separate individuals who are authorized to sign checks, check writing would not be a problem. All checks, however, would have to be approved by the general manager and/or the board of commissioners depending on the circumstances.
(4) Scheduling. Depending on the type and scope of the disaster, full staff may not be needed. This decision would be made based on time of year, condition of the building and safety of the employees and their families. [Res. 2021-11-4; Res. 2011-5-5 (Att. § 5).]
4.45.070 Computer system backup.
Computers are routinely backed up on site and off site. Computer recovery information is located in the emergency response plan. [Res. 2021-11-4; Res. 2011-5-5 (Att.).]
4.45.080 Computer system replacement.
Computer system replacement information is located in the emergency response plan. [Res. 2021-11-4; Res. 2011-5-5 (Att.).]
4.45.090 Alternate finance office.
Optional alternative finance offices (AFO) are established in the emergency response plan. The district has adequate supplies of check stock, deposit tickets, blank forms for utility, personnel and finance departments. The district has backup copies off site of our data that would be used to rebuild the personnel, finance and utility files. [Res. 2021-11-4; Res. 2011-5-5 (Att.).]
4.45.100 Personnel.
Cross-training the staff is essential to disaster preparedness and minimizing the effects due to the loss of office staff in day-to-day operations. This cross-training is not designed to make experts out of each job operation, but it is intended to familiarize each employee with the general operations of other positions. This general knowledge along with the instruction manual created with screenshots should enable our staff to carry on with the mission. Manuals are routinely updated so that any one of the employees can do all the functions. [Res. 2021-11-4; amended during 2015 codification; Res. 2011-5-5 (Att.).]
4.45.110 Disaster preparedness testing.
The district routinely conducts tests to update and verify procedures. [Res. 2021-11-4; Res. 2011-5-5 (Att.).]