Committee members raised concerns about a recent heat emergency and called for clearer county guidance and overnight cooling options for seniors and medically vulnerable residents who lose power.

Vice Chair Cunningham recounted calls from constituents — including seniors and recently discharged heart‑surgery patients — who lost power and had no place to go overnight. “We should look at a cooling area for 24 hours, especially to put some of these people in,” Cunningham said, describing situations where libraries or municipal facilities could host people during daytime hours but close in the evening.

An executive department official (referred to in the meeting as Executive Director Hough) said the county and municipal partners have been sharing information about cooling centers and encouraging people at high risk to stay inside, stay hydrated and monitor forecasts. “Generally, municipalities, libraries, police stations, municipalities have kind of broad ranging cooling centers across the county, and we’ve shared those lists,” the official said, adding that emergency management also promotes available sites.

Committee members asked communications staff to ensure cooling‑center lists reach older residents and to include the information in commission newsletters and social media. County staff said the list is posted on the county’s social channels and offered to provide representatives with the information for newsletter distribution. Members also asked staff to examine options for overnight or 24‑hour cooling capacity.