A committee to explore ambulance service was named Tuesday by Allen County commissioners.
Kent Thompson, rural LaHarpe, an Iola real estate agent and former county commissioner; Sheriff Tom Williams, Gas; Vada Aikins, Humboldt council member; Jeff Johnson, rural Elsmore, an Iola banker; and Nelda Cuppy, Moran, retired Allen County Community College instructor, have been designated by the county. They join former Iola mayors John McRae and Bill Maness and former Iola radio broadcaster Mike Russell, appointed by Iola Mayor Bill Shirley.
County Clerk Sherrie Riebel will survey members to determine a day for meetings. County Counselor Alan Weber will establish goals and set out parameters.
Commissioner Dick Works said he thought few meetings would be needed to “hear the facts about each service (county and Iola’s) and apply some common sense.
“It really should be pretty cut and dried,” he said.
Committee meetings will be open to the public.
Iola started its own ambulance service in 2008. In 2010, with discussions about a new Allen County Hospital progressing, a five-year moratorium was put on discussions between Iola and county governing bodies.
A component of that agreement was formation of a study committee, with three members appointed by each body. County commissioners earlier this year proposed increasing the size of the committee to give county residents, spread over 500 square miles, better representation. Mayor Shirley first balked, then agreed.
Committee members will weigh facts and figures of each service and may recommend changes, which would be triggered only by accord by both the county and Iola.
COMMISSIONER Gary McIntosh proposed commissioners give thought to what might happen to the existing hospital when a new one opens in about two years.
Weber, who has advised hospital trustees through their laborious task of deciding a site for the new hospital, wondered if a decision two years out was too early.
“And whose decision is it?,” he asked, noting the hospital board should have a role.
“We should think about what we may want to do with it,” McIntosh said. “Establish a philosophy of whether we want to sell it, tear it down, or whatever. We need to decide a direction.”
