As a show of due diligence, Iola City Council members put EMS merger negotiations with the county front and center Monday night. AS FAR AS the operational and logistical details, Fire Chief Donald Leapheart said he has already met with Allen County EMS personnel, and they have started to work out many of the smaller details. IN OTHER BUSINESS:
“The county wants us to give them some hardcore feedback on this,” Mayor Joel Wicoff said. “We’ve got to mark this document up and send it back to them. Then they’ll know that we are serious.”
Council members examined the merger proposal in detail, coming away from the exercise feeling successful and hopeful.
The main sticking point for the city, Administrator Carl Slaugh said, was the overall finances. The county, under the current contract, will allocate $750,000 to the city’s EMS fund every year. The city would be responsible for all expenses, except for replacement of ambulances.
Currently, the proposal says the funding amount will be “up to” $750,000. All of the council members agreed that number should be a fixed amount.
Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Sell, along with EMS Director Ron Conaway, came before the council to offer advice on the matter.
“We are not in the business of making money,” Sell said, addressing the funds. He said he approximated the cost of staffing is $635,000, which would leave a $115,000 cushion in the budget, under the best of circumstances.
In order to give EMS services financial wiggle room, he said there would need to be an additional fund maintained by the county for “big-ticket” purchases. They believed $250,000 would be an appropriate amount.
“It’s doable that way,” Sell said.
“If you give us the money, we will make this work,” Leapheart said. “We have been given an opportunity to make this work.”
“After a year or two, you’re going to hear people say ‘we should’ve done this a long time ago.’”
While many of the smaller details (such as the county’s 48-hour shift and the city’s 24-hour shift) must be ironed out, the city council and emergency personnel agreed those are items the two entities can work together on.
Ultimately, the city council made a motion behind their amended document — to show the county they are making a concerted effort to get this proposal approved.
— Council memberds approved demolition of properties at 402 S. Fourth St. and 307 E. Irwin St. Another house, located at 432 S. Fourth St., was given an extension for repairs.
— An extension was granted for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) paperwork to be submitted to the state.
— The code adoption for standard traffic ordinances and the uniform public offense ordinance were approved by the council.
Council: ‘We will make this work’ EMS proposal still in the works
