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Event transcript
9/20/24 Joint meeting of County Council commissioners to order. I know Commissioner Schellenberger is in the building. Will join 00:00:03
this momentarily then. 00:00:07
You'll join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic 00:00:12
for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. 00:00:19
All right. 00:00:30
So 1234 it's like I have 5. 00:00:32
People who have signed up to speak. 00:00:37
And we'd like to limit this to like 2 to 3 minutes each. 00:00:42
Rick, you were my timer before, but out there, I don't know how effective you would or wouldn't be. So Daniel didn't do that. But 00:00:47
we still love you, and you'll be our timer next time, OK? OK. 00:00:53
Yeah. 00:01:00
Two. OK, so Mr. Chris Pelman. 00:01:02
And if you'll state your address county of residency, that'd be great. 00:01:07
My name is Chris Hellman. I live at 7661 Navelton Rd. In Floyd County. 00:01:12
Thank you. 00:01:19
OK, so I've kind of kept quiet on this whole subject. 00:01:21
The current provider we're using for EMS. One of the issues that has been had with that provider was. 00:01:28
They're utilizing firefighters. 00:01:36
On ambulances, Which? 00:01:39
Depletes their fire coverage. 00:01:41
My concern is that you all are looking at potentially going with another model. 00:01:44
Would emulate that exact same. 00:01:51
Model. 00:01:56
As a firefighter. 00:01:59
Having three people on a fire truck is extremely important. It is important to us as the fire department, as the firefighters are 00:02:01
going to be there fighting the fire. 00:02:06
And to the public. 00:02:12
You, if you have a fire truck, show up with one person. 00:02:14
On the truck, they are completely ineffective. 00:02:18
They are not able to do their job properly to save. 00:02:21
Lives and property. 00:02:25
That's all I've got. 00:02:29
I just want you all to think about that with your old decision. 00:02:31
Thank you very much for being here and speaking. 00:02:35
Diana Mayfield. 00:02:38
I know you've joined us before, but if you'll please give your address. Diana Mayfield, 6408 Brent Drive, Floyd Noms, Floyd 00:02:44
County. 00:02:49
OK, I'm I wrote it down this time so wouldn't forget. 00:02:54
OK, I'm here tonight to ask that as representatives. 00:02:59
For the taxpayers that you slow down and look at all the possibilities and make decisions that are for the betterment of the 00:03:03
community and not self-serving, it is easy to review the part of any proposal that you like and ignore the rest. You need to look 00:03:11
to protect Olive oil county. While the cost may be the largest part. Look at 911 services as well as non-emergency transports and 00:03:18
the cost to cover the entire county not just the hill. 00:03:26
If New Albany and Franklin Township. 00:03:34
To cover the entire county with all the services, not just portions of the county. The public voted you people into office because 00:03:38
they trusted you. Don't breach that trust and rush into any situation that is not better meant for the entire county. 00:03:47
And I did have one gentleman tell me how transparent the boards are. 00:03:57
That all for accounting boards are transparent. I beg to disagree. 00:04:04
I think they're about as transparent as a black garbage bag, so. 00:04:09
I'm it's it's terrible. 00:04:15
You know, one thing that really bothers me is the meetings. The meetings are sometimes 6:00, five, o'clock, 4:45. They seem to be 00:04:19
scheduled when a lot of public can't be here to speak. Utah, stop and look at people who are working today. 00:04:27
There's a lot of them Can't get off work and even get here. 00:04:37
For 4:45 meeting, that's not fair to your public. It's not fair to your constituents at all. You need to make it where all can 00:04:40
attend. 00:04:45
So I think you all need to end up being more transparent and pay more attention to your constituents. Get out there and talk to 00:04:50
them. They're not well, they're allowed to come in here. 00:04:56
I've talked to a bunch of them that would have been here. 00:05:02
But they can't meet the time frame that you all set. 00:05:05
So that might be something you want to consider in the future when you start talking about transparency. 00:05:09
Thank you. Thank you, Chair Bush. 00:05:15
Thank you very much, Sheriff Steve Bush. I just wanted to say a few things on the Advisory Board to this board. We've been at 00:05:21
many, many meetings that are jointly done. A lot of opinions that's come out from this topic, a lot of emotions. 00:05:27
They'll also lost a lot of vetting, still got more to do. So I just want to really just say. 00:05:34
Looking from the past, we're looking from currently into the future that we look at. 00:05:39
As a dispatch, we have to be able to dispatch somebody. 00:06:13
We want to make sure we're prepared to do that one way or the other. So thank you very much. 00:06:15
Thank you, Darrell Mills. 00:06:19
Darrell Mills with New Albany Township, president of the. 00:06:26
New Albany Township Fire Board. 00:06:31
Like take this opportunity first of all. 00:06:34
Take Everybody in this room knows that. 00:06:36
Your Chapel far is under a lot of scrutiny and. 00:06:39
We have a lot of turmoil going on. I won't take this opportunity to thank. 00:06:43
Highlander Fire Department, Georgetown Township Fire Department. 00:06:47
Tri-county and Borden and also New Albany City Fire Department for helping us through these times right now. 00:06:52
We have a lot of legal issues that we're dealing with. I can't really speak for those. 00:06:58
But we're going to upright this fire department, the boards. 00:07:04
Been meeting regularly. I think you all seen me. I've been trying to stay. 00:07:07
On top of everything with your all situation with contract for the ambulance service. 00:07:11
I think most of my conversations have been pretty open with several of you that have spoke to me. 00:07:17
New Chapel. 00:07:24
Fire Department. 00:07:26
Us as a board, we are not in a situation to run our own ambulance service. 00:07:27
I think it needs to be a county wide fire department ambulance service if that's what you do, not just. 00:07:33
Certain areas. 00:07:38
I'm not speaking against any agency here, I'm only speaking on behalf of the Albany Township. 00:07:40
But I think we need a county wide. 00:07:46
Ambulance service that will service New Albany Township residents as well as anyone else. 00:07:49
We don't know what our issues are going to be fiscally. 00:07:55
Trying to straighten out the fire department, but our priority is Fire Protection, not ambulance service. We've never provided 00:07:58
ambulance service. 00:08:02
We've always relied off the county commissioners contract. We don't own ambulances. 00:08:06
I live in New Albany Township. 00:08:11
I'd like to see New Orleans Township protected with ambulance the same as the rest of the county. 00:08:13
Please take that into consideration. I'm open to meetings. 00:08:18
But I think one ambulance service service in the county. 00:08:23
With the county commissioners contract. 00:08:26
It's their choice on who they go with. I want to step on their toes. 00:08:29
But we need to have coverage too. 00:08:33
And I don't know fiscally. 00:08:35
What we're going to be at once we get all this going with our fire services, but right now? 00:08:37
We need a fire service in New Albany Township. 00:08:42
They can say they got one. I saw the interviews. 00:08:45
Right now, we're relying on MO Houston to answer our FAR calls. 00:08:49
So that's our priority right now. 00:08:53
30 seconds. 00:08:55
So I appreciate any support that you all could give us in New Albany Council. 00:08:57
Thank you. Thank you. 00:09:01
Tim Harbison. 00:09:04
I live at 3820 Edwardsville Galena Rd. 00:09:14
I'm a very linear thinker, and so I'm going to tell you right up front. 00:09:19
That this may be oversimplified. 00:09:23
But to me. 00:09:27
Attended meetings, watching the videos. 00:09:29
Something that seems so painfully simple has been so extensively debated. 00:09:32
And I just figured there must be a piece of the puzzle that lots of us in the audience do not see. 00:09:38
Ameripro $1.5 million price tag and I watched the video of the last. 00:09:46
Meeting of the Council and nobody could tell us for sure how to fund that $1.5 million. 00:09:54
New Chapel. 00:10:04
I'm sorry, they're really not an option. 00:10:06
Clark County neighbor of ours is spending. 00:10:09
Has at least one person with a credit card spending our money on a lot of different things. 00:10:13
And they're under an FBI investigation. 00:10:18
So like I said, oversimplified if you have three choices. 00:10:21
And two aren't viable. You only have one option left. 00:10:28
And like I said, there's probably a piece to this puzzle that I don't understand. 00:10:32
But two of the council members and. 00:10:37
Two of the Commissioners. 00:10:41
Seem to doubt the proposal that the Highlander Fire District put forward. 00:10:42
And they seem to doubt. 00:10:49
The funding that members of their own council put forward. 00:10:51
And yet I haven't seen any of the data. 00:10:55
That backs up their doubts. 00:10:59
On why the funding was incorrect. 00:11:02
Or why? 00:11:05
The professional firefighters and Highlander Fire District could not deliver the service that they offered, so if there's some 00:11:08
data out there that helps you. 00:11:13
Decide that Highlander couldn't do what they say they're going to do more that the funding. 00:11:20
That some of your own council proposed, I think it would help all of us in the audience to know what the data is. Thank you. 00:11:27
Thank you, Bill. 00:11:35
I'm Bill Banta. I'm the chief of the Georgetown Township Fire Department. 00:11:43
I've been up here several times and I've said the same thing several times. Georgetown Township. 00:11:47
Supports the legal process that was inspired by the board by the commissioners through their recommendation to accept the contract 00:11:52
through Maripo looking at at least one year contract. 00:11:57
I've said this several times. 00:12:03
Give yourself a little breathing room and sign the contract on Monday. Start Tuesday to end up resolving this issue permanently. 00:12:04
But again, we've said it several times. 00:12:12
There was a legal process. 00:12:16
And it should be followed. 00:12:18
Thank you. Thank you. 00:12:19
All right, so that is everyone who had signed up. 00:12:22
To speak tonight and we do have one item of new Business Today and that's to continue the discussion of the EMS. 00:12:25
Situation here, so I think. 00:12:34
All of the commissioners attended. 00:12:36
The funding meeting that you all had Monday a week ago, I believe. 00:12:38
And just to give us a starting point of. 00:12:44
For where we are. 00:12:47
You know, a majority of the commissioners did put forward a plan to negotiate with the mayor of Pro. 00:12:50
For coverage for the entire county. 00:12:55
New Chapel was taken off the table. 00:12:59
Primarily because they could not show financial solvency. 00:13:03
And then there was a second proposal or a third put forward regarding how you look at it. 00:13:08
From Highlander Fire Protection District. 00:13:15
To provide EMS service. 00:13:18
But the missing piece to that puzzle, perhaps, is that they're not going to cover the whole county. They're they're covering. 00:13:20
Quote UN Quote The Hill. 00:13:26
So I think that's where we are as kind of a stepping off. 00:13:28
For tonight is at the beginning of your all funding meeting. There was a discussion of. 00:13:32
Of the 1.4 million, which I think is the number we're looking at rather than 1.5. 00:13:39
Where was that going to come from concretely? And there were some leads that were discussed. And there was. And I saw people 00:13:45
taking notes at that meeting and they've said they were going to maybe follow up with looking at that. And then there was the 00:13:49
discussion of Highlander, so. 00:13:53
I guess my first jumping off point is. 00:13:58
Was there any further looking into the funding of the Commissioners proposal? 00:14:01
For the county wide coverage from America Pro for 1.4 million. 00:14:07
I I think there's been lots of discussions and. 00:14:14
Ideas that are still being. 00:14:20
Processed and. 00:14:23
Making sure they're viable options. 00:14:26
I think everything we had on paper. 00:14:31
Showed us. 00:14:34
75% there. 00:14:38
Available. Not that we agreed upon it, but. 00:14:41
Available. 00:14:44
To do you know funds that could be made available I. 00:14:47
I think the. 00:14:55
The sticking point? 00:14:57
Is probably. 00:14:58
How long do we want to try to negotiate this contract? 00:15:02
And what happens? 00:15:05
After the contract what what type of planning? 00:15:07
Goes into the the after. 00:15:12
Yeah, one concrete update from that from discussions with the Mayor Pro is that you know we that RFP originally was for three 00:15:15
years. 00:15:18
And they are not willing to go below 2 years. 00:15:22
But it seems like there is we have to go to two years. 00:15:27
And I know that. 00:15:30
The there was also discussion about the commissioners meeting halfway or trying to find some funds for that as well and. 00:15:34
So I think, Mr. Love. 00:15:41
Had discussed at least. 00:15:45
Two potential issues out of Jason, do you want to comment on that? Yeah, I think one of the issues that we we discussed where 00:15:47
there was some money available was the where we had set aside for broadband. 00:15:52
Broadband coverage. 00:15:58
So I think there's about $600,000. 00:16:00
Available in there that we can use to offset that so. 00:16:04
If I have to choose between broadband and emergency services while I choose emergency services. 00:16:09
Well, since we're talking about broadband. 00:16:14
We initially had $1,000,000 set aside. 00:16:17
And over the years we have. 00:16:20
We have given up 400,000. 00:16:23
200,000 like for the building turn 1000 for I'm not sure what it was but I am totally against. 00:16:26
Using that 600,000 for the for EMS. 00:16:32
I live about Greenville and Lafayette. We have a lot of areas out there. I still have broadband. 00:16:36
Y'all be you might be OK. 00:16:43
Adjacent Georgetown and Franklin. There's a lot of areas out there, too. 00:16:46
And but this money has been reserved for broadband and I am totally against that. I think we're just cutting our cutting nose off 00:16:50
spotter face with that. 00:16:54
And it's only just a one time, just a one time give. 00:16:59
And so if you're looking at two year contract, what are you going to do to supplement that the the second year? 00:17:03
So I'm told against using. 00:17:09
I think the people. 00:17:11
In Floyd County, that out in the rural areas that don't have broadband. 00:17:13
I think they would be outraged. 00:17:17
Well, I think that as time has gone on, I think technology kind of. 00:17:20
Runs pretty quickly. I mean, I can't even walk out of the phone store without getting a new phone already. And you know, the truth 00:17:24
is, is that we're at a point where. 00:17:28
You know, there's plenty of options out there. High speed options with satellite servers such as Star Link. 00:17:31
That somebody could pay for, you know, so. 00:17:36
I really, I'm really not sure you know, as far as on a local level how much we should be. 00:17:39
Paying for people's broadband when we have emergency services that need funded. So that's just my opinion. 00:17:45
Well, the. 00:17:51
The Indiana Broadband Association, I talked with one of them today and they've got two rounds coming up. 00:17:53
First one will be sometime in July of this year and the second will be fourth quarter or next year. 00:18:00
And you know, it's a long process because they're looking at. 00:18:07
They're comparing the address that they have are the ones that been reported that want to make sure that they got the database 00:18:11
right. So it's you know it it it's a it's a slow process. 00:18:15
But again, they have plans. 00:18:20
To work with the. 00:18:22
To work with the with the providers and. 00:18:25
They are. They'll be putting their plans together and and when they look at that, they're looking at how much. 00:18:28
How much money will be will be? 00:18:34
Will be provided and not only by the by the provider, but also local match. 00:18:38
From the from local government and so we need to have skin in the game and we don't have that money there. We don't have skin in 00:18:45
the game. 00:18:48
Well, if we're looking at different sources, I will. 00:18:55
Consider a broadband just because, as I said, I'd rather have areas not covered by broadband than not covered by ambulance. We 00:18:58
have other options. Like I said, I'll look at and listen to lots of other options. Doctor Harris, did you join us after we began? 00:19:04
OK. Sorry I didn't. I didn't see you there. 00:19:13
So. 00:19:17
All right. So any other leads on? 00:19:21
Coverage for the entire county. 00:19:25
With the Ameriprro. 00:19:27
Contract that was approved for that was suggested, are we talking one year or two years, so we need to have at least two years. 00:19:30
Of funding and so. 00:19:38
I I would love to see. 00:19:41
What Danny thinks the numbers look like for a two year funding. 00:19:43
When we're 75% there, if he could put those on the board because I don't know what they are. 00:19:47
We talked about him in our Monday night meeting. Can we can we have you put him on the board for us? 00:19:53
If you think we're there, I mean, because I'm really, I'm just being serious. I don't know how we're going to use, I don't know 00:19:58
where 75% of it's going to come from. 00:20:03
If if we have it, I'm. 00:20:09
That's that's a great thing for a two year period. From my recollection, you all had discussed CARES ACT money. 00:20:12
Yes, we have, and there is a discussion as to whether that should go just for the Highlander Fire Protection District or to the 00:20:18
Ameripro, right, that is, Mr. Bagshaw stated. A good portion of that has been earmarked for the health department and their new 00:20:23
home in 2026. 00:20:28
Yes, so. 00:20:34
So again, options there's options for using. 00:20:37
That CARES Act money that was already set aside for something, or the ARPA money that was already set aside and I don't have. 00:20:41
Or the Legacy Foundation Foundation was mentioned Money. 00:20:50
Which we would have to get into the umm. 00:20:54
The principal Thank you, the principal for. 00:21:01
Again. 00:21:05
All options, but have we talked with and done any? 00:21:07
Further homework on the I believe I even heard someone stay under their breath, maybe off microphone about an EMS lip tax. 00:21:11
So what? It probably didn't get into the minutes. 00:21:19
I've stayed on the record. It needs to be part of the discussion. 00:21:23
If you're gonna have a service. 00:21:26
And you want to have ongoing funds for that service whether it's county wide EMS, whether it's privatized? 00:21:29
Whether it's stitched together from the different fire districts doing. 00:21:35
Which really are the only three options. 00:21:39
Then you have to have some sort of ongoing funding for that and. 00:21:41
So I think that needs to be. 00:21:45
On the tables. 00:21:49
I don't disagree if that's the way we want to go. I don't see any other way to fund this. 00:21:51
Besides a EMS tax if we want to go this direction. 00:21:57
Which means you have to put it in place this year, I believe. 00:22:02
In order to start collecting it next year. 00:22:06
And again, we'd have to talk with our financial people about the timing of how that tax would work. 00:22:09
I would tell you I probably in all sincerity talked to no less than 100 people constituent like outside of these meetings and I'm 00:22:17
sure everybody else has to and we had one speaker. 00:22:22
At the last meeting, I can't recall his name, but he stood up there and said that that seemed to be the most logical. 00:22:29
You know, talked about it. I think his estimation was $39.00 a person in the county. 00:22:36
Four to five people that I talked to. 00:22:43
We're saying that that seems to make sense. I do get people that balk at that and I get that. 00:22:45
If you're going to do that, you have to have a non reverting fund where that money goes. 00:22:52
Towards EMS and everybody EMS. 00:22:56
People need to be able to see where their tax money goes, OK? 00:22:59
So CARES Act Money 1.1 million Riverboat 125 Reporter 350. Is that a new one that was not discussed previously? 00:23:03
OK. So and then it'll be an ongoing. 00:23:13
50 to 70,000 per year. 00:23:15
Can you explain? 00:23:18
When we got the new Lao. 00:23:21
Software. 00:23:24
And after an internal audit. 00:23:25
Funds. 00:23:27
Shifted back to the general fund, they were left in an account. 00:23:28
Within the Recorder's office, and it was, it was found. That's about. 00:23:32
6-7 years worth. 00:23:37
Of it just kind of rolling over. So that's a one time. So that was not discussed at the last meeting it was not and then Mr. 00:23:39
Bagshaw discussed rainy day fund. 00:23:43
At the last meeting to correct. 00:23:47
And there'd be a range on that anywhere from. 00:23:50
Dale, you recall what you. 00:23:54
I suggested possibly the first year, but. 00:23:57
If we really wanted to tap into rainy day, I mean, we could fund it. 00:24:00
Earmark raining day for the next two years, but you believe down pretty. 00:24:04
Drastically right? They need to be replenished. 00:24:07
So. 00:24:14
I'm owing the math there there's there's. 00:24:18
If you had the rainy day at the bottom of that, then there's more than enough to cover for two years of that. 00:24:20
So if we want to get into those are a couple of things on there that I I'm just I just need to point out. 00:24:29
Number one, the legacy. 00:24:35
It's really up to the legacy board whether they give us that or not. We have no. 00:24:37
Say and whether we get that we have a say in in the lump sum portion. If we choose the lump sum portion, we do. 00:24:42
And we could. 00:24:49
Get that? 00:24:50
And that. 00:24:52
And like I said in the last meeting. 00:24:54
I see no reason. 00:24:56
That the Legacy Foundation would not approve this because what greater legacy? 00:24:58
And for the Betterment County, then public safety. 00:25:02
I agree, but I'm just, I'm just pointing it out. And the other thing is. 00:25:06
Only part of the let's see, you've got the budget. 00:25:12
We've already had to pay New Chapel five months of that. 00:25:18
So. 00:25:24
So not all the 220 is there. 00:25:25
For this year, will we be there next year? 00:25:29
I mean, I understand, but yes, I mean potentially right. 00:25:32
Could be. 00:25:38
Would you mind adding the rainy day at the bottom there to sort of range please? 00:25:40
What's the current balance? The current available balance minus the Care Act money that implied is 2.8 million. 00:25:48
I saw. 00:25:56
Mr. Steve Burks enter the room gate. 00:25:58
You sit on the legacy foundation, would you have any comment on that? I mean I sit on that as well and I know that historically 00:26:02
we've talked about that the funds should not go towards. 00:26:06
What should be a budgeted? 00:26:11
Fund item correct, but but I don't think that's written into the charter. 00:26:14
And I I'm not trying to put anybody on the spot, I'm just trying to have an informal meeting and you might have information useful 00:26:21
to us. 00:26:24
An informal formal meeting, I would refer to Mr. Striegel or Miss Hendricks, who's in the audience, but my understanding is. 00:26:28
The legacy board simply grants money. 00:26:35
Of the interest off that. 00:26:40
There can be a supermajority. 00:26:46
That can say we will. 00:26:48
You know, we'll have. 00:26:50
That 400,000, whatever it was up there. 00:26:52
Toward this and so. 00:26:55
The purpose of the legacy board is simply to grant. 00:26:57
Money to nonprofits. That's the entirety of our of our Rd. It's not just nonprofits, but, well, what I'm saying. We're the grant, 00:27:04
Grant Turbors. 00:27:09
That's the entirety of our responsibilities when it gets into the nuances of taking money from there. 00:27:14
Then it only comes back to the Council. 00:27:22
And there may have been some legislation that's changed. That's my understanding as the Chairman of the board. 00:27:25
Thank you. 00:27:31
Krishna Kumar Pvt. Ltd. 00:27:35
I think there's another option that I brought up at our last meeting and no one seems to continue. Not going to bring this up. I 00:27:38
guess it's one no one wants to address, but. 00:27:43
I think we need to ask the Commissioners to come to the table with this. 00:27:49
And look at this I. 00:27:53
Then it's benefit study that we had completed. We for some reason have not had this meeting to review this to get some 00:27:55
comparisons. 00:28:00
I've done some rough numbers on this, trying to get us into an average of. 00:28:05
These other numerous counties were involved in this. 00:28:09
And I see potential savings of pension of 282,000 a year. 00:28:13
Which would grow. 00:28:19
With interest every year. 00:28:20
And in addition, healthcare contributions from. 00:28:23
The employees would be. 00:28:27
528,000. 00:28:30
These are just some rough numbers. So we're talking over $800,000 a year. We're talking pretty much half this budget. Yet no one 00:28:32
wants to discuss this. I can't get anyone else on page to at least bring this up to discuss. I I I get such a big number. We 00:28:38
really have to address this. Let's set a meeting. I'm. I'm all for set a meeting. Well, the commissioner's gonna have to be 00:28:44
involved in this. So they have to prove it. So they're not gonna they're not gonna be open to this. It's it's already when. When 00:28:50
did that study come back? 00:28:56
4-6 weeks ago, OK, I mean. 00:29:03
Yeah, I thought the impression was so opinion. I I certainly I have never. I have not received any invitation to come to a 00:29:06
meeting. I'm happy to do that. I've asked to have this meeting, but yet I still got no response. I've been wanting this meeting. 00:29:12
I mean, I I. 00:29:20
Have you emailed me on that? 00:29:21
Not you, no. 00:29:24
So so. 00:29:27
Let's get to do for our next joint meeting. This one was the next joint meeting is when. 00:29:27
Well, the next schedule, right, I think at the end of the month as is, but you know. 00:29:33
We may be having joint meetings weekly between now and. 00:29:36
And the resolution of and we really want to make sure that the. 00:29:41
The vendor that did that study can be at that meeting, so we need to. 00:29:46
Understand when that's going to happen. I mean it's it is at the same time. 00:29:52
Place that has been scheduled for for a couple months. Yeah, I don't remember when that is. I'm trying to look on my calendar. 00:29:57
20 3rd I think 23rd or 4th. Oh, there it is. That's 4:00. 00:30:06
So. 00:30:14
Jim, I just asked you, you said half a million in healthcare. Can you kind of give me just a real quick how you'd rather have that 00:30:16
study and have them confirm some of these numbers, these are just some rough numbers I'm having employees what they would help, 00:30:21
what they would continue to contribute? 00:30:25
To the plan. 00:30:31
I need their confirmation from them. I'm these numbers I have may not be exact I'd rather have that but I'm I'm Sanders potential 00:30:33
there so we at least should be addressing it so we can we get a consensus that we will at the 4:00 meeting on April 23rd have a 00:30:38
vendor available. 00:30:44
Can you reach out? 00:30:51
I think Michelle's here somewhere. 00:30:52
Maybe not. I'll. I'll make sure that she reaches out to him. 00:30:55
And we have that discussion. 00:30:59
OK, so I mean that discussion. 00:31:02
Will take place. 00:31:05
Right now I will tell you that that is very, very promising money for the 2025 budget and beyond, but. 00:31:08
Trying to put something in place now that's effective June 1st. 00:31:18
We still need to take a deep dive into these numbers. 00:31:22
It is the only option on the table right now that covers the entire county. 00:31:27
And I know that we will want to have a discussion. I know that there are folks who. 00:31:32
I hope that people want to go into these numbers a little bit more, but if not, I know that there are some here they're going to. 00:31:40
Talk about the Highlander Fire District proposal. That's cool, but I do want to bring. 00:31:45
Mr. Rick Fox forward. 00:31:51
To discuss. 00:31:53
The that option before we get into the numbers part of it. 00:31:55
So does anyone else have anything to say or suggest about? 00:31:58
These possibilities at this point in time, I don't think that the legacy foundation money is going to. 00:32:03
Be available within the next. 00:32:11
52 days, whatever we have left either. 00:32:13
So again, what do you have that's actually available in the? 00:32:16
We can, we can move funds and. 00:32:20
Reimburse, I believe. OK. 00:32:23
I believe they call for a monthly. 00:32:25
Cash payment. 00:32:28
Right. Yeah. So it's understood. 00:32:30
I I think. 00:32:33
Before we make any final decisions, we may want to get Baker Tilly to look at. 00:32:35
Using rainy day funds. 00:32:41
To do to to do this because. 00:32:44
I don't know this for sure, but there is a suggested. 00:32:48
Amount that you should have on hand. 00:32:54
Just like you would have at home, you know, three months of cash or three months of savings. 00:32:57
And we may be below that if we. 00:33:04
Start using up our rainy day funds. 00:33:09
To support this, I'm not suggesting that we shouldn't. I'm just suggesting we may need to get Maker Chilling. It is a suggestion, 00:33:12
yes, and this is the contract is paid monthly. 00:33:17
We went years and years and years with. 00:33:23
800,000 to $1,000,000 in there, and I'm not suggesting that we that we rate the rainy day fund. 00:33:27
But I. 00:33:34
My understanding was it was suggested to keep it up. 00:33:37
At the 10% of expenses level for. 00:33:40
Ratings. Umm. Uh. 00:33:44
And I don't think bonding rates do get impacted and and we do need cash on hand because our levies only come up in once every six 00:33:46
months. 00:33:51
So if you're not careful. 00:33:57
With your cash. 00:34:00
Right. I'm just suggesting we may need to get our financial guys to understood. 00:34:02
I know where you come from. So I noticed the EMT lid isn't on the board up there yet. 00:34:09
You probably don't want to be the one that has to put it up there, right? 00:34:13
I will officially put it on the table for discussion. I thought we were talking about things that were available now, so I 00:34:19
understand. Well, that's the same thing with the down the road you could have. 00:34:24
The health insurance. 00:34:31
And the. 00:34:33
What was they look for? 00:34:34
It's intentional and we really don't know where the savings is on that. 00:34:36
But it belongs out there. 00:34:45
Because, you know, my thinking on this has has. 00:34:51
Evolved to the point where I think that. 00:34:55
That needs to be part of the conversation. I mean, I really think we need to sign with the mayor pro for one to two years, but we 00:34:57
have a task force to look at county wide EMS. 00:35:01
To see if that is financially the best way to go and if so, then how do we fund it and that's probably going to be. 00:35:06
The best way to do that in an ongoing fashion? 00:35:13
And that would allow us to. 00:35:16
Form of service from the ground up, but Rick, do you want to? 00:35:18
Where can I? 00:35:23
We brought this my engine earlier today, so. 00:35:27
Rick, Fox County Attorney. 00:35:32
I'm here to specifically speak with regards to EMS services. 00:35:35
With respect to the Highlander Fire District. 00:35:41
In my opinion, the ordinance or charter of the Highlander Fire District does not authorize EMS services. 00:35:46
In fact, it is the commissioners that have the statutory authority to authorize franchise our contract for emergency medical 00:35:54
services. 00:35:59
In support of that, I just want to go through briefly with regards to the ordinance and some other authorities that support that 00:36:04
opinion. 00:36:08
To start with, in terms of. 00:36:15
The ordinance under Section One, it speaks specifically. 00:36:19
The following purposes for which the Highlander Fire District was established. 00:36:25
And under a Fire Protection fire extinguishing all fires B. 00:36:30
Fire Protection, including identification and elimination of all potential and actual sources. 00:36:36
Of fire hazard. 00:36:43
And see other purposes or functions related to Fire Protection and fire prevention. 00:36:45
And nothing was said about. 00:36:53
Emergency services and under the statute. 00:36:56
Fire services and emergency services are two separate entities, 2 separate things. 00:37:00
Moving on, what I call the authorization clause. 00:37:10
The ordinance says once fully functioning, commencing January 1, 2024, it will be the purpose and function of the Highlander Fire 00:37:14
District to effectively exert jurisdiction over and govern fire services throughout the district. 00:37:23
So the purpose and function. 00:37:32
And jurisdiction. 00:37:35
Is to govern over fire services. 00:37:37
Nothing was said about. 00:37:40
Emergency services. 00:37:43
And. 00:37:46
You know when you talk about purpose, function, and jurisdiction, that pretty much covers the gambit with regards to what you're 00:37:48
authorizing. 00:37:52
The assumption clause that I call that's under. 00:37:59
Subsection D Other emergency Services. 00:38:03
It says that Fire Protection shall be timely assumed and fulfilled by the Board of Trustees. Doesn't say anything about emergency 00:38:08
services. 00:38:12
Being assumed by the Board of trustees. 00:38:17
Also says this procedure is hereby implemented consistent with the Statute. 00:38:22
To assimilate and integrate the Lafayette Township town of Greenville. 00:38:28
In Greenville town. 00:38:33
Floyd County within the territory and jurisdiction of this ordinance. 00:38:35
Moving on to Section 9, I'm sorry, Section 10 of the ordinance. 00:38:45
It states. 00:38:50
And authorizes purchase of firefighting equipment. 00:38:53
There's no authorization for the purchase of emergency services equipment. 00:38:57
And by the same token, the very next section, section 11 Payment. 00:39:03
Of line of duty. 00:39:08
Healthcare expenses for firefighters. 00:39:10
Is authorized. 00:39:14
There's no provision made for. 00:39:15
Authorizing emergency services personnel with respect to their health care expenses. 00:39:18
So EMS is not mentioned once in the whole ordinance. 00:39:25
It's just not authorized. 00:39:32
And there is a statute out there that when we talk about what? 00:39:34
Who has authority with regards to handling these matters? 00:39:42
That's Indiana Code 16-31-5-1. And it states that a governing body of a county. 00:39:46
By the governing body's action or any combination, may do the following Establish, operate, and maintain emergency medical 00:39:55
services. 00:39:59
Authorized franchise or contract for emergency medical services. And so that's the county commissioners. 00:40:05
They're the ones that are the legislative body and have the authority to do that and they can do a combination of that. 00:40:15
But they are the source of where we head with regards to. 00:40:24
Who's going to handle emergency services? 00:40:28
I'd also like to cite as a Supreme Court case, Anderson versus ******* 42 NE 3rd 82. This was decided in September 1, 2015. 00:40:31
And this is a case that came out of the. 00:40:44
The Brown Circuit Court. 00:40:49
And what it says is that the Indiana legislature has expressly granted county legislative bodies the authority to create and 00:40:53
thereby to amend under the Indiana Fire District Act. 00:40:59
Under the Indiana Home Rule Act. 00:41:06
Boards of county commissioners are authorized to amend a Fire Protection district, even if such amendment dissolves the district. 00:41:09
That means the commissioners have the authority to make the ordinances that they made and extend what authority authorities they 00:41:18
want to the fire districts. 00:41:23
And again, statutorily, they're responsible for how emergency services. 00:41:28
Play out. 00:41:34
And so. 00:41:35
Any questions with regards to that? 00:41:38
So let me ask you Rick, so that was you're not talked earlier, so you've not had a chance to look at New Albany Fire district or 00:41:43
Georgetown either, have you? 00:41:48
It seemed that the Highlander Fire District was looking to provide EMS services for. 00:42:01
For Lafayette Greenville, I'm not sure if they were going to expand the services somewhere else, but the the point I'm making is 00:42:10
that. 00:42:16
I don't believe they have the authority to do that. It is the commissioners that have the statutory authority and you know, even 00:42:21
if a case was made that. 00:42:26
There was authority somewhere in the ordinance, which there isn't, but. 00:42:32
You know, in terms of making the case, the Commissioners have the right to amend that pursuant to the Supreme Court case. 00:42:38
So you know, whatever the commissioners decide to do, that's. 00:42:44
That's where we need to head. 00:42:49
So currently with commissioners discretion, so currently with Highlander providing ambulance ServiceNow, are you saying that 00:42:52
they're doing that outside of the ordinance? 00:42:58
Yes. So you're saying that they are doing this improperly? 00:43:04
Well, it's outside the ordinance. So how do we fix this? 00:43:09
Also till until we fix this, what? 00:43:13
What's your advice on that then? 00:43:16
Well, I don't know. That's that's a question I hadn't been asked to. 00:43:18
You know you have a number of options. You most certainly. 00:43:22
Can take one of the one they. 00:43:26
I guess quickest options would be number. 00:43:28
Number one will be to review New Albany Township. 00:43:31
In Georgetown. 00:43:34
Ordinances. 00:43:37
And then review them and see if they have that included and if they don't. 00:43:39
Then we need to. 00:43:44
Bring them all up to speed and get them all on the same page. You can amend the You could amend everyone of the ordinances to 00:43:46
include fire and EMS and then everyone of them have the ability. 00:43:52
To do that if you if you so choose. 00:43:59
If you did that, then you probably don't need county wide ambulance service. 00:44:02
If you will. 00:44:08
But the County Council would probably need to step in and do some funding out with guests, because I wouldn't think that. 00:44:10
The fire districts themselves would have the funds to be able to support. 00:44:18
That joint effort. 00:44:22
Because I know they're using the majority of their funds for. 00:44:25
For fire purposes. 00:44:28
If there's a nuance here, correct me if I'm wrong. I mean if we go to correct these. 00:44:30
Which I'm not opposed to doing. I think there's a nuance between supportive services and standalone EMS services. 00:44:35
And I think you get into standalone EMS services and. 00:44:44
You need to have boards that then answer to the public. 00:44:48
And with merge to the funding that I mean I think all of these services. 00:44:53
Otherwise, they're open to misinterpretation. Well, it says EMS, so I'm going to run with that and do. 00:44:59
Whatever. I feel like that. 00:45:04
Mandate is, I think it has to be defined with regards to that, I think on behalf of the taxpayers. 00:45:06
The system that we had been operating under, you are having the taxpayers are paying for EMS coverage. 00:45:13
From two different sources for the same territories. 00:45:22
And that's not a benefit to the taxpayers. 00:45:26
So I think the Commissioners need to decide. 00:45:30
Where we're going to head with regards to this. 00:45:34
Get that worked out and then in conjunction with the County Council funding. 00:45:38
I see two more. 00:45:44
Important distinctions and. 00:45:46
The other fire boards do not wish. 00:45:52
To have EMS service. 00:45:54
That's not in their purview. They want to concentrate on Fire Protection. 00:45:57
Fire service. 00:46:02
They don't wish to pursue emergency medical services. 00:46:04
The other point is. 00:46:09
There's a big difference. 00:46:12
Emergency medical service and first response. 00:46:14
And I'll leave that at that. 00:46:20
So to your point, Danny, a little bit, you know. 00:46:23
I think it's very evident that fire departments are struggling with their budgets nowadays. I mean, they're no different than our 00:46:27
own homes. 00:46:31
Their spinning power is less now than what it was. 00:46:35
A few years ago, I mean. 00:46:38
Wasn't a couple of meetings ago we talked about. 00:46:40
The rescue that Louisville Fire Department undertook on the 2nd St. Bridge. 00:46:44
And. 00:46:49
You know, after after all the details of rescue were out, it wasn't just a few days later and. 00:46:51
We found out that, you know, the little fire department firefighters were working without a contract for nine months. 00:46:56
That there were $34 million in deferred maintenance behind apparatus schedule. 00:47:02
Was behind and the root of the rope. 00:47:09
That was used during the rescue was 10 years old, which is a violation. 00:47:11
In FBA 1858, Believe that's what it is, but. 00:47:15
You know, it wasn't just not too long ago either that we had New Albany Township and. 00:47:19
And Highlander both come up and say. 00:47:24
They wanted permission to. 00:47:27
You know, go for the Max Levy with our district but. 00:47:28
You know we're that's just for we haven't united the EMS component yet and that's one of the dangers with with firing miss is that 00:47:32
if you implement it wrong you have essentially 2 entities that are competing for the very same budget. 00:47:38
Dollars, just because you have EMS, that's a meeting that your budget's going to significantly grow. 00:47:44
You know so. 00:47:49
I think going forward, at least this time, you know. 00:47:51
Having a solution that fixes the problem for everyone in the county. 00:47:55
Is obviously probably a standalone EMS system. 00:47:59
And we already have quite a bit of actionable data we've already. 00:48:02
Receive between the Fitch study that we've paid for. 00:48:06
The RFP that the EMS Advisory Board came up with. So I do think we have some good data moving forward so. 00:48:10
Look forward to conversations to come. 00:48:16
So what do we as Commissioners do to resolve this this? 00:48:20
Discrepancy or whatever. You need to decide how you want to advance EMS services in Floyd County. 00:48:24
I think you're looking for. 00:48:34
A solution for the moment, just so that we're not. 00:48:36
Any sort of. 00:48:40
Jeopardy. Is there a? 00:48:41
Patch we can put on the all three amendments saying support services or first responder services. 00:48:43
Short of. 00:48:50
Putting putting the limit on starting their own EMS. 00:48:51
I think I. 00:48:57
I'm not trying to put words in, no. I understand you're looking for a shorter term solution and then we obviously need a longer 00:48:58
term solution now, but we don't want. 00:49:02
Anybody in limbo right now? 00:49:07
To me, it just bothers me that we keep putting these guardrails, guardrails to be so. 00:49:09
So specific, you know, and we're talking about public safety, we're talking about. 00:49:15
Come on, people's lives, you know. And we want to be so, so. 00:49:21
Drip just drill down that. No, we can't use that word. We can't use that word and we talk about EMS. 00:49:26
We're talking about providing service for people that have that have a critical time in their life, Okay. 00:49:32
And for us to be? 00:49:38
We need effect, but I think it also needs to. 00:49:40
It needs to be. 00:49:43
Forward-looking. 00:49:45
OK. Because we have got to do something here within that we've got what, 50 days, something like that, you know? 00:49:46
But that's why I say we need to get together. We need it, We need to get a fix in here, but it also needs to be able to. 00:49:53
To be forward thinking. 00:50:01
You know, I think what we've come up with. 00:50:03
Is both of those things having a majority of the commissioners? I realize you were on the dissension on that. 00:50:05
Have proposed that we. 00:50:11
Go forward with the mayor pro. 00:50:13
See if we get a two year contract covers the whole county. It doesn't leave anybody uncovered. 00:50:15
Which the other proposal did. 00:50:21
And well, it did. It didn't have no, I understand, you know, so we covered the whole thing and then we really did down. 00:50:24
But putting a task force together for your EMS doesn't mean that we're going to have county wide EMS, but it gives U.S. data to 00:50:32
actually see whether or not that. 00:50:36
Makes more safety sense, financial sense over continued privatization. 00:50:41
So I think the short term. 00:50:47
And again, governmentally, generationally speaking, A2 year contract is the short term solution. The forward thinking part of this 00:50:50
is. 00:50:53
Getting uh. 00:50:57
All of the parties together right now. 00:50:58
We have two of the three departments who've not even been brought to the table for the discussion. 00:51:01
Question. I have a question for Rick's. 00:51:08
You you provided a state statute report in regards to what the fire department's. 00:51:12
Primary duties are in the state of Indiana. 00:51:18
Fire prevention and Fire Protection. And you referred to a local ordinance, is that right? 00:51:21
I started with the local ordinance that the commissioners passed in 2022. 00:51:27
Which gives. 00:51:33
The powers. 00:51:35
They have authorized to the Highlander Fire District, which are kind of mimic the state statue services. That's what they 00:51:37
authorized. 00:51:41
Fire services, Fire Protection. 00:51:46
So what constituted the fire service I guess is the question that clarified clarifying question. 00:51:49
Well, fighting fires. 00:51:56
So far, prevention, Fire Protection. 00:51:59
It's it's to the exclusion of emergency services where you draw the line. I don't have the answer to that. 00:52:02
Emergency medical service, because they are emergency services, emergency services. 00:52:10
OK, So what? What? Vehicle extrications? Hazmat. Swift Water Rescue? Bolt Water Rescue? 00:52:15
That's in or out. 00:52:22
Are they allowed to do that? 00:52:25
Who is they? The fire department. 00:52:27
There we're talking medical services. 00:52:29
So but what I'm saying is is. 00:52:33
You we're talking by ambulance services. That's what we're talking about. 00:52:36
But you're saying that they don't necessarily have the ability to do that per the evidence? 00:52:41
The other functions that are not in statute or if I'm clarifying your ordinance, the other things that the fire departments do, 00:52:45
they're not specifically as stated in the ordinance. Are they allowed to do those? 00:52:50
They're not allowed to do anything that they haven't been authorized to do by the ordinance. Does the ordinance allow them to do 00:52:59
vehicle extrications? 00:53:03
Water rescue, swift water rescue or hazmat. 00:53:10
I have a well, you're Doctor Harris seems to be burning a come up to the microphone. If you don't mind though, I just have a 00:53:13
clarifying question on that. 00:53:17
I I it's. 00:53:22
Hi, I'm Tom Harrison, County Health Officer, also member of the university advisory for the. 00:53:25
Uh, doctor, for many years I I have. 00:53:30
Not to disagree with my esteemed colleague Rick here, but I do have concerns about this very. 00:53:34
Interpretation the ordinance. There are some major fire functions that include extrication brands brought out, includes hazmat, 00:53:41
and includes basic first responders in the first aid. But if you define this fire department as somebody who just sprays water on 00:53:48
something that's burning, I'm afraid that that is an overly restricted view. Now granted, it it, it fits. 00:53:56
You know the. 00:54:04
Rejection issues regarding power based. 00:54:06
But, and it also addresses the issue that the solution, whatever solution the support comes out there, is body comes out there. 00:54:10
Has to fit the whole account. 00:54:18
But the concern here is that we're painting ourselves into a box with a very restricted view of what fire can do. 00:54:19
Especially in an era, overall there's there's there's fewer actual fires. 00:54:28
Etcetera. 00:54:34
Wildfires are up. 00:54:37
The issue in this context though is that we're painting our fire. The only time they leave the building is if something burning 00:54:40
like that's not a lot of the runs, especially in this area, our rescue education. So that that's my concern with with this narrow 00:54:45
interpretation. 00:54:51
And as such, the ordinance should be modified. 00:54:56
To allow the Mars services to take out care of everything besides just fighting fires. 00:55:00
And I think, I think, I think. 00:55:08
Yeah, with this, with this just coming up. 00:55:13
To our attention today, literally I think all three Commissioners correct me if I'm wrong and. 00:55:19
Attorney Fox. 00:55:24
Open to looking at Georgetown and Ulney Township and making sure that we come up with. 00:55:26
Something that. 00:55:32
Broadens that interpretation a little bit, but not to the extent that they can have a standalone EMS service without the. 00:55:34
Authorization of the Commissioners in each case. 00:55:40
I think also one key, key important distinction is is that. 00:55:44
Providing auto extrication has this materials and all. That's not necessarily a certification from the state that you have to 00:55:49
receive. Emergency medical services whether it be transport or non transport is a certification process through the state. 00:55:55
And I appreciate your comments, but I don't like you were a little bit away from the mic and the, but I just. 00:56:03
I did hear that you thought it should. Whatever we come up with needs to service the whole county rather than. 00:56:08
That's correct. And you know the one of the things that has been grossed here a couple of times. 00:56:14
Is the concept of a freestanding service. 00:56:20
That way we avoid the whole fire district, the whole fire war board concept. Where we do this, we don't. 00:56:25
Despite fires, you know we can't try again. Fires real fire. You know, we, you know this stuff like that. You know, if you 00:56:33
establish A freestanding independently, invest, I'm not sure it's going to cost. 00:56:38
We don't have that number yet. That's certainly that may be a sticking point, but it's an option that should be considered as we 00:56:44
look at Firebase DMS. 00:56:48
But I think that the take home message you know from. 00:56:52
Today's and whatever course of action is chosen. 00:56:55
It has to fit Franklin Township as well as it's New Orleans Township. 00:56:58
And I think that there are difficulties and advantages to each mode of the service, but we have to have ambulance coverage. 00:57:04
Thank you. First, so some some sort of parallel track is probably the right answer. 00:57:12
The other thing is like I got my mic here, is that the funding ultimately should be sustainable. 00:57:19
You know, we can throw money at a problem fairly easily and we see that in the health department we're startup issues, but then we 00:57:27
have problems sustained approach. 00:57:30
And so, however you know, whatever. 00:57:35
Smorgasbord, you know, choice. You get to fund it. It has to be able to sustain this and keep it going. 00:57:38
And preferably without depleting the other potential funds in the future. 00:57:44
So I think that's something that also needs, needs to look at and we all get, nobody wants new taxes. 00:57:49
But there have been attacks like levies placed in the past for Fire Protection for other things in different counties. 00:57:57
And as long as we're within the state guidelines, I think that that's something that. 00:58:04
Should look at even the exemptions for certain subpopulations that. 00:58:09
Yeah, that was an estimate that came from someone, but that seems to be in line with some I've heard from other counties of 00:58:19
comparable size. 00:58:23
Disabled veteran benefits. It can be single households and parent households benefits and things like that. You can you can adjust 00:58:30
that overall fee to take care of that risk groups to be unfairly packed by additional funding or tax real quickly Would you also 00:58:36
include transport and non transport services. 00:58:42
With with English, I think you'd have to look at that. I think the primary issue. 00:58:49
As an emergency physician, the primary issue is emergency transport. 00:58:56
That also includes emergency transfer. 00:59:01
And we have a heavily that requires tertiary neurocare. That person needs to get to Baptist university as fast as possible. 00:59:04
Something with a polytronicism for you. 00:59:09
So, so that's that's the. 00:59:14
Absolute basic services, the government organization. 00:59:16
Is emergency transport and transfer. 00:59:22
The other runs actually pay fairly well and my supposition would be is that someone will come in whether it's Premier Pro or. 00:59:26
Each Apple, the next generation or whatever, that some service would come in and scoop up those runs because those runs are 00:59:35
proper, generally paying runs to the property. 00:59:40
But I think, you know, from a governmental administrative perspective, we got to solve emergency transport and emergency transfer, 00:59:46
correct? 00:59:50
And you know, we'll get estimates to provide the additional service. But you know, we want this, we want a public service. 00:59:55
Solution here. 01:00:03
Rather than a nursing home transfer solution, that's that's. 01:00:05
Hate to be that way, but that's something they can work out with another man in the service. OK, but you know, it's a duty. Of the 01:00:11
citizens of Boyd County, all 80,000 of them deserve emergency transport and transfer function. I appreciate your comments. We need 01:00:16
to begin winding down because there is a meeting that follows this one and I do want to give everybody a chance to come down from 01:00:21
the line. Either way, I just wanted to wrap. 01:00:26
I just want to wrap up with a quick comment and that is. 01:00:34
You know, the task here was to take a look at ambulance services opposite the ordinance. 01:00:37
And you know, for ambulance services you have to have certifications, you have to have certain types of certified equipment. 01:00:43
It's a big deal and that has not been authorized under the statute, not only the equipment, the purchase of the equipment or the 01:00:50
people being involved. 01:00:55
You know, in terms of all the other things, Brad, that you brought up, those things I think, you know, in the purview of the fire 01:01:00
department and you can always take it all the way out to the end, the cat in the tree, that's what you always see the, you know, 01:01:06
firefighters get the cat out of the tree. So you know, I would say that's probably within their purview. 01:01:13
OK. Jim, you want to start at your end or no? Denise had a question I just when you were negotiating with Ameripro, was there any 01:01:21
discussion about how much it would cost just to provide? 01:01:28
Service to the New Albany Township, yes. And they were not able to get that back to me because this. 01:01:35
The dispatch we had a. 01:01:41
They asked for data and your system was down for. 01:01:43
X number of hours that came back up, and anyway, that data has just gotten back over to Ameripro today. 01:01:47
So I don't have a specific, you know, to do that. Of course it was going to. 01:01:54
Need less equipment, right? 01:01:59
Is going to be probably 2 ambulances and a chase car rather than three and and one. 01:02:01
They're already providing service down in New Albany, in New Albany and they may already have possibly trying to have some intra 01:02:08
local discussion with. 01:02:13
The city about possible backup for the system. 01:02:18
One of the unique problems that we discussed is just geography, which. 01:02:22
I'm under Fire Protection is right in the middle of. So now we've got two ambulances. We're going to have one on the East End of 01:02:26
the county, one on the West End of the county and. 01:02:30
How do you traverse that and? 01:02:35
Without aid. 01:02:38
Within those areas as well, so. 01:02:40
Anyway, I OK, so it has been Will you send those numbers out when you get those? Yeah, when I get them. And in advance in the next 01:02:44
meeting, so. 01:02:49
Thank you. Dale, you want to go or or Jim, you guys want to who wants? Well actually a couple things just. 01:02:54
To Brad's point, and my little logical brain, EMS is not. 01:03:04
Fire and EMS. 01:03:10
Typically there's a I'm not a firefighter. 01:03:12
They want to be a firefighter, but it seems to me like firefighting has A at least a perception of what they do. 01:03:15
And then EMS is not part of that purview, whether it's extraction, whether it's. 01:03:22
Exciting things off the bridge. 01:03:29
That's just a model logical mind. There is a definite distinction and another point. 01:03:32
Is not to correct, but doctor Harris said 80,000 citizens of Floyd County, the cities, probably half of that and they've already 01:03:37
got their ambulance. 01:03:42
Provided by Ameriparo, so we're not providing for 80,000 citizens. 01:03:48
Were provided for like 40. 01:03:52
303540 That's all. 01:03:54
He's helpful for the future. 01:03:58
That's the point, in fact, all of those people involved in building 40 countries. 01:04:01
They do, but Floyd County don't provide ambulance service for them. Fair enough. We need to. 01:04:07
Continue on so. 01:04:13
Grant. 01:04:16
Yeah, there's a lot here, but we've got a top constraint. 01:04:17
Just something to note 301's. 01:04:21
Aimless providers in the state of Indiana and four or 148 of those are fire based EMS 39 are private providers because nomination 01:04:25
of some other ones in there, I can send that data out. 01:04:31
But obviously the fire department is doing something right. 01:04:37
And I would say that the sparkle definitely. 01:04:41
Is in the EMS business where they recognize it or not, whether it's just first responder or they go? 01:04:44
As so far so far as to get EMS numbers and transport, they're definitely doing something right. We should not overlook what we've 01:04:50
already invested in. 01:04:55
In that as far as the task force, I think you mentioned that a couple of times. 01:05:00
We have an EMS Advisory Board. I don't know if that's the task force you're referring to, but I would I don't necessarily think 01:05:04
when another layer of bureaucracy in government use what we have and. 01:05:09
Task that EMS Advisory Board with more data. 01:05:14
Disagree with you on that. I think they're unique qualifiers that we need on that task force that we don't have right now. Right 01:05:19
now we've got we're very, very heavy with very, very expertise people in emergency medicine and fire transport. But we don't have 01:05:24
actuaries, we don't have lawyers we don't have. 01:05:30
Insurance providers and we really need to be holistic in our look on that. So we probably take a couple people from the. 01:05:37
Advisory boards. Put them in there as kind of the backbone of the. 01:05:44
Task force, but we need more input from from different realms of expertise. 01:05:49
So I'm going to stay focused on the dollars because I think. 01:05:58
That are. 01:06:03
Our role in this whole. 01:06:06
Discussion as County Council. 01:06:09
We're talking spending $3 million over a two year period, which I don't see how we could possibly finance. 01:06:12
Without a new let tax. 01:06:21
I'm not opposed to that, although I do tell you that I think we have another solution. 01:06:25
That versus the $3,000,000 we could do for. 01:06:32
Over the next two years, somewhere around 1,000,000. 01:06:38
And I thought that was worth looking at. 01:06:42
For our taxpayers to. 01:06:47
Not have to raise taxes. 01:06:50
At least for the next two to three years. 01:06:53
Versus having to raise taxes to to cover this $3,000,000 so. 01:06:57
That's my role in this whole thing and it seemed like a viable solution to me for a very viable solution to me. 01:07:03
For a reasonable. 01:07:12
Dollar amount. 01:07:17
So that that's all I wanna say. 01:07:19
So I'm going to make a couple comments when in regards to the fire based EMS. 01:07:23
Percentage to the state, I think. 01:07:29
I think there's a difference when you start lumping everything together with between like the volunteer rescue squads and the 01:07:31
volunteer departments and the professional departments. So it may make that number seem a little bit higher than what it really 01:07:34
is, but. 01:07:38
You know, I also want to say that I I think our firefighters that that do not do transportation, they're more than just first 01:07:43
responders, I. 01:07:48
I think they provide very critical life saving. 01:07:53
Skills to patients I've seen it first hand for. 01:07:58
30 years. So just because you don't have an ambulance doesn't mean that you don't provide. 01:08:01
Outstanding care to patients until EMS gets on scene and a lot of times you ride in with the patients and the Mississippi to the 01:08:07
hospital if they're critical. So just wanted to. 01:08:12
Point that out and. 01:08:17
I do like the idea of the. 01:08:19
Of solving the problem for everyone in the county. I mean one of the things that we. 01:08:21
We forget to talk about is that Franklin Township does not have. 01:08:25
A fire district. Nor does it have its own fire department. 01:08:29
It receives its services from a department in Harrison County and I believe they get some backup from Georgetown, whether it be 01:08:32
automatic aid or mutual aid, but. 01:08:36
I think we're long past time to solve this for everybody. And you know, I can envision the system here in Floyd County that does 01:08:40
solve the problem that is very modernized with a lot of modern equipment, maybe even a community paramedicine program that's being 01:08:46
pushed really hard through the state. And you know, quite honestly, I think we might have some equipment that's already available, 01:08:51
you know, through Highlanders that we can utilize. So that'll. 01:08:57
Takedown The opportunity to have to procure. 01:09:03
A bunch of equipment. So that's all I got. 01:09:06
Thank you, John. 01:09:09
I'll be brief. I want to. 01:09:10
Echo Denise's comments. I do also want to. I know Connie at the last meeting you mentioned that last year, I think I literally 01:09:12
transported six. Well. 01:09:17
On April the 1st when y'all had your meeting. 01:09:23
At 610, Highlander transported. 01:09:26
A person, and they met. It was Squad. 01:09:31
61 which I believe is new. 01:09:35
At a church and then transferred that patient over so they were in the process of transporting. 01:09:38
That same day at 9904 in the evening. 01:09:44
They have, I guess, a mutual aid with Clark has Clark's fire on here. 01:09:49
And so they they transported that person to to Clark County. 01:09:55
And then at 10:24 that night. 01:10:00
Squad one responded. 01:10:05
And they transported. I'm sorry, Squad three responded. 01:10:08
And they transported that patient to Baptist Health East, so Highlanders does transport. 01:10:12
Thank you, Jim. We'll go with you and then down this way. 01:10:21
Tony, I'm gonna get you in a second here. 01:10:25
OK, well I personally still back the calendar fire based EMS service. Yes, I know it doesn't cover the whole county, but if you're 01:10:28
already in talks and options of covering the rest of the county with Mayor Pro pointed this out the last meeting. But looking at 01:10:36
these ambulance fee schedules between Highlander Fire District and Ameripro, Mayor Pro is almost double. 01:10:43
Getting some rough numbers. I don't know how exact these are from the. 01:10:52
Personnel department here, just for our own insurance plan. It looks like almost every. 01:10:57
Coverage for the Hollander fire base will be covered under our plan, but that has almost looked like they took it out of their 01:11:02
book because that's about what the rates are. Ameripro is almost double S We're talking out of the pocket expenses. 01:11:08
For these individuals, and a lot of them are in the situation where they can afford these. 01:11:14
As far as funding though, I am not in support of rating. 01:11:19
Lafayette and Greenville funds out of the Hounder Fire district. This is a county wide expense needs to come from the county so I 01:11:24
need kind of boat that's going to. 01:11:29
Pull those funds out of there because we've already had a merger Lafayette Township already. 01:11:33
Recognized a increase in their. 01:11:39
Fire district taxes and if we start raiding these coffers, that means our district is going to pay additional. 01:11:42
Taxes, and that's even providing services for Georgetown and. 01:11:51
Part of Franklin, which is not even being covering the cost of this, so I'm totally opposed to that. 01:11:56
I'm not for fair based. I'm just not. 01:12:08
We are reactive because of things that have happened. 01:12:12
With local companies and the private companies, so everybody's. 01:12:16
Emotions are high. 01:12:24
They know that we need to react in a hurry, but we really need to sit back again. I don't think that my Township that I live in, 01:12:26
I'm at large and represent the entire county, but. 01:12:32
I live in Franklin. 01:12:38
I think I deserve a point service too. I. 01:12:40
That's a huge deal for me and I hate this thing, but I'm gonna throw it out there. 01:12:44
You get what you pay for. 01:12:51
Sometimes. 01:12:54
Tony. 01:12:59
Are you still with us? 01:13:00
I am. 01:13:05
Any comments? 01:13:08
Sure. I just like to say that. 01:13:11
For me it's still hard to see this private provider option coming together. 01:13:15
Without raising taxes. I think I stated that our last meeting and I was opposed to that and and just really opposed. 01:13:21
For us to be moving. 01:13:30
Money that we've already appropriated for. 01:13:33
For different projects. 01:13:37
Movement that money out of our coffers. 01:13:40
As well as the. 01:13:45
Being opposed to raiding the rainy day fund and umm. 01:13:48
I just think that the fire based EMS option is better. 01:13:53
For several different reasons, and I also think that. 01:13:58
During this whole process, we've kind of downplayed the role of firemen. 01:14:03
And the job that they do in the services that they render and I think that it's very important that we keep in mind that they risk 01:14:07
their lives every day and they provide. 01:14:13
A great service. 01:14:21
For our community. 01:14:23
And to keep us safe. 01:14:24
And I guarantee that if any of them were called to where we are or in a position to where we needed. 01:14:27
Medical. 01:14:36
Assistance that they would render that medical assistance and we would be grateful. 01:14:38
Thank you, Ian. 01:14:45
Yeah, just. 01:14:47
Briefly. 01:14:49
I agree with what Tony just said about their. 01:14:52
They're gonna render 8 if they're called on. That's just what these guys do. That's how they're built. 01:14:54
And I applaud them for that. 01:14:58
And. 01:15:02
They're they're the good guys. That's. 01:15:04
So I salute them. I would love to see us. 01:15:07
Fund mayor pro. 01:15:14
And get the task force in high gear and I think the task force needs to include. 01:15:17
Along with everyone you mentioned. Um. 01:15:24
Members from council and commissioners to discuss. 01:15:29
How we're going to pay for this going forward? 01:15:33
We can. I'm not going to speak out of turn, but I think we can get. 01:15:37
Definitely. The rest of this year paid for. 01:15:43
Whether you know it's help from you guys? 01:15:46
Or not, and then we can start working on a. 01:15:49
25. 01:15:52
We can't. 01:15:55
We we pushed this off to the last minute again. 01:15:57
And we just cannot do that anymore. 01:16:00
With 50 days. 01:16:02
I don't. 01:16:06
Firebase is ready to go in 50 days. I just don't think I know that. 01:16:09
They think that they can do it and. 01:16:14
They would try their best, but John, I've got a. 01:16:17
I've got a call that somebody sent me with a CAD number that says. 01:16:20
A fire truck showed up with one guy on it because. 01:16:25
The rest of them were on an ambulance, so I just it's gonna get stretched too thin. Where was that at? It was it was Hollander. It 01:16:27
was Hollander. It was Hollander. Fire responded to a box alarm at Azalea Hills. 01:16:33
One person on Q11 just. 01:16:39
I don't even know what all that means, but you can't have one person on a fire truck. So we need time to get this right. We can't 01:16:42
make a bad decision that the next generation is going to pay for. 01:16:47
We talked about retaining people in our community and how we lose young people and it's things like this that. 01:16:52
Drive people away because. 01:17:00
It's a it's a mishmash. It's a potpourri of services and. 01:17:03
We've got to get this one right. 01:17:08
And that's why I'm in favor of. 01:17:11
Signing with the mayor pro. 01:17:15
Two years Max. 01:17:18
And even even having whatever system we come up with. 01:17:20
Running with training wheels for the last six months. 01:17:26
The two systems running together, if that's even possible, to make sure we're good to go. 01:17:29
When the new system takes over. 01:17:36
That's all I've got. 01:17:38
Well #1 thanks everyone for being here. 01:17:40
In the audience tonight, Tony, thank you for joining us as you can and the board here. I really appreciate the tone of this 01:17:44
meeting. 01:17:47
I think everybody wants resolution of this. 01:17:51
So with the options that are on the table, there's really no way to fund any of them without. 01:17:56
Taking money from somewhere. 01:18:02
You know, with the Highlander it was gonna be 800,000, like 800,000 tears money at least, right? And. 01:18:03
That was allocated somewhere with ours. There's there's other allocations, so there's no way to do it with. We're spreading the 01:18:09
butter really, really, really, really thin here. 01:18:13
I think an EMS lit tax needs to be. 01:18:20
Part of the discussion because I think it solves the whole thing for the whole county for all time. 01:18:23
There are some obviously disadvantages to throw in the order tax around. There are advantages to it too. I mean, the council would 01:18:29
have that in service now they don't pay a balance building. 01:18:33
You know, if if they come for a run for Danny and his insurance doesn't cover it all, well. 01:18:38
The county picks up the tab on that, so you're not bankrupting people because they can't afford the service that's there. 01:18:44
I'd like to see us focus on getting the mayor pro in place for two years between the task force together and. 01:18:50
Again. 01:18:57
Really, purposefully and thoughtfully putting together. 01:18:59
Experts from many many different realms on this. 01:19:03
Yes, take some folks from our EMS Advisory Board, but also build in the business part of it we need to do the actuaries that we 01:19:07
need to kind of say which numbers. 01:19:12
Makes sense. So I I've not made a decision between. 01:19:17
Long term fire based and. 01:19:21
Privatization, because I don't think I've seen the data yet. That tells me very, very clearly which one. 01:19:24
All is superior on that I. 01:19:29
Our next meeting is scheduled for April 23rd. We may have one before then information warrants that would. 01:19:32
Would you all like for there to be a representative from Mayor Pro there to discuss, or just for Q and AI can have someone? 01:19:39
In here for that. 01:19:48
Or can remote them in at least in case they have some questions and. 01:19:51
But otherwise I. 01:19:55
I. 01:19:57
What are you getting from the, from the Commissioner standpoint, what are you, what message are you receiving from the Council? 01:20:00
Because I I guess. 01:20:03
Hear me my understanding, if I'm in your shoes, I would want to know what the councils willing to fund as you go forward with 01:20:07
negotiations with the mayor pro. 01:20:11
And if I understand it right. 01:20:16
I don't know that the majority of the council is willing to fund a private provider contract countrywide. 01:20:19
Well I think Denise hit on it. You know if if there's if, if the issue is forced and. 01:20:25
And Highlander Fire Protection District. 01:20:33
Has a pathway to go out on its own so to speak and you have the funding to do that then we still have to fund these other. 01:20:37
Uncontracted folks. 01:20:45
You know. 01:20:48
If our number that we're working with now is 1.4, I don't see that dropping into. 01:20:50
It's still going to be a high six figures, right, because you're going to be taking out transports that they're not going to be 01:20:55
able to run for part of their subsidy and that type of thing. So yeah, at some point we need a rock bottom number so that we know 01:20:59
what we're working with. I guess my question is that's what needs to be settled moving forward and I would, I would suggest if we 01:21:04
can. 01:21:08
Maybe we have a joint meeting before the 23rd, I believe is what you said, because this is. 01:21:13
Quickly approaching that, we need to have a resolution. 01:21:18
I personally would like to move that timeline up. 01:21:21
That's I'm just one person, but maybe we need to keep this ball rolling. I think we had penciled in one as possible on the 18th. 01:21:23
The the other thing that I might request is that. 01:21:33
We really do get Baker Tilly involved here. Number one, what is the tax? How much will it? 01:21:37
Provide. 01:21:45
We need to see those numbers and if we start. 01:21:46
Diving into these other funds, what does that really look like and what does that do? We need to know the ramifications before we 01:21:50
just jump into signing a contract. 01:21:55
We need to understand and Baker telling is our is our guys now and he they need they need to tell us. 01:22:02
Tomorrow morning or this evening in April 18th, just to see how many we can get. 01:22:12
I don't think there are any other. 01:22:17
Meeting schedules we're trying to do. 01:22:20
You know what time? You know what time, 'cause I have a commitment that evening, so we can move it up to 4430. That'd be great. 01:22:22
But four 4:30 is fine. I to to our speaker's point earlier, there is no perfect time because I have third shift workers that want 01:22:27
to be here, and I'm sure this was called. 01:22:32
Literally because Danny and I both thought we could get most people here because you all had a meeting coming up afterwards and 01:22:39
worked out. 01:22:42
At least. 01:22:46
For the elected officials and I get and we've got a good group of people here too. 01:22:48
But we're never going to give the time that fits for everybody, so. 01:22:51
April 18th, 4:30. 01:22:56
Motion to adjourn. 01:23:01
Can we adopt that first? OK. Is that what you want to do? 01:23:03
OK, send that out either this evening or tomorrow morning, April 18th, 4:30 and do the advertising, everything like that and then 01:23:10
we'll entertain France. Motion to adjourn. So. 01:23:14
All right, the the County Council meeting will start in approximately 5 minutes. Give everybody a chance to stretch your legs and 01:23:20
use the facilities. 01:23:25
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Transcript

Event transcript
9/20/24 Joint meeting of County Council commissioners to order. I know Commissioner Schellenberger is in the building. Will join 00:00:03
this momentarily then. 00:00:07
You'll join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic 00:00:12
for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. 00:00:19
All right. 00:00:30
So 1234 it's like I have 5. 00:00:32
People who have signed up to speak. 00:00:37
And we'd like to limit this to like 2 to 3 minutes each. 00:00:42
Rick, you were my timer before, but out there, I don't know how effective you would or wouldn't be. So Daniel didn't do that. But 00:00:47
we still love you, and you'll be our timer next time, OK? OK. 00:00:53
Yeah. 00:01:00
Two. OK, so Mr. Chris Pelman. 00:01:02
And if you'll state your address county of residency, that'd be great. 00:01:07
My name is Chris Hellman. I live at 7661 Navelton Rd. In Floyd County. 00:01:12
Thank you. 00:01:19
OK, so I've kind of kept quiet on this whole subject. 00:01:21
The current provider we're using for EMS. One of the issues that has been had with that provider was. 00:01:28
They're utilizing firefighters. 00:01:36
On ambulances, Which? 00:01:39
Depletes their fire coverage. 00:01:41
My concern is that you all are looking at potentially going with another model. 00:01:44
Would emulate that exact same. 00:01:51
Model. 00:01:56
As a firefighter. 00:01:59
Having three people on a fire truck is extremely important. It is important to us as the fire department, as the firefighters are 00:02:01
going to be there fighting the fire. 00:02:06
And to the public. 00:02:12
You, if you have a fire truck, show up with one person. 00:02:14
On the truck, they are completely ineffective. 00:02:18
They are not able to do their job properly to save. 00:02:21
Lives and property. 00:02:25
That's all I've got. 00:02:29
I just want you all to think about that with your old decision. 00:02:31
Thank you very much for being here and speaking. 00:02:35
Diana Mayfield. 00:02:38
I know you've joined us before, but if you'll please give your address. Diana Mayfield, 6408 Brent Drive, Floyd Noms, Floyd 00:02:44
County. 00:02:49
OK, I'm I wrote it down this time so wouldn't forget. 00:02:54
OK, I'm here tonight to ask that as representatives. 00:02:59
For the taxpayers that you slow down and look at all the possibilities and make decisions that are for the betterment of the 00:03:03
community and not self-serving, it is easy to review the part of any proposal that you like and ignore the rest. You need to look 00:03:11
to protect Olive oil county. While the cost may be the largest part. Look at 911 services as well as non-emergency transports and 00:03:18
the cost to cover the entire county not just the hill. 00:03:26
If New Albany and Franklin Township. 00:03:34
To cover the entire county with all the services, not just portions of the county. The public voted you people into office because 00:03:38
they trusted you. Don't breach that trust and rush into any situation that is not better meant for the entire county. 00:03:47
And I did have one gentleman tell me how transparent the boards are. 00:03:57
That all for accounting boards are transparent. I beg to disagree. 00:04:04
I think they're about as transparent as a black garbage bag, so. 00:04:09
I'm it's it's terrible. 00:04:15
You know, one thing that really bothers me is the meetings. The meetings are sometimes 6:00, five, o'clock, 4:45. They seem to be 00:04:19
scheduled when a lot of public can't be here to speak. Utah, stop and look at people who are working today. 00:04:27
There's a lot of them Can't get off work and even get here. 00:04:37
For 4:45 meeting, that's not fair to your public. It's not fair to your constituents at all. You need to make it where all can 00:04:40
attend. 00:04:45
So I think you all need to end up being more transparent and pay more attention to your constituents. Get out there and talk to 00:04:50
them. They're not well, they're allowed to come in here. 00:04:56
I've talked to a bunch of them that would have been here. 00:05:02
But they can't meet the time frame that you all set. 00:05:05
So that might be something you want to consider in the future when you start talking about transparency. 00:05:09
Thank you. Thank you, Chair Bush. 00:05:15
Thank you very much, Sheriff Steve Bush. I just wanted to say a few things on the Advisory Board to this board. We've been at 00:05:21
many, many meetings that are jointly done. A lot of opinions that's come out from this topic, a lot of emotions. 00:05:27
They'll also lost a lot of vetting, still got more to do. So I just want to really just say. 00:05:34
Looking from the past, we're looking from currently into the future that we look at. 00:05:39
As a dispatch, we have to be able to dispatch somebody. 00:06:13
We want to make sure we're prepared to do that one way or the other. So thank you very much. 00:06:15
Thank you, Darrell Mills. 00:06:19
Darrell Mills with New Albany Township, president of the. 00:06:26
New Albany Township Fire Board. 00:06:31
Like take this opportunity first of all. 00:06:34
Take Everybody in this room knows that. 00:06:36
Your Chapel far is under a lot of scrutiny and. 00:06:39
We have a lot of turmoil going on. I won't take this opportunity to thank. 00:06:43
Highlander Fire Department, Georgetown Township Fire Department. 00:06:47
Tri-county and Borden and also New Albany City Fire Department for helping us through these times right now. 00:06:52
We have a lot of legal issues that we're dealing with. I can't really speak for those. 00:06:58
But we're going to upright this fire department, the boards. 00:07:04
Been meeting regularly. I think you all seen me. I've been trying to stay. 00:07:07
On top of everything with your all situation with contract for the ambulance service. 00:07:11
I think most of my conversations have been pretty open with several of you that have spoke to me. 00:07:17
New Chapel. 00:07:24
Fire Department. 00:07:26
Us as a board, we are not in a situation to run our own ambulance service. 00:07:27
I think it needs to be a county wide fire department ambulance service if that's what you do, not just. 00:07:33
Certain areas. 00:07:38
I'm not speaking against any agency here, I'm only speaking on behalf of the Albany Township. 00:07:40
But I think we need a county wide. 00:07:46
Ambulance service that will service New Albany Township residents as well as anyone else. 00:07:49
We don't know what our issues are going to be fiscally. 00:07:55
Trying to straighten out the fire department, but our priority is Fire Protection, not ambulance service. We've never provided 00:07:58
ambulance service. 00:08:02
We've always relied off the county commissioners contract. We don't own ambulances. 00:08:06
I live in New Albany Township. 00:08:11
I'd like to see New Orleans Township protected with ambulance the same as the rest of the county. 00:08:13
Please take that into consideration. I'm open to meetings. 00:08:18
But I think one ambulance service service in the county. 00:08:23
With the county commissioners contract. 00:08:26
It's their choice on who they go with. I want to step on their toes. 00:08:29
But we need to have coverage too. 00:08:33
And I don't know fiscally. 00:08:35
What we're going to be at once we get all this going with our fire services, but right now? 00:08:37
We need a fire service in New Albany Township. 00:08:42
They can say they got one. I saw the interviews. 00:08:45
Right now, we're relying on MO Houston to answer our FAR calls. 00:08:49
So that's our priority right now. 00:08:53
30 seconds. 00:08:55
So I appreciate any support that you all could give us in New Albany Council. 00:08:57
Thank you. Thank you. 00:09:01
Tim Harbison. 00:09:04
I live at 3820 Edwardsville Galena Rd. 00:09:14
I'm a very linear thinker, and so I'm going to tell you right up front. 00:09:19
That this may be oversimplified. 00:09:23
But to me. 00:09:27
Attended meetings, watching the videos. 00:09:29
Something that seems so painfully simple has been so extensively debated. 00:09:32
And I just figured there must be a piece of the puzzle that lots of us in the audience do not see. 00:09:38
Ameripro $1.5 million price tag and I watched the video of the last. 00:09:46
Meeting of the Council and nobody could tell us for sure how to fund that $1.5 million. 00:09:54
New Chapel. 00:10:04
I'm sorry, they're really not an option. 00:10:06
Clark County neighbor of ours is spending. 00:10:09
Has at least one person with a credit card spending our money on a lot of different things. 00:10:13
And they're under an FBI investigation. 00:10:18
So like I said, oversimplified if you have three choices. 00:10:21
And two aren't viable. You only have one option left. 00:10:28
And like I said, there's probably a piece to this puzzle that I don't understand. 00:10:32
But two of the council members and. 00:10:37
Two of the Commissioners. 00:10:41
Seem to doubt the proposal that the Highlander Fire District put forward. 00:10:42
And they seem to doubt. 00:10:49
The funding that members of their own council put forward. 00:10:51
And yet I haven't seen any of the data. 00:10:55
That backs up their doubts. 00:10:59
On why the funding was incorrect. 00:11:02
Or why? 00:11:05
The professional firefighters and Highlander Fire District could not deliver the service that they offered, so if there's some 00:11:08
data out there that helps you. 00:11:13
Decide that Highlander couldn't do what they say they're going to do more that the funding. 00:11:20
That some of your own council proposed, I think it would help all of us in the audience to know what the data is. Thank you. 00:11:27
Thank you, Bill. 00:11:35
I'm Bill Banta. I'm the chief of the Georgetown Township Fire Department. 00:11:43
I've been up here several times and I've said the same thing several times. Georgetown Township. 00:11:47
Supports the legal process that was inspired by the board by the commissioners through their recommendation to accept the contract 00:11:52
through Maripo looking at at least one year contract. 00:11:57
I've said this several times. 00:12:03
Give yourself a little breathing room and sign the contract on Monday. Start Tuesday to end up resolving this issue permanently. 00:12:04
But again, we've said it several times. 00:12:12
There was a legal process. 00:12:16
And it should be followed. 00:12:18
Thank you. Thank you. 00:12:19
All right, so that is everyone who had signed up. 00:12:22
To speak tonight and we do have one item of new Business Today and that's to continue the discussion of the EMS. 00:12:25
Situation here, so I think. 00:12:34
All of the commissioners attended. 00:12:36
The funding meeting that you all had Monday a week ago, I believe. 00:12:38
And just to give us a starting point of. 00:12:44
For where we are. 00:12:47
You know, a majority of the commissioners did put forward a plan to negotiate with the mayor of Pro. 00:12:50
For coverage for the entire county. 00:12:55
New Chapel was taken off the table. 00:12:59
Primarily because they could not show financial solvency. 00:13:03
And then there was a second proposal or a third put forward regarding how you look at it. 00:13:08
From Highlander Fire Protection District. 00:13:15
To provide EMS service. 00:13:18
But the missing piece to that puzzle, perhaps, is that they're not going to cover the whole county. They're they're covering. 00:13:20
Quote UN Quote The Hill. 00:13:26
So I think that's where we are as kind of a stepping off. 00:13:28
For tonight is at the beginning of your all funding meeting. There was a discussion of. 00:13:32
Of the 1.4 million, which I think is the number we're looking at rather than 1.5. 00:13:39
Where was that going to come from concretely? And there were some leads that were discussed. And there was. And I saw people 00:13:45
taking notes at that meeting and they've said they were going to maybe follow up with looking at that. And then there was the 00:13:49
discussion of Highlander, so. 00:13:53
I guess my first jumping off point is. 00:13:58
Was there any further looking into the funding of the Commissioners proposal? 00:14:01
For the county wide coverage from America Pro for 1.4 million. 00:14:07
I I think there's been lots of discussions and. 00:14:14
Ideas that are still being. 00:14:20
Processed and. 00:14:23
Making sure they're viable options. 00:14:26
I think everything we had on paper. 00:14:31
Showed us. 00:14:34
75% there. 00:14:38
Available. Not that we agreed upon it, but. 00:14:41
Available. 00:14:44
To do you know funds that could be made available I. 00:14:47
I think the. 00:14:55
The sticking point? 00:14:57
Is probably. 00:14:58
How long do we want to try to negotiate this contract? 00:15:02
And what happens? 00:15:05
After the contract what what type of planning? 00:15:07
Goes into the the after. 00:15:12
Yeah, one concrete update from that from discussions with the Mayor Pro is that you know we that RFP originally was for three 00:15:15
years. 00:15:18
And they are not willing to go below 2 years. 00:15:22
But it seems like there is we have to go to two years. 00:15:27
And I know that. 00:15:30
The there was also discussion about the commissioners meeting halfway or trying to find some funds for that as well and. 00:15:34
So I think, Mr. Love. 00:15:41
Had discussed at least. 00:15:45
Two potential issues out of Jason, do you want to comment on that? Yeah, I think one of the issues that we we discussed where 00:15:47
there was some money available was the where we had set aside for broadband. 00:15:52
Broadband coverage. 00:15:58
So I think there's about $600,000. 00:16:00
Available in there that we can use to offset that so. 00:16:04
If I have to choose between broadband and emergency services while I choose emergency services. 00:16:09
Well, since we're talking about broadband. 00:16:14
We initially had $1,000,000 set aside. 00:16:17
And over the years we have. 00:16:20
We have given up 400,000. 00:16:23
200,000 like for the building turn 1000 for I'm not sure what it was but I am totally against. 00:16:26
Using that 600,000 for the for EMS. 00:16:32
I live about Greenville and Lafayette. We have a lot of areas out there. I still have broadband. 00:16:36
Y'all be you might be OK. 00:16:43
Adjacent Georgetown and Franklin. There's a lot of areas out there, too. 00:16:46
And but this money has been reserved for broadband and I am totally against that. I think we're just cutting our cutting nose off 00:16:50
spotter face with that. 00:16:54
And it's only just a one time, just a one time give. 00:16:59
And so if you're looking at two year contract, what are you going to do to supplement that the the second year? 00:17:03
So I'm told against using. 00:17:09
I think the people. 00:17:11
In Floyd County, that out in the rural areas that don't have broadband. 00:17:13
I think they would be outraged. 00:17:17
Well, I think that as time has gone on, I think technology kind of. 00:17:20
Runs pretty quickly. I mean, I can't even walk out of the phone store without getting a new phone already. And you know, the truth 00:17:24
is, is that we're at a point where. 00:17:28
You know, there's plenty of options out there. High speed options with satellite servers such as Star Link. 00:17:31
That somebody could pay for, you know, so. 00:17:36
I really, I'm really not sure you know, as far as on a local level how much we should be. 00:17:39
Paying for people's broadband when we have emergency services that need funded. So that's just my opinion. 00:17:45
Well, the. 00:17:51
The Indiana Broadband Association, I talked with one of them today and they've got two rounds coming up. 00:17:53
First one will be sometime in July of this year and the second will be fourth quarter or next year. 00:18:00
And you know, it's a long process because they're looking at. 00:18:07
They're comparing the address that they have are the ones that been reported that want to make sure that they got the database 00:18:11
right. So it's you know it it it's a it's a slow process. 00:18:15
But again, they have plans. 00:18:20
To work with the. 00:18:22
To work with the with the providers and. 00:18:25
They are. They'll be putting their plans together and and when they look at that, they're looking at how much. 00:18:28
How much money will be will be? 00:18:34
Will be provided and not only by the by the provider, but also local match. 00:18:38
From the from local government and so we need to have skin in the game and we don't have that money there. We don't have skin in 00:18:45
the game. 00:18:48
Well, if we're looking at different sources, I will. 00:18:55
Consider a broadband just because, as I said, I'd rather have areas not covered by broadband than not covered by ambulance. We 00:18:58
have other options. Like I said, I'll look at and listen to lots of other options. Doctor Harris, did you join us after we began? 00:19:04
OK. Sorry I didn't. I didn't see you there. 00:19:13
So. 00:19:17
All right. So any other leads on? 00:19:21
Coverage for the entire county. 00:19:25
With the Ameriprro. 00:19:27
Contract that was approved for that was suggested, are we talking one year or two years, so we need to have at least two years. 00:19:30
Of funding and so. 00:19:38
I I would love to see. 00:19:41
What Danny thinks the numbers look like for a two year funding. 00:19:43
When we're 75% there, if he could put those on the board because I don't know what they are. 00:19:47
We talked about him in our Monday night meeting. Can we can we have you put him on the board for us? 00:19:53
If you think we're there, I mean, because I'm really, I'm just being serious. I don't know how we're going to use, I don't know 00:19:58
where 75% of it's going to come from. 00:20:03
If if we have it, I'm. 00:20:09
That's that's a great thing for a two year period. From my recollection, you all had discussed CARES ACT money. 00:20:12
Yes, we have, and there is a discussion as to whether that should go just for the Highlander Fire Protection District or to the 00:20:18
Ameripro, right, that is, Mr. Bagshaw stated. A good portion of that has been earmarked for the health department and their new 00:20:23
home in 2026. 00:20:28
Yes, so. 00:20:34
So again, options there's options for using. 00:20:37
That CARES Act money that was already set aside for something, or the ARPA money that was already set aside and I don't have. 00:20:41
Or the Legacy Foundation Foundation was mentioned Money. 00:20:50
Which we would have to get into the umm. 00:20:54
The principal Thank you, the principal for. 00:21:01
Again. 00:21:05
All options, but have we talked with and done any? 00:21:07
Further homework on the I believe I even heard someone stay under their breath, maybe off microphone about an EMS lip tax. 00:21:11
So what? It probably didn't get into the minutes. 00:21:19
I've stayed on the record. It needs to be part of the discussion. 00:21:23
If you're gonna have a service. 00:21:26
And you want to have ongoing funds for that service whether it's county wide EMS, whether it's privatized? 00:21:29
Whether it's stitched together from the different fire districts doing. 00:21:35
Which really are the only three options. 00:21:39
Then you have to have some sort of ongoing funding for that and. 00:21:41
So I think that needs to be. 00:21:45
On the tables. 00:21:49
I don't disagree if that's the way we want to go. I don't see any other way to fund this. 00:21:51
Besides a EMS tax if we want to go this direction. 00:21:57
Which means you have to put it in place this year, I believe. 00:22:02
In order to start collecting it next year. 00:22:06
And again, we'd have to talk with our financial people about the timing of how that tax would work. 00:22:09
I would tell you I probably in all sincerity talked to no less than 100 people constituent like outside of these meetings and I'm 00:22:17
sure everybody else has to and we had one speaker. 00:22:22
At the last meeting, I can't recall his name, but he stood up there and said that that seemed to be the most logical. 00:22:29
You know, talked about it. I think his estimation was $39.00 a person in the county. 00:22:36
Four to five people that I talked to. 00:22:43
We're saying that that seems to make sense. I do get people that balk at that and I get that. 00:22:45
If you're going to do that, you have to have a non reverting fund where that money goes. 00:22:52
Towards EMS and everybody EMS. 00:22:56
People need to be able to see where their tax money goes, OK? 00:22:59
So CARES Act Money 1.1 million Riverboat 125 Reporter 350. Is that a new one that was not discussed previously? 00:23:03
OK. So and then it'll be an ongoing. 00:23:13
50 to 70,000 per year. 00:23:15
Can you explain? 00:23:18
When we got the new Lao. 00:23:21
Software. 00:23:24
And after an internal audit. 00:23:25
Funds. 00:23:27
Shifted back to the general fund, they were left in an account. 00:23:28
Within the Recorder's office, and it was, it was found. That's about. 00:23:32
6-7 years worth. 00:23:37
Of it just kind of rolling over. So that's a one time. So that was not discussed at the last meeting it was not and then Mr. 00:23:39
Bagshaw discussed rainy day fund. 00:23:43
At the last meeting to correct. 00:23:47
And there'd be a range on that anywhere from. 00:23:50
Dale, you recall what you. 00:23:54
I suggested possibly the first year, but. 00:23:57
If we really wanted to tap into rainy day, I mean, we could fund it. 00:24:00
Earmark raining day for the next two years, but you believe down pretty. 00:24:04
Drastically right? They need to be replenished. 00:24:07
So. 00:24:14
I'm owing the math there there's there's. 00:24:18
If you had the rainy day at the bottom of that, then there's more than enough to cover for two years of that. 00:24:20
So if we want to get into those are a couple of things on there that I I'm just I just need to point out. 00:24:29
Number one, the legacy. 00:24:35
It's really up to the legacy board whether they give us that or not. We have no. 00:24:37
Say and whether we get that we have a say in in the lump sum portion. If we choose the lump sum portion, we do. 00:24:42
And we could. 00:24:49
Get that? 00:24:50
And that. 00:24:52
And like I said in the last meeting. 00:24:54
I see no reason. 00:24:56
That the Legacy Foundation would not approve this because what greater legacy? 00:24:58
And for the Betterment County, then public safety. 00:25:02
I agree, but I'm just, I'm just pointing it out. And the other thing is. 00:25:06
Only part of the let's see, you've got the budget. 00:25:12
We've already had to pay New Chapel five months of that. 00:25:18
So. 00:25:24
So not all the 220 is there. 00:25:25
For this year, will we be there next year? 00:25:29
I mean, I understand, but yes, I mean potentially right. 00:25:32
Could be. 00:25:38
Would you mind adding the rainy day at the bottom there to sort of range please? 00:25:40
What's the current balance? The current available balance minus the Care Act money that implied is 2.8 million. 00:25:48
I saw. 00:25:56
Mr. Steve Burks enter the room gate. 00:25:58
You sit on the legacy foundation, would you have any comment on that? I mean I sit on that as well and I know that historically 00:26:02
we've talked about that the funds should not go towards. 00:26:06
What should be a budgeted? 00:26:11
Fund item correct, but but I don't think that's written into the charter. 00:26:14
And I I'm not trying to put anybody on the spot, I'm just trying to have an informal meeting and you might have information useful 00:26:21
to us. 00:26:24
An informal formal meeting, I would refer to Mr. Striegel or Miss Hendricks, who's in the audience, but my understanding is. 00:26:28
The legacy board simply grants money. 00:26:35
Of the interest off that. 00:26:40
There can be a supermajority. 00:26:46
That can say we will. 00:26:48
You know, we'll have. 00:26:50
That 400,000, whatever it was up there. 00:26:52
Toward this and so. 00:26:55
The purpose of the legacy board is simply to grant. 00:26:57
Money to nonprofits. That's the entirety of our of our Rd. It's not just nonprofits, but, well, what I'm saying. We're the grant, 00:27:04
Grant Turbors. 00:27:09
That's the entirety of our responsibilities when it gets into the nuances of taking money from there. 00:27:14
Then it only comes back to the Council. 00:27:22
And there may have been some legislation that's changed. That's my understanding as the Chairman of the board. 00:27:25
Thank you. 00:27:31
Krishna Kumar Pvt. Ltd. 00:27:35
I think there's another option that I brought up at our last meeting and no one seems to continue. Not going to bring this up. I 00:27:38
guess it's one no one wants to address, but. 00:27:43
I think we need to ask the Commissioners to come to the table with this. 00:27:49
And look at this I. 00:27:53
Then it's benefit study that we had completed. We for some reason have not had this meeting to review this to get some 00:27:55
comparisons. 00:28:00
I've done some rough numbers on this, trying to get us into an average of. 00:28:05
These other numerous counties were involved in this. 00:28:09
And I see potential savings of pension of 282,000 a year. 00:28:13
Which would grow. 00:28:19
With interest every year. 00:28:20
And in addition, healthcare contributions from. 00:28:23
The employees would be. 00:28:27
528,000. 00:28:30
These are just some rough numbers. So we're talking over $800,000 a year. We're talking pretty much half this budget. Yet no one 00:28:32
wants to discuss this. I can't get anyone else on page to at least bring this up to discuss. I I I get such a big number. We 00:28:38
really have to address this. Let's set a meeting. I'm. I'm all for set a meeting. Well, the commissioner's gonna have to be 00:28:44
involved in this. So they have to prove it. So they're not gonna they're not gonna be open to this. It's it's already when. When 00:28:50
did that study come back? 00:28:56
4-6 weeks ago, OK, I mean. 00:29:03
Yeah, I thought the impression was so opinion. I I certainly I have never. I have not received any invitation to come to a 00:29:06
meeting. I'm happy to do that. I've asked to have this meeting, but yet I still got no response. I've been wanting this meeting. 00:29:12
I mean, I I. 00:29:20
Have you emailed me on that? 00:29:21
Not you, no. 00:29:24
So so. 00:29:27
Let's get to do for our next joint meeting. This one was the next joint meeting is when. 00:29:27
Well, the next schedule, right, I think at the end of the month as is, but you know. 00:29:33
We may be having joint meetings weekly between now and. 00:29:36
And the resolution of and we really want to make sure that the. 00:29:41
The vendor that did that study can be at that meeting, so we need to. 00:29:46
Understand when that's going to happen. I mean it's it is at the same time. 00:29:52
Place that has been scheduled for for a couple months. Yeah, I don't remember when that is. I'm trying to look on my calendar. 00:29:57
20 3rd I think 23rd or 4th. Oh, there it is. That's 4:00. 00:30:06
So. 00:30:14
Jim, I just asked you, you said half a million in healthcare. Can you kind of give me just a real quick how you'd rather have that 00:30:16
study and have them confirm some of these numbers, these are just some rough numbers I'm having employees what they would help, 00:30:21
what they would continue to contribute? 00:30:25
To the plan. 00:30:31
I need their confirmation from them. I'm these numbers I have may not be exact I'd rather have that but I'm I'm Sanders potential 00:30:33
there so we at least should be addressing it so we can we get a consensus that we will at the 4:00 meeting on April 23rd have a 00:30:38
vendor available. 00:30:44
Can you reach out? 00:30:51
I think Michelle's here somewhere. 00:30:52
Maybe not. I'll. I'll make sure that she reaches out to him. 00:30:55
And we have that discussion. 00:30:59
OK, so I mean that discussion. 00:31:02
Will take place. 00:31:05
Right now I will tell you that that is very, very promising money for the 2025 budget and beyond, but. 00:31:08
Trying to put something in place now that's effective June 1st. 00:31:18
We still need to take a deep dive into these numbers. 00:31:22
It is the only option on the table right now that covers the entire county. 00:31:27
And I know that we will want to have a discussion. I know that there are folks who. 00:31:32
I hope that people want to go into these numbers a little bit more, but if not, I know that there are some here they're going to. 00:31:40
Talk about the Highlander Fire District proposal. That's cool, but I do want to bring. 00:31:45
Mr. Rick Fox forward. 00:31:51
To discuss. 00:31:53
The that option before we get into the numbers part of it. 00:31:55
So does anyone else have anything to say or suggest about? 00:31:58
These possibilities at this point in time, I don't think that the legacy foundation money is going to. 00:32:03
Be available within the next. 00:32:11
52 days, whatever we have left either. 00:32:13
So again, what do you have that's actually available in the? 00:32:16
We can, we can move funds and. 00:32:20
Reimburse, I believe. OK. 00:32:23
I believe they call for a monthly. 00:32:25
Cash payment. 00:32:28
Right. Yeah. So it's understood. 00:32:30
I I think. 00:32:33
Before we make any final decisions, we may want to get Baker Tilly to look at. 00:32:35
Using rainy day funds. 00:32:41
To do to to do this because. 00:32:44
I don't know this for sure, but there is a suggested. 00:32:48
Amount that you should have on hand. 00:32:54
Just like you would have at home, you know, three months of cash or three months of savings. 00:32:57
And we may be below that if we. 00:33:04
Start using up our rainy day funds. 00:33:09
To support this, I'm not suggesting that we shouldn't. I'm just suggesting we may need to get Maker Chilling. It is a suggestion, 00:33:12
yes, and this is the contract is paid monthly. 00:33:17
We went years and years and years with. 00:33:23
800,000 to $1,000,000 in there, and I'm not suggesting that we that we rate the rainy day fund. 00:33:27
But I. 00:33:34
My understanding was it was suggested to keep it up. 00:33:37
At the 10% of expenses level for. 00:33:40
Ratings. Umm. Uh. 00:33:44
And I don't think bonding rates do get impacted and and we do need cash on hand because our levies only come up in once every six 00:33:46
months. 00:33:51
So if you're not careful. 00:33:57
With your cash. 00:34:00
Right. I'm just suggesting we may need to get our financial guys to understood. 00:34:02
I know where you come from. So I noticed the EMT lid isn't on the board up there yet. 00:34:09
You probably don't want to be the one that has to put it up there, right? 00:34:13
I will officially put it on the table for discussion. I thought we were talking about things that were available now, so I 00:34:19
understand. Well, that's the same thing with the down the road you could have. 00:34:24
The health insurance. 00:34:31
And the. 00:34:33
What was they look for? 00:34:34
It's intentional and we really don't know where the savings is on that. 00:34:36
But it belongs out there. 00:34:45
Because, you know, my thinking on this has has. 00:34:51
Evolved to the point where I think that. 00:34:55
That needs to be part of the conversation. I mean, I really think we need to sign with the mayor pro for one to two years, but we 00:34:57
have a task force to look at county wide EMS. 00:35:01
To see if that is financially the best way to go and if so, then how do we fund it and that's probably going to be. 00:35:06
The best way to do that in an ongoing fashion? 00:35:13
And that would allow us to. 00:35:16
Form of service from the ground up, but Rick, do you want to? 00:35:18
Where can I? 00:35:23
We brought this my engine earlier today, so. 00:35:27
Rick, Fox County Attorney. 00:35:32
I'm here to specifically speak with regards to EMS services. 00:35:35
With respect to the Highlander Fire District. 00:35:41
In my opinion, the ordinance or charter of the Highlander Fire District does not authorize EMS services. 00:35:46
In fact, it is the commissioners that have the statutory authority to authorize franchise our contract for emergency medical 00:35:54
services. 00:35:59
In support of that, I just want to go through briefly with regards to the ordinance and some other authorities that support that 00:36:04
opinion. 00:36:08
To start with, in terms of. 00:36:15
The ordinance under Section One, it speaks specifically. 00:36:19
The following purposes for which the Highlander Fire District was established. 00:36:25
And under a Fire Protection fire extinguishing all fires B. 00:36:30
Fire Protection, including identification and elimination of all potential and actual sources. 00:36:36
Of fire hazard. 00:36:43
And see other purposes or functions related to Fire Protection and fire prevention. 00:36:45
And nothing was said about. 00:36:53
Emergency services and under the statute. 00:36:56
Fire services and emergency services are two separate entities, 2 separate things. 00:37:00
Moving on, what I call the authorization clause. 00:37:10
The ordinance says once fully functioning, commencing January 1, 2024, it will be the purpose and function of the Highlander Fire 00:37:14
District to effectively exert jurisdiction over and govern fire services throughout the district. 00:37:23
So the purpose and function. 00:37:32
And jurisdiction. 00:37:35
Is to govern over fire services. 00:37:37
Nothing was said about. 00:37:40
Emergency services. 00:37:43
And. 00:37:46
You know when you talk about purpose, function, and jurisdiction, that pretty much covers the gambit with regards to what you're 00:37:48
authorizing. 00:37:52
The assumption clause that I call that's under. 00:37:59
Subsection D Other emergency Services. 00:38:03
It says that Fire Protection shall be timely assumed and fulfilled by the Board of Trustees. Doesn't say anything about emergency 00:38:08
services. 00:38:12
Being assumed by the Board of trustees. 00:38:17
Also says this procedure is hereby implemented consistent with the Statute. 00:38:22
To assimilate and integrate the Lafayette Township town of Greenville. 00:38:28
In Greenville town. 00:38:33
Floyd County within the territory and jurisdiction of this ordinance. 00:38:35
Moving on to Section 9, I'm sorry, Section 10 of the ordinance. 00:38:45
It states. 00:38:50
And authorizes purchase of firefighting equipment. 00:38:53
There's no authorization for the purchase of emergency services equipment. 00:38:57
And by the same token, the very next section, section 11 Payment. 00:39:03
Of line of duty. 00:39:08
Healthcare expenses for firefighters. 00:39:10
Is authorized. 00:39:14
There's no provision made for. 00:39:15
Authorizing emergency services personnel with respect to their health care expenses. 00:39:18
So EMS is not mentioned once in the whole ordinance. 00:39:25
It's just not authorized. 00:39:32
And there is a statute out there that when we talk about what? 00:39:34
Who has authority with regards to handling these matters? 00:39:42
That's Indiana Code 16-31-5-1. And it states that a governing body of a county. 00:39:46
By the governing body's action or any combination, may do the following Establish, operate, and maintain emergency medical 00:39:55
services. 00:39:59
Authorized franchise or contract for emergency medical services. And so that's the county commissioners. 00:40:05
They're the ones that are the legislative body and have the authority to do that and they can do a combination of that. 00:40:15
But they are the source of where we head with regards to. 00:40:24
Who's going to handle emergency services? 00:40:28
I'd also like to cite as a Supreme Court case, Anderson versus ******* 42 NE 3rd 82. This was decided in September 1, 2015. 00:40:31
And this is a case that came out of the. 00:40:44
The Brown Circuit Court. 00:40:49
And what it says is that the Indiana legislature has expressly granted county legislative bodies the authority to create and 00:40:53
thereby to amend under the Indiana Fire District Act. 00:40:59
Under the Indiana Home Rule Act. 00:41:06
Boards of county commissioners are authorized to amend a Fire Protection district, even if such amendment dissolves the district. 00:41:09
That means the commissioners have the authority to make the ordinances that they made and extend what authority authorities they 00:41:18
want to the fire districts. 00:41:23
And again, statutorily, they're responsible for how emergency services. 00:41:28
Play out. 00:41:34
And so. 00:41:35
Any questions with regards to that? 00:41:38
So let me ask you Rick, so that was you're not talked earlier, so you've not had a chance to look at New Albany Fire district or 00:41:43
Georgetown either, have you? 00:41:48
It seemed that the Highlander Fire District was looking to provide EMS services for. 00:42:01
For Lafayette Greenville, I'm not sure if they were going to expand the services somewhere else, but the the point I'm making is 00:42:10
that. 00:42:16
I don't believe they have the authority to do that. It is the commissioners that have the statutory authority and you know, even 00:42:21
if a case was made that. 00:42:26
There was authority somewhere in the ordinance, which there isn't, but. 00:42:32
You know, in terms of making the case, the Commissioners have the right to amend that pursuant to the Supreme Court case. 00:42:38
So you know, whatever the commissioners decide to do, that's. 00:42:44
That's where we need to head. 00:42:49
So currently with commissioners discretion, so currently with Highlander providing ambulance ServiceNow, are you saying that 00:42:52
they're doing that outside of the ordinance? 00:42:58
Yes. So you're saying that they are doing this improperly? 00:43:04
Well, it's outside the ordinance. So how do we fix this? 00:43:09
Also till until we fix this, what? 00:43:13
What's your advice on that then? 00:43:16
Well, I don't know. That's that's a question I hadn't been asked to. 00:43:18
You know you have a number of options. You most certainly. 00:43:22
Can take one of the one they. 00:43:26
I guess quickest options would be number. 00:43:28
Number one will be to review New Albany Township. 00:43:31
In Georgetown. 00:43:34
Ordinances. 00:43:37
And then review them and see if they have that included and if they don't. 00:43:39
Then we need to. 00:43:44
Bring them all up to speed and get them all on the same page. You can amend the You could amend everyone of the ordinances to 00:43:46
include fire and EMS and then everyone of them have the ability. 00:43:52
To do that if you if you so choose. 00:43:59
If you did that, then you probably don't need county wide ambulance service. 00:44:02
If you will. 00:44:08
But the County Council would probably need to step in and do some funding out with guests, because I wouldn't think that. 00:44:10
The fire districts themselves would have the funds to be able to support. 00:44:18
That joint effort. 00:44:22
Because I know they're using the majority of their funds for. 00:44:25
For fire purposes. 00:44:28
If there's a nuance here, correct me if I'm wrong. I mean if we go to correct these. 00:44:30
Which I'm not opposed to doing. I think there's a nuance between supportive services and standalone EMS services. 00:44:35
And I think you get into standalone EMS services and. 00:44:44
You need to have boards that then answer to the public. 00:44:48
And with merge to the funding that I mean I think all of these services. 00:44:53
Otherwise, they're open to misinterpretation. Well, it says EMS, so I'm going to run with that and do. 00:44:59
Whatever. I feel like that. 00:45:04
Mandate is, I think it has to be defined with regards to that, I think on behalf of the taxpayers. 00:45:06
The system that we had been operating under, you are having the taxpayers are paying for EMS coverage. 00:45:13
From two different sources for the same territories. 00:45:22
And that's not a benefit to the taxpayers. 00:45:26
So I think the Commissioners need to decide. 00:45:30
Where we're going to head with regards to this. 00:45:34
Get that worked out and then in conjunction with the County Council funding. 00:45:38
I see two more. 00:45:44
Important distinctions and. 00:45:46
The other fire boards do not wish. 00:45:52
To have EMS service. 00:45:54
That's not in their purview. They want to concentrate on Fire Protection. 00:45:57
Fire service. 00:46:02
They don't wish to pursue emergency medical services. 00:46:04
The other point is. 00:46:09
There's a big difference. 00:46:12
Emergency medical service and first response. 00:46:14
And I'll leave that at that. 00:46:20
So to your point, Danny, a little bit, you know. 00:46:23
I think it's very evident that fire departments are struggling with their budgets nowadays. I mean, they're no different than our 00:46:27
own homes. 00:46:31
Their spinning power is less now than what it was. 00:46:35
A few years ago, I mean. 00:46:38
Wasn't a couple of meetings ago we talked about. 00:46:40
The rescue that Louisville Fire Department undertook on the 2nd St. Bridge. 00:46:44
And. 00:46:49
You know, after after all the details of rescue were out, it wasn't just a few days later and. 00:46:51
We found out that, you know, the little fire department firefighters were working without a contract for nine months. 00:46:56
That there were $34 million in deferred maintenance behind apparatus schedule. 00:47:02
Was behind and the root of the rope. 00:47:09
That was used during the rescue was 10 years old, which is a violation. 00:47:11
In FBA 1858, Believe that's what it is, but. 00:47:15
You know, it wasn't just not too long ago either that we had New Albany Township and. 00:47:19
And Highlander both come up and say. 00:47:24
They wanted permission to. 00:47:27
You know, go for the Max Levy with our district but. 00:47:28
You know we're that's just for we haven't united the EMS component yet and that's one of the dangers with with firing miss is that 00:47:32
if you implement it wrong you have essentially 2 entities that are competing for the very same budget. 00:47:38
Dollars, just because you have EMS, that's a meeting that your budget's going to significantly grow. 00:47:44
You know so. 00:47:49
I think going forward, at least this time, you know. 00:47:51
Having a solution that fixes the problem for everyone in the county. 00:47:55
Is obviously probably a standalone EMS system. 00:47:59
And we already have quite a bit of actionable data we've already. 00:48:02
Receive between the Fitch study that we've paid for. 00:48:06
The RFP that the EMS Advisory Board came up with. So I do think we have some good data moving forward so. 00:48:10
Look forward to conversations to come. 00:48:16
So what do we as Commissioners do to resolve this this? 00:48:20
Discrepancy or whatever. You need to decide how you want to advance EMS services in Floyd County. 00:48:24
I think you're looking for. 00:48:34
A solution for the moment, just so that we're not. 00:48:36
Any sort of. 00:48:40
Jeopardy. Is there a? 00:48:41
Patch we can put on the all three amendments saying support services or first responder services. 00:48:43
Short of. 00:48:50
Putting putting the limit on starting their own EMS. 00:48:51
I think I. 00:48:57
I'm not trying to put words in, no. I understand you're looking for a shorter term solution and then we obviously need a longer 00:48:58
term solution now, but we don't want. 00:49:02
Anybody in limbo right now? 00:49:07
To me, it just bothers me that we keep putting these guardrails, guardrails to be so. 00:49:09
So specific, you know, and we're talking about public safety, we're talking about. 00:49:15
Come on, people's lives, you know. And we want to be so, so. 00:49:21
Drip just drill down that. No, we can't use that word. We can't use that word and we talk about EMS. 00:49:26
We're talking about providing service for people that have that have a critical time in their life, Okay. 00:49:32
And for us to be? 00:49:38
We need effect, but I think it also needs to. 00:49:40
It needs to be. 00:49:43
Forward-looking. 00:49:45
OK. Because we have got to do something here within that we've got what, 50 days, something like that, you know? 00:49:46
But that's why I say we need to get together. We need it, We need to get a fix in here, but it also needs to be able to. 00:49:53
To be forward thinking. 00:50:01
You know, I think what we've come up with. 00:50:03
Is both of those things having a majority of the commissioners? I realize you were on the dissension on that. 00:50:05
Have proposed that we. 00:50:11
Go forward with the mayor pro. 00:50:13
See if we get a two year contract covers the whole county. It doesn't leave anybody uncovered. 00:50:15
Which the other proposal did. 00:50:21
And well, it did. It didn't have no, I understand, you know, so we covered the whole thing and then we really did down. 00:50:24
But putting a task force together for your EMS doesn't mean that we're going to have county wide EMS, but it gives U.S. data to 00:50:32
actually see whether or not that. 00:50:36
Makes more safety sense, financial sense over continued privatization. 00:50:41
So I think the short term. 00:50:47
And again, governmentally, generationally speaking, A2 year contract is the short term solution. The forward thinking part of this 00:50:50
is. 00:50:53
Getting uh. 00:50:57
All of the parties together right now. 00:50:58
We have two of the three departments who've not even been brought to the table for the discussion. 00:51:01
Question. I have a question for Rick's. 00:51:08
You you provided a state statute report in regards to what the fire department's. 00:51:12
Primary duties are in the state of Indiana. 00:51:18
Fire prevention and Fire Protection. And you referred to a local ordinance, is that right? 00:51:21
I started with the local ordinance that the commissioners passed in 2022. 00:51:27
Which gives. 00:51:33
The powers. 00:51:35
They have authorized to the Highlander Fire District, which are kind of mimic the state statue services. That's what they 00:51:37
authorized. 00:51:41
Fire services, Fire Protection. 00:51:46
So what constituted the fire service I guess is the question that clarified clarifying question. 00:51:49
Well, fighting fires. 00:51:56
So far, prevention, Fire Protection. 00:51:59
It's it's to the exclusion of emergency services where you draw the line. I don't have the answer to that. 00:52:02
Emergency medical service, because they are emergency services, emergency services. 00:52:10
OK, So what? What? Vehicle extrications? Hazmat. Swift Water Rescue? Bolt Water Rescue? 00:52:15
That's in or out. 00:52:22
Are they allowed to do that? 00:52:25
Who is they? The fire department. 00:52:27
There we're talking medical services. 00:52:29
So but what I'm saying is is. 00:52:33
You we're talking by ambulance services. That's what we're talking about. 00:52:36
But you're saying that they don't necessarily have the ability to do that per the evidence? 00:52:41
The other functions that are not in statute or if I'm clarifying your ordinance, the other things that the fire departments do, 00:52:45
they're not specifically as stated in the ordinance. Are they allowed to do those? 00:52:50
They're not allowed to do anything that they haven't been authorized to do by the ordinance. Does the ordinance allow them to do 00:52:59
vehicle extrications? 00:53:03
Water rescue, swift water rescue or hazmat. 00:53:10
I have a well, you're Doctor Harris seems to be burning a come up to the microphone. If you don't mind though, I just have a 00:53:13
clarifying question on that. 00:53:17
I I it's. 00:53:22
Hi, I'm Tom Harrison, County Health Officer, also member of the university advisory for the. 00:53:25
Uh, doctor, for many years I I have. 00:53:30
Not to disagree with my esteemed colleague Rick here, but I do have concerns about this very. 00:53:34
Interpretation the ordinance. There are some major fire functions that include extrication brands brought out, includes hazmat, 00:53:41
and includes basic first responders in the first aid. But if you define this fire department as somebody who just sprays water on 00:53:48
something that's burning, I'm afraid that that is an overly restricted view. Now granted, it it, it fits. 00:53:56
You know the. 00:54:04
Rejection issues regarding power based. 00:54:06
But, and it also addresses the issue that the solution, whatever solution the support comes out there, is body comes out there. 00:54:10
Has to fit the whole account. 00:54:18
But the concern here is that we're painting ourselves into a box with a very restricted view of what fire can do. 00:54:19
Especially in an era, overall there's there's there's fewer actual fires. 00:54:28
Etcetera. 00:54:34
Wildfires are up. 00:54:37
The issue in this context though is that we're painting our fire. The only time they leave the building is if something burning 00:54:40
like that's not a lot of the runs, especially in this area, our rescue education. So that that's my concern with with this narrow 00:54:45
interpretation. 00:54:51
And as such, the ordinance should be modified. 00:54:56
To allow the Mars services to take out care of everything besides just fighting fires. 00:55:00
And I think, I think, I think. 00:55:08
Yeah, with this, with this just coming up. 00:55:13
To our attention today, literally I think all three Commissioners correct me if I'm wrong and. 00:55:19
Attorney Fox. 00:55:24
Open to looking at Georgetown and Ulney Township and making sure that we come up with. 00:55:26
Something that. 00:55:32
Broadens that interpretation a little bit, but not to the extent that they can have a standalone EMS service without the. 00:55:34
Authorization of the Commissioners in each case. 00:55:40
I think also one key, key important distinction is is that. 00:55:44
Providing auto extrication has this materials and all. That's not necessarily a certification from the state that you have to 00:55:49
receive. Emergency medical services whether it be transport or non transport is a certification process through the state. 00:55:55
And I appreciate your comments, but I don't like you were a little bit away from the mic and the, but I just. 00:56:03
I did hear that you thought it should. Whatever we come up with needs to service the whole county rather than. 00:56:08
That's correct. And you know the one of the things that has been grossed here a couple of times. 00:56:14
Is the concept of a freestanding service. 00:56:20
That way we avoid the whole fire district, the whole fire war board concept. Where we do this, we don't. 00:56:25
Despite fires, you know we can't try again. Fires real fire. You know, we, you know this stuff like that. You know, if you 00:56:33
establish A freestanding independently, invest, I'm not sure it's going to cost. 00:56:38
We don't have that number yet. That's certainly that may be a sticking point, but it's an option that should be considered as we 00:56:44
look at Firebase DMS. 00:56:48
But I think that the take home message you know from. 00:56:52
Today's and whatever course of action is chosen. 00:56:55
It has to fit Franklin Township as well as it's New Orleans Township. 00:56:58
And I think that there are difficulties and advantages to each mode of the service, but we have to have ambulance coverage. 00:57:04
Thank you. First, so some some sort of parallel track is probably the right answer. 00:57:12
The other thing is like I got my mic here, is that the funding ultimately should be sustainable. 00:57:19
You know, we can throw money at a problem fairly easily and we see that in the health department we're startup issues, but then we 00:57:27
have problems sustained approach. 00:57:30
And so, however you know, whatever. 00:57:35
Smorgasbord, you know, choice. You get to fund it. It has to be able to sustain this and keep it going. 00:57:38
And preferably without depleting the other potential funds in the future. 00:57:44
So I think that's something that also needs, needs to look at and we all get, nobody wants new taxes. 00:57:49
But there have been attacks like levies placed in the past for Fire Protection for other things in different counties. 00:57:57
And as long as we're within the state guidelines, I think that that's something that. 00:58:04
Should look at even the exemptions for certain subpopulations that. 00:58:09
Yeah, that was an estimate that came from someone, but that seems to be in line with some I've heard from other counties of 00:58:19
comparable size. 00:58:23
Disabled veteran benefits. It can be single households and parent households benefits and things like that. You can you can adjust 00:58:30
that overall fee to take care of that risk groups to be unfairly packed by additional funding or tax real quickly Would you also 00:58:36
include transport and non transport services. 00:58:42
With with English, I think you'd have to look at that. I think the primary issue. 00:58:49
As an emergency physician, the primary issue is emergency transport. 00:58:56
That also includes emergency transfer. 00:59:01
And we have a heavily that requires tertiary neurocare. That person needs to get to Baptist university as fast as possible. 00:59:04
Something with a polytronicism for you. 00:59:09
So, so that's that's the. 00:59:14
Absolute basic services, the government organization. 00:59:16
Is emergency transport and transfer. 00:59:22
The other runs actually pay fairly well and my supposition would be is that someone will come in whether it's Premier Pro or. 00:59:26
Each Apple, the next generation or whatever, that some service would come in and scoop up those runs because those runs are 00:59:35
proper, generally paying runs to the property. 00:59:40
But I think, you know, from a governmental administrative perspective, we got to solve emergency transport and emergency transfer, 00:59:46
correct? 00:59:50
And you know, we'll get estimates to provide the additional service. But you know, we want this, we want a public service. 00:59:55
Solution here. 01:00:03
Rather than a nursing home transfer solution, that's that's. 01:00:05
Hate to be that way, but that's something they can work out with another man in the service. OK, but you know, it's a duty. Of the 01:00:11
citizens of Boyd County, all 80,000 of them deserve emergency transport and transfer function. I appreciate your comments. We need 01:00:16
to begin winding down because there is a meeting that follows this one and I do want to give everybody a chance to come down from 01:00:21
the line. Either way, I just wanted to wrap. 01:00:26
I just want to wrap up with a quick comment and that is. 01:00:34
You know, the task here was to take a look at ambulance services opposite the ordinance. 01:00:37
And you know, for ambulance services you have to have certifications, you have to have certain types of certified equipment. 01:00:43
It's a big deal and that has not been authorized under the statute, not only the equipment, the purchase of the equipment or the 01:00:50
people being involved. 01:00:55
You know, in terms of all the other things, Brad, that you brought up, those things I think, you know, in the purview of the fire 01:01:00
department and you can always take it all the way out to the end, the cat in the tree, that's what you always see the, you know, 01:01:06
firefighters get the cat out of the tree. So you know, I would say that's probably within their purview. 01:01:13
OK. Jim, you want to start at your end or no? Denise had a question I just when you were negotiating with Ameripro, was there any 01:01:21
discussion about how much it would cost just to provide? 01:01:28
Service to the New Albany Township, yes. And they were not able to get that back to me because this. 01:01:35
The dispatch we had a. 01:01:41
They asked for data and your system was down for. 01:01:43
X number of hours that came back up, and anyway, that data has just gotten back over to Ameripro today. 01:01:47
So I don't have a specific, you know, to do that. Of course it was going to. 01:01:54
Need less equipment, right? 01:01:59
Is going to be probably 2 ambulances and a chase car rather than three and and one. 01:02:01
They're already providing service down in New Albany, in New Albany and they may already have possibly trying to have some intra 01:02:08
local discussion with. 01:02:13
The city about possible backup for the system. 01:02:18
One of the unique problems that we discussed is just geography, which. 01:02:22
I'm under Fire Protection is right in the middle of. So now we've got two ambulances. We're going to have one on the East End of 01:02:26
the county, one on the West End of the county and. 01:02:30
How do you traverse that and? 01:02:35
Without aid. 01:02:38
Within those areas as well, so. 01:02:40
Anyway, I OK, so it has been Will you send those numbers out when you get those? Yeah, when I get them. And in advance in the next 01:02:44
meeting, so. 01:02:49
Thank you. Dale, you want to go or or Jim, you guys want to who wants? Well actually a couple things just. 01:02:54
To Brad's point, and my little logical brain, EMS is not. 01:03:04
Fire and EMS. 01:03:10
Typically there's a I'm not a firefighter. 01:03:12
They want to be a firefighter, but it seems to me like firefighting has A at least a perception of what they do. 01:03:15
And then EMS is not part of that purview, whether it's extraction, whether it's. 01:03:22
Exciting things off the bridge. 01:03:29
That's just a model logical mind. There is a definite distinction and another point. 01:03:32
Is not to correct, but doctor Harris said 80,000 citizens of Floyd County, the cities, probably half of that and they've already 01:03:37
got their ambulance. 01:03:42
Provided by Ameriparo, so we're not providing for 80,000 citizens. 01:03:48
Were provided for like 40. 01:03:52
303540 That's all. 01:03:54
He's helpful for the future. 01:03:58
That's the point, in fact, all of those people involved in building 40 countries. 01:04:01
They do, but Floyd County don't provide ambulance service for them. Fair enough. We need to. 01:04:07
Continue on so. 01:04:13
Grant. 01:04:16
Yeah, there's a lot here, but we've got a top constraint. 01:04:17
Just something to note 301's. 01:04:21
Aimless providers in the state of Indiana and four or 148 of those are fire based EMS 39 are private providers because nomination 01:04:25
of some other ones in there, I can send that data out. 01:04:31
But obviously the fire department is doing something right. 01:04:37
And I would say that the sparkle definitely. 01:04:41
Is in the EMS business where they recognize it or not, whether it's just first responder or they go? 01:04:44
As so far so far as to get EMS numbers and transport, they're definitely doing something right. We should not overlook what we've 01:04:50
already invested in. 01:04:55
In that as far as the task force, I think you mentioned that a couple of times. 01:05:00
We have an EMS Advisory Board. I don't know if that's the task force you're referring to, but I would I don't necessarily think 01:05:04
when another layer of bureaucracy in government use what we have and. 01:05:09
Task that EMS Advisory Board with more data. 01:05:14
Disagree with you on that. I think they're unique qualifiers that we need on that task force that we don't have right now. Right 01:05:19
now we've got we're very, very heavy with very, very expertise people in emergency medicine and fire transport. But we don't have 01:05:24
actuaries, we don't have lawyers we don't have. 01:05:30
Insurance providers and we really need to be holistic in our look on that. So we probably take a couple people from the. 01:05:37
Advisory boards. Put them in there as kind of the backbone of the. 01:05:44
Task force, but we need more input from from different realms of expertise. 01:05:49
So I'm going to stay focused on the dollars because I think. 01:05:58
That are. 01:06:03
Our role in this whole. 01:06:06
Discussion as County Council. 01:06:09
We're talking spending $3 million over a two year period, which I don't see how we could possibly finance. 01:06:12
Without a new let tax. 01:06:21
I'm not opposed to that, although I do tell you that I think we have another solution. 01:06:25
That versus the $3,000,000 we could do for. 01:06:32
Over the next two years, somewhere around 1,000,000. 01:06:38
And I thought that was worth looking at. 01:06:42
For our taxpayers to. 01:06:47
Not have to raise taxes. 01:06:50
At least for the next two to three years. 01:06:53
Versus having to raise taxes to to cover this $3,000,000 so. 01:06:57
That's my role in this whole thing and it seemed like a viable solution to me for a very viable solution to me. 01:07:03
For a reasonable. 01:07:12
Dollar amount. 01:07:17
So that that's all I wanna say. 01:07:19
So I'm going to make a couple comments when in regards to the fire based EMS. 01:07:23
Percentage to the state, I think. 01:07:29
I think there's a difference when you start lumping everything together with between like the volunteer rescue squads and the 01:07:31
volunteer departments and the professional departments. So it may make that number seem a little bit higher than what it really 01:07:34
is, but. 01:07:38
You know, I also want to say that I I think our firefighters that that do not do transportation, they're more than just first 01:07:43
responders, I. 01:07:48
I think they provide very critical life saving. 01:07:53
Skills to patients I've seen it first hand for. 01:07:58
30 years. So just because you don't have an ambulance doesn't mean that you don't provide. 01:08:01
Outstanding care to patients until EMS gets on scene and a lot of times you ride in with the patients and the Mississippi to the 01:08:07
hospital if they're critical. So just wanted to. 01:08:12
Point that out and. 01:08:17
I do like the idea of the. 01:08:19
Of solving the problem for everyone in the county. I mean one of the things that we. 01:08:21
We forget to talk about is that Franklin Township does not have. 01:08:25
A fire district. Nor does it have its own fire department. 01:08:29
It receives its services from a department in Harrison County and I believe they get some backup from Georgetown, whether it be 01:08:32
automatic aid or mutual aid, but. 01:08:36
I think we're long past time to solve this for everybody. And you know, I can envision the system here in Floyd County that does 01:08:40
solve the problem that is very modernized with a lot of modern equipment, maybe even a community paramedicine program that's being 01:08:46
pushed really hard through the state. And you know, quite honestly, I think we might have some equipment that's already available, 01:08:51
you know, through Highlanders that we can utilize. So that'll. 01:08:57
Takedown The opportunity to have to procure. 01:09:03
A bunch of equipment. So that's all I got. 01:09:06
Thank you, John. 01:09:09
I'll be brief. I want to. 01:09:10
Echo Denise's comments. I do also want to. I know Connie at the last meeting you mentioned that last year, I think I literally 01:09:12
transported six. Well. 01:09:17
On April the 1st when y'all had your meeting. 01:09:23
At 610, Highlander transported. 01:09:26
A person, and they met. It was Squad. 01:09:31
61 which I believe is new. 01:09:35
At a church and then transferred that patient over so they were in the process of transporting. 01:09:38
That same day at 9904 in the evening. 01:09:44
They have, I guess, a mutual aid with Clark has Clark's fire on here. 01:09:49
And so they they transported that person to to Clark County. 01:09:55
And then at 10:24 that night. 01:10:00
Squad one responded. 01:10:05
And they transported. I'm sorry, Squad three responded. 01:10:08
And they transported that patient to Baptist Health East, so Highlanders does transport. 01:10:12
Thank you, Jim. We'll go with you and then down this way. 01:10:21
Tony, I'm gonna get you in a second here. 01:10:25
OK, well I personally still back the calendar fire based EMS service. Yes, I know it doesn't cover the whole county, but if you're 01:10:28
already in talks and options of covering the rest of the county with Mayor Pro pointed this out the last meeting. But looking at 01:10:36
these ambulance fee schedules between Highlander Fire District and Ameripro, Mayor Pro is almost double. 01:10:43
Getting some rough numbers. I don't know how exact these are from the. 01:10:52
Personnel department here, just for our own insurance plan. It looks like almost every. 01:10:57
Coverage for the Hollander fire base will be covered under our plan, but that has almost looked like they took it out of their 01:11:02
book because that's about what the rates are. Ameripro is almost double S We're talking out of the pocket expenses. 01:11:08
For these individuals, and a lot of them are in the situation where they can afford these. 01:11:14
As far as funding though, I am not in support of rating. 01:11:19
Lafayette and Greenville funds out of the Hounder Fire district. This is a county wide expense needs to come from the county so I 01:11:24
need kind of boat that's going to. 01:11:29
Pull those funds out of there because we've already had a merger Lafayette Township already. 01:11:33
Recognized a increase in their. 01:11:39
Fire district taxes and if we start raiding these coffers, that means our district is going to pay additional. 01:11:42
Taxes, and that's even providing services for Georgetown and. 01:11:51
Part of Franklin, which is not even being covering the cost of this, so I'm totally opposed to that. 01:11:56
I'm not for fair based. I'm just not. 01:12:08
We are reactive because of things that have happened. 01:12:12
With local companies and the private companies, so everybody's. 01:12:16
Emotions are high. 01:12:24
They know that we need to react in a hurry, but we really need to sit back again. I don't think that my Township that I live in, 01:12:26
I'm at large and represent the entire county, but. 01:12:32
I live in Franklin. 01:12:38
I think I deserve a point service too. I. 01:12:40
That's a huge deal for me and I hate this thing, but I'm gonna throw it out there. 01:12:44
You get what you pay for. 01:12:51
Sometimes. 01:12:54
Tony. 01:12:59
Are you still with us? 01:13:00
I am. 01:13:05
Any comments? 01:13:08
Sure. I just like to say that. 01:13:11
For me it's still hard to see this private provider option coming together. 01:13:15
Without raising taxes. I think I stated that our last meeting and I was opposed to that and and just really opposed. 01:13:21
For us to be moving. 01:13:30
Money that we've already appropriated for. 01:13:33
For different projects. 01:13:37
Movement that money out of our coffers. 01:13:40
As well as the. 01:13:45
Being opposed to raiding the rainy day fund and umm. 01:13:48
I just think that the fire based EMS option is better. 01:13:53
For several different reasons, and I also think that. 01:13:58
During this whole process, we've kind of downplayed the role of firemen. 01:14:03
And the job that they do in the services that they render and I think that it's very important that we keep in mind that they risk 01:14:07
their lives every day and they provide. 01:14:13
A great service. 01:14:21
For our community. 01:14:23
And to keep us safe. 01:14:24
And I guarantee that if any of them were called to where we are or in a position to where we needed. 01:14:27
Medical. 01:14:36
Assistance that they would render that medical assistance and we would be grateful. 01:14:38
Thank you, Ian. 01:14:45
Yeah, just. 01:14:47
Briefly. 01:14:49
I agree with what Tony just said about their. 01:14:52
They're gonna render 8 if they're called on. That's just what these guys do. That's how they're built. 01:14:54
And I applaud them for that. 01:14:58
And. 01:15:02
They're they're the good guys. That's. 01:15:04
So I salute them. I would love to see us. 01:15:07
Fund mayor pro. 01:15:14
And get the task force in high gear and I think the task force needs to include. 01:15:17
Along with everyone you mentioned. Um. 01:15:24
Members from council and commissioners to discuss. 01:15:29
How we're going to pay for this going forward? 01:15:33
We can. I'm not going to speak out of turn, but I think we can get. 01:15:37
Definitely. The rest of this year paid for. 01:15:43
Whether you know it's help from you guys? 01:15:46
Or not, and then we can start working on a. 01:15:49
25. 01:15:52
We can't. 01:15:55
We we pushed this off to the last minute again. 01:15:57
And we just cannot do that anymore. 01:16:00
With 50 days. 01:16:02
I don't. 01:16:06
Firebase is ready to go in 50 days. I just don't think I know that. 01:16:09
They think that they can do it and. 01:16:14
They would try their best, but John, I've got a. 01:16:17
I've got a call that somebody sent me with a CAD number that says. 01:16:20
A fire truck showed up with one guy on it because. 01:16:25
The rest of them were on an ambulance, so I just it's gonna get stretched too thin. Where was that at? It was it was Hollander. It 01:16:27
was Hollander. It was Hollander. Fire responded to a box alarm at Azalea Hills. 01:16:33
One person on Q11 just. 01:16:39
I don't even know what all that means, but you can't have one person on a fire truck. So we need time to get this right. We can't 01:16:42
make a bad decision that the next generation is going to pay for. 01:16:47
We talked about retaining people in our community and how we lose young people and it's things like this that. 01:16:52
Drive people away because. 01:17:00
It's a it's a mishmash. It's a potpourri of services and. 01:17:03
We've got to get this one right. 01:17:08
And that's why I'm in favor of. 01:17:11
Signing with the mayor pro. 01:17:15
Two years Max. 01:17:18
And even even having whatever system we come up with. 01:17:20
Running with training wheels for the last six months. 01:17:26
The two systems running together, if that's even possible, to make sure we're good to go. 01:17:29
When the new system takes over. 01:17:36
That's all I've got. 01:17:38
Well #1 thanks everyone for being here. 01:17:40
In the audience tonight, Tony, thank you for joining us as you can and the board here. I really appreciate the tone of this 01:17:44
meeting. 01:17:47
I think everybody wants resolution of this. 01:17:51
So with the options that are on the table, there's really no way to fund any of them without. 01:17:56
Taking money from somewhere. 01:18:02
You know, with the Highlander it was gonna be 800,000, like 800,000 tears money at least, right? And. 01:18:03
That was allocated somewhere with ours. There's there's other allocations, so there's no way to do it with. We're spreading the 01:18:09
butter really, really, really, really thin here. 01:18:13
I think an EMS lit tax needs to be. 01:18:20
Part of the discussion because I think it solves the whole thing for the whole county for all time. 01:18:23
There are some obviously disadvantages to throw in the order tax around. There are advantages to it too. I mean, the council would 01:18:29
have that in service now they don't pay a balance building. 01:18:33
You know, if if they come for a run for Danny and his insurance doesn't cover it all, well. 01:18:38
The county picks up the tab on that, so you're not bankrupting people because they can't afford the service that's there. 01:18:44
I'd like to see us focus on getting the mayor pro in place for two years between the task force together and. 01:18:50
Again. 01:18:57
Really, purposefully and thoughtfully putting together. 01:18:59
Experts from many many different realms on this. 01:19:03
Yes, take some folks from our EMS Advisory Board, but also build in the business part of it we need to do the actuaries that we 01:19:07
need to kind of say which numbers. 01:19:12
Makes sense. So I I've not made a decision between. 01:19:17
Long term fire based and. 01:19:21
Privatization, because I don't think I've seen the data yet. That tells me very, very clearly which one. 01:19:24
All is superior on that I. 01:19:29
Our next meeting is scheduled for April 23rd. We may have one before then information warrants that would. 01:19:32
Would you all like for there to be a representative from Mayor Pro there to discuss, or just for Q and AI can have someone? 01:19:39
In here for that. 01:19:48
Or can remote them in at least in case they have some questions and. 01:19:51
But otherwise I. 01:19:55
I. 01:19:57
What are you getting from the, from the Commissioner standpoint, what are you, what message are you receiving from the Council? 01:20:00
Because I I guess. 01:20:03
Hear me my understanding, if I'm in your shoes, I would want to know what the councils willing to fund as you go forward with 01:20:07
negotiations with the mayor pro. 01:20:11
And if I understand it right. 01:20:16
I don't know that the majority of the council is willing to fund a private provider contract countrywide. 01:20:19
Well I think Denise hit on it. You know if if there's if, if the issue is forced and. 01:20:25
And Highlander Fire Protection District. 01:20:33
Has a pathway to go out on its own so to speak and you have the funding to do that then we still have to fund these other. 01:20:37
Uncontracted folks. 01:20:45
You know. 01:20:48
If our number that we're working with now is 1.4, I don't see that dropping into. 01:20:50
It's still going to be a high six figures, right, because you're going to be taking out transports that they're not going to be 01:20:55
able to run for part of their subsidy and that type of thing. So yeah, at some point we need a rock bottom number so that we know 01:20:59
what we're working with. I guess my question is that's what needs to be settled moving forward and I would, I would suggest if we 01:21:04
can. 01:21:08
Maybe we have a joint meeting before the 23rd, I believe is what you said, because this is. 01:21:13
Quickly approaching that, we need to have a resolution. 01:21:18
I personally would like to move that timeline up. 01:21:21
That's I'm just one person, but maybe we need to keep this ball rolling. I think we had penciled in one as possible on the 18th. 01:21:23
The the other thing that I might request is that. 01:21:33
We really do get Baker Tilly involved here. Number one, what is the tax? How much will it? 01:21:37
Provide. 01:21:45
We need to see those numbers and if we start. 01:21:46
Diving into these other funds, what does that really look like and what does that do? We need to know the ramifications before we 01:21:50
just jump into signing a contract. 01:21:55
We need to understand and Baker telling is our is our guys now and he they need they need to tell us. 01:22:02
Tomorrow morning or this evening in April 18th, just to see how many we can get. 01:22:12
I don't think there are any other. 01:22:17
Meeting schedules we're trying to do. 01:22:20
You know what time? You know what time, 'cause I have a commitment that evening, so we can move it up to 4430. That'd be great. 01:22:22
But four 4:30 is fine. I to to our speaker's point earlier, there is no perfect time because I have third shift workers that want 01:22:27
to be here, and I'm sure this was called. 01:22:32
Literally because Danny and I both thought we could get most people here because you all had a meeting coming up afterwards and 01:22:39
worked out. 01:22:42
At least. 01:22:46
For the elected officials and I get and we've got a good group of people here too. 01:22:48
But we're never going to give the time that fits for everybody, so. 01:22:51
April 18th, 4:30. 01:22:56
Motion to adjourn. 01:23:01
Can we adopt that first? OK. Is that what you want to do? 01:23:03
OK, send that out either this evening or tomorrow morning, April 18th, 4:30 and do the advertising, everything like that and then 01:23:10
we'll entertain France. Motion to adjourn. So. 01:23:14
All right, the the County Council meeting will start in approximately 5 minutes. Give everybody a chance to stretch your legs and 01:23:20
use the facilities. 01:23:25