Four county units reflect funding difficulties
Rescue units financial problems surface
Mary Margaret Moorhead - Staff Writer

In a two-and-one-half-hour Ripley County Council meeting on Tuesday, July 20, much time was spent in discussing financial problems confronting the four rescue units, but no direct action was taken to alleviate the problems.

Cecil Bultman and Jason Smith from Rescue 69 and Dick Smith from Milan's Rescue 30 began the discussion by requesting a 30% increase in funding for the rest of the year and a 30% increase in the 2005 county budget.

Bultman pointed to the repair costs for ambulances, the need for new vans, the increased cost of fuel, and the inability to collect on many of the services provided. He noted that most of their money has to go for operating costs. "This is a nonprofit organization. No member of the board of directors receives pay," Bultman said.

Discussion among council members, the three commissioners, the EMS Director, and County Attorney Neil Comer found no immediate solutions to the problems, although Council Member Ed Armbrecht suggested a number of times: "We all need to sit down and discuss what we are going to do about this - the commissioners, the council, the emergency squads, and Scott (Melling, EMS director)."

Armbrecht expressed concern about a possible reduction in riverboat funding: "There may not be enough riverboat money to fund this...riverboat money may drop 20% from what it was last year. Are there other ways to fund this?"

Council Member William Dra
mann said he felt some people misuse or abuse the emergency service. Runs are often made which would not have to be - costing the rescue unit money as well as manhours.

EMS Director Scott Melling told
council the EMS advisory board was already in place and would be meeting soon to discuss the financial problems. He also said many problems exist because 82,000 claims are backlogged from Medicare.

Noting that this is a national problem, Melling said he had received an e-mail from the billing company that it is moving forward and from $400 to $700 thousand should be received
soon.

With a list of additional appropriations, transfers, and a number of items of new business, Council President Donald Dunbar found his fellow council members Armbrecht, Dramann, David Simon, Juanita Bauer, Lawrence Nickell, and Dephane Smith in agreement on most matters, but divided on others.

Jerry Fry's request as director of the Emergency Management Agency for $30,832 from their Air Purifying Respirators grant for masks; $16,000 for replacement of law enforcement equipment; and $149,676 from the Homeland Security Sub grant for equipment received a 7-0 vote.

Warren Bruns representing the Ripley County Park & Recreation Board also received a 7-0 vote for $17,750 for repair and maintenance at the park, roof and gutter work on Building 10, and to winterize buildings for year-round usage. His request for $250 from the stage fund to pay stage operators also received approval.

Concerning the recently completed park/community building, a request for $30,000 as a portion of the matching grant and $60,000 to finish paying for construction of the building received a 6-1 vote.

In his dissent, Council Member Armbrecht asked again, "How can we spend money that isn't appropriated? Trust me, John (Little), you have to have an appropriation to do this."

Council members did agree on appropriating $1,000 from the County General Contractual Service fund for the Reward Riding Program.

Under transfers, Pat Thomas of the Ripley County Health Department presented a salary ordinance and job description for an environmental health specialist, noting that the county is not funding the position, but it is being funded from a bio-terrorism national grant.

Thomas said the position would begin August 1 and end July 1, 2006, with qualifications including a bachelor's degree in public health and a salary of $32,000.

With a motion reflecting that when the grant ends, the position ends, council members passed the transfer request 7-0.

Harley Robinson, DVM, represented the Ripley County Health Board in the board's request for $3,678 from the tobacco master settlement monies to be used to compensate Pat Thomas, who has been named the health department's coordinator for the three department divisions.

According to Dr. Robinson, her duties as coordinator began July 1 and involve being in charge of all budgets, developing grants, applying for grants, monitoring the staff, and resolving conflicts.

Council Member Armbrecht reminded his fellow council members that they had agreed at the beginning
of the year there would be no changes or additions to staff during the year.

A motion by Council Member Dephane Smith and a second by Council Member Lawrence Nickell to approve the transfer received "no" votes from Armbrecht, Dramann, Simon, Bauer, and Dunbar, a 2-5 vote defeating the transfer. Other new business included a request from Andrew Clark, county veterans officer, for $33,000 for a van with a wheelchair lift to be used in transporting veterans to hospital and medical centers.

Clark said many appointments are missed because veterans do not have a way to go to medical centers. "If you can spend $100,000 on a park building, why can't you spend $33,000 for our veterans?" he asked.

Commissioner John Little said the veterans were supposed to be able to use the probation department van, but this isn't always available. Commissioner Robert Reiners added that he could see the need and would pursue trying to find a grant that would fund the van.

Council members promised to work on the request, search for grants, and do what they could in the 2005 budget. "We'll do what we can do," was their promise to Clark.

Chelsa Dwenger and Charles Baylor, who appeared before council to "promote the job Darla Westerfeld is doing as Ripley County Park manager," were told to go back to the park board concerning a problem with subsidizing Westerfeld's salary.

According to Dwenger and Baylor, the park board had decided not to accept a grant from the Reynolds Foundation that would have subsidized Westerfeld's salary.

You need to take the issue to the park board," said President Dunbar. "Council shouldn't intervene in their decisions."

In final business, the council agreed to approve the GFC contract with Frank Cummings with a 6-1 vote and set August 30, 31, and September 1 as budget information and public hearing sessions. These will be properly advertised in local newspapers.

Budget approval is set for Tuesday, September 14, at 7:00 p.m. with the regular meeting of the council to follow.

In addition to the council members and commissioners, others in official capacity at Tuesday's meeting were Auditor Mary Ann McCoy and County Attorney Neil Comer.