Don Bowman to replace Scott Melling
New county EMS director appointed
Mary Margaret Moorhead - Staff Writer

During the Tuesday, August 16, meeting of the Ripley County Council, Don Bowman was introduced as the new EMS director to replace Scott Melling, who resigned at the last meeting of the commissioners.

According to Commissioner Robert Reiners, Bowman has agreed to take the position for an annual salary of $39,500, a reduction from the $51,000 paid to Melling.

Council member Mark Busching moved to amend the salary ordinance to reflect this reduction. His motion received a second from council member Dephane Smith and a 6-1 vote.

In explaining his vote against, council member Ed Armbrecht told Commissioner Reiners, "I think the move you made is a good one. But my question still is, 'Where are we going to find the money to fund this?' My concern from day one is that the money is not here."

Answering his question, Reiners said, "The squads are meeting to discuss a flat rate billing and other ways of funding the EMS. We are working on things...ways to try to fund it."

Bowman, who lives near Friendship, has been with the paramedics program since its beginning in the county. Concerning his new position as director, he said, "I'm happy to have the opportunity to move things forward. I'm very glad the commissioners chose me to do this."

In his introduction, Reiners also referred to the fact that Bowman would be taking his shift along with the other paramedics and would do whatever he was asked to make the service productive and available to the people in Ripley County.

Busching also spoke in favor of the county's doing whatever possible to keep the paramedic service intact. "We need to do all we can to keep these paramedics," he said.

When Armbrecht reminded council members that riverboat money "is running out and that affects all rescue units," council president Donald Dunbar noted there should still be approximately $200,000 in riverboat funds coming in by the end of the year that "can fund EMS."

At the meeting of the Ripley County Commissioners on Monday, August 15, commissioner Reiners said, "We are committed to the paramedic system provided it can be funded by the county council. He told the paramedics in attendance at the meeting, "You are the best group of paramedics we've had, you're nothing but great."

Reiners encouraged Bowman to meet with the four rescue units before the budget meetings on August 30, to see if they would be agreeable to a flat rate budget system. That would go a long way toward keeping the paramedic system in the eyes of the county council, remarked Reiners.

Bowman told the commissioners, "I wouldn't accept the director's position unless I could continue to serve as a paramedic."

It was also noted at the commissioner's meeting that a full time paramedic, Jennifer Frye, is taking a full time position with Columbus Regional Hospital, but will continue as a part time paramedic for Ripley County. That leaves two full time and three part time paramedics in Ripley County.

In other business, council members reappointed Cathy May to a three-year term on the Osgood Library Board and approved additional appropriations to the Soil & Water Conservation District, the Ripley County Parks & Recreation, E-911, Ripley County Highway Department, and the Ripley County Clerk for voting machines for handicap usage.

Auditor Mary Ann McCoy reminded council members of upcoming budget meetings on Tuesday, August 30; Wednesday, August 31; and possibly Thursday, September 1.

Upon request of council president Dunbar, these meetings will begin at 7:00 a.m. in the Commissioners Room of the County Annex.

McCoy noted the general fund budget is $6,413,162, and the total of all county budgets is $16,801,041. She said the county's budget consultant had suggested cutting $400,000 from the general fund.

Armbrecht, who said he wasn't sure he agreed with that, pointed out that the budget for 2006 is already approximately $600,000 lower than this year's and that county employees have gone a long way toward cutting the 5% requested. "We don't have to do this all in one year," he said.

In addition to council members Armbrecht, Busching, Dunbar, and Smith, others present were William Dramann, David Simon, and Benjamin Peetz. Attorney John Ertel took County Attorney Neil Comer's place in his absence.

The meeting adjourned at 7:50 p.m.