Council pulls plug on ambulance business

The Sundance City Council has been wanting to get out of the ambulance business for a while, but circumstances have dragged the process on for almost two years. Changes in leadership at the hospital, a pandemic and uncertainty over how to handle the situation have all conspired to make it tough to come to final decisions.

Mayor Paul Brooks stated at last week’s meeting of the Sundance City Council that the pandemic has put the process on hold. However, he asked the council what it would like to do if the city still hasn’t heard from Crook County Medical Services District (CCMSD) by next month.

“Hopefully by next month we’ll have some clarity on which way they’re heading,” he said.

County Attorney Mark Hughes outlined the current status of negotiations. Kara Ellsbury, attorney for the CCMSD Board of Trustees, sent over a contract for the district to rent space to house the ambulances at $425 per month, but it did not address maintenance and major repair.

The rental agreement appears to indicate that the space would be used to store vehicles owned by the district, said Clerk Treasurer Kathy Lenz. Hughes said the contract is just a lease for the space and nothing in it explains what is meant to happen to the ambulances the city already owns.

Lenz noted that the $10,000 normally added to the city budget for ambulance maintenance has been removed for the upcoming fiscal year.

Hughes informed the council that the city has no legal obligation to provide ambulance service. That doesn’t mean it would be morally correct to cease doing so, he said, but there are other private services around that may be willing to consider taking it on instead.

While Hughes was unsure that the city can legally give away the ambulances it owns to a private entity because they were purchased with public money, he said it is likely permissible to sell them and apply the money to the general fund or lease them out. It could be possible to lease the ambulances and charge per run, he continued, while offering storage space for rent in the fire hall and working out a maintenance agreement as has been done in the past.

“I’m not saying they’re right or wrong, but there’s options,” he said.

Brooks pointed out that, when the Crook County Senior Services District secured its own revenue stream, the city cut off funding to that entity. If that’s the “guiding principal” of how the city offers support, then, “if we’re going to keep apples being apples and oranges being oranges, it’s time to get out of the ambulance business.”

Brooks asked if the city could just notify the district that it will no longer be supporting the ambulances.

“I understand that COVID is a crisis but we have to get back to business,” he said.

Hughes pointed out that something will still need to be done with the ambulances owned by the city. Members of the council expressed a preference to donate them to the district; Council Member Callie Hilty suggested asking if the district would be interested in acquiring them.

As it could not be verified during the meeting whether it will be possible to donate the ambulances, a motion was made to do so if it is found to be legal. If not, Hughes will send a letter to the district to notify of the possibility to purchase or lease the vehicles (the latter not to include maintenance).