NORWICH – Members of the Common Council heavily debated the city’s obligation as an emergency services provider Thursday, amidst what Mayor Joseph Maiurano is calling a county-wide “crisis situation.”
The council ultimately voted unanimously to raise ambulance rates and to renew its emergency services contract with the Town of Norwich, North Norwich, and the Plymouth Fire District, which expired in December.
However, high overtime and operation costs coupled with the local cutbacks at Superior Ambulance pushed council members to reconsider the use of its equipment and resources, fearing – that if overextended – the tough times faced by local fire departments could hit the City of Norwich hardest.
At issue was the $1 annual fee paid by the Plymouth Fire District to contract primary ambulance services from the city’s fire department without also contracting its actual fire service, as the Towns of Norwich and North Norwich do for a monthly five-figure fee.
“There is no way it’s equitable for the City of Norwich to provide an ambulance to the Plymouth Fire District,” said Ward 6 Alderman Robert Jeffrey. “I understand mutual aid, but I also have a fiscal responsibility to the taxpayer. What is the advantage to the city taxpayer to provide ambulance service to the Plymouth Fire District for one dollar?”
Jeffrey said that the calls to Plymouth put added and unnecessary strain on the city’s overtime costs when it’s considered that the district only pays one dollar for the service. According to Finance Director Bill Roberts, ambulance overtime costs exceeded $100,000 in 2006.
“It’s a challenge to me to understand this,” Jeffrey said.
The city has to contract the service for one dollar because it already receives a fixed rate payment from individuals each time the ambulance is used. However, the city historically only sees a 53 percent recovery on the payments. Roberts explained that the city spends roughly $43,000 on Plymouth calls, and hypothetically only receives $22,500 in revenue. Norwich and North Norwich supplement ambulance costs by contracting fire service, for which Norwich pays a $40,000 monthly fee. Plymouth has its own volunteer fire service.
At one point there was a motion introduced by Jeffrey to accept the ambulance contract with the three outlying areas, but to also include a clause that Plymouth would have to re-negotiate the contract with the city or come up with another option within 90 days. It was defeated 4 to 2, with support from Jeffrey and First Ward Alderman A. Anthony Abraham.
“It’s just too premature,” said third Ward Alderman Suzzane M. Williams, referring to the motion.
Maiurano, Williams, and fourth Ward Alderman Walter Shermerhorn agreed that the situation needed to be re-examined, but that talks with Plymouth officials are necessary prior to any official action by the council.
“We have a moral obligation,” Williams and Maiurano said.
Shermerhorn agreed, but contends that something has got to give.
“We (City of Norwich) can’t keep living like this – these moral obligations are going to take us down the tubes,” he said. “At the end of the day we all live in Chenango County, and we should all be pulling in the right direction and be doing the right thing.”
In the meantime, the mayor said for now the services would remain intact and that possible amendments down the road will be discussed.
Town of Norwich Supervisor Dave Law offered literature on the creation of a consolidated fire district.
“It might be the answer to some of your problems,” he said.
The city’s emergency services were budgeted for $1.7 million in 2006, but actually cost $1.88 million.
Maiurano said the services to Plymouth would continue unchanged for the time being, with discussions about alternatives a priority in the near future.
“When you’re in an emergency, everybody has to help out,” he said. “Once this crisis is over we should get back to normal business.”
Maiurano said the City of Norwich and the county are currently trying to come up with ways to rectify the emergency service shortage.