SHERBURNE – After hearing the recommendation made by the Sherburne Ambulance Committee, the Village Board passed a motion “to move forward and form a committee to research and form a municipal-based ambulance service.
The village has been exploring its options for a revenue recovery ambulance service for several months. Recently, it formed an ambulance committee to determine how to best move forward with the project.
“The EMS Committee that we formed discussed different options and it is their opinion that we should look at the municipal option,” Mayor William Acee told the board during Tuesday night’s meeting. Acee explained the committee determined that a smaller working committee, made up of about five members, should be formed to work out the details of the process.
While the board agreed to move forward with the municipal system, Fire Chief Patrick Lawrence said he didn’t receive all of the support from the committee that he would have liked. Lawrence told the board the committee didn’t want to keep working on the process without the support of the board. “We’re asking you to adopt a resolution to move to the municipal-based system,” Lawrence said.
Trustee Stephen Dunshee said he didn’t think the board had a problem with saying they were moving to a municipal-based system.
EMS Chief Jay Symonds explained that in order to begin filing state paperwork to change the department from the Village of Sherburne Volunteer Fire Service to the Village of Sherburne Emergency Squad, the department needed a motion from the board. “It would allow us to start operating when we get the paperwork,” he said.
Acee said he preferred to get the opinion of legal counsel before passing any motion to begin the process. “We haven’t seen these papers. We haven’t talked to anyone or heard a lawyer’s say. We want to get these things before a board meeting, so we’re not flying into this,” Acee said.
“We’ve come a long way in the last few weeks. Let’s not rush things now,” said Trustee Edward LaCorte.
“We want to see what independent counsel has to say first,” Dunshee added, “but we have no problem doing the municipal based system.”
The motion passed by the board will allow the formation of the smaller committee to work on the details of the project, but it will not give the department the authority to begin filing papers with the state.
Acee asked Symonds and Lawrence to bring items in advance if they would like to see action taken. “Otherwise, you’re going to see a delay,” he said.