[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6110834,"mediaKeyId","2755876-d99d7bca6523e5275616b723ed399515","parentId",2755876,"title","Akron says city‑run ambulance transports now generate more revenue than prior private provider model","audioSeconds",433,"startMs",3618000,"endMs",4051000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2755876-d99d7bca6523e5275616b723ed399515&start=3618&end=4051","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2755876-d99d7bca6523e5275616b723ed399515/thumbnail_3618000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6110834/Akron/Summit-County/Ohio/Akron-says-cityrun-ambulance-transports-now-generate-more-revenue-than-prior-private-provider-model","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6110834-5254aae052ac237dc0518983df272904/orig.mp4?Expires=1770501262&Signature=esXScdZGfeuArOQEKGzCVLI2FRquGcrbGgbAG3SACbDdT-sG7niGcO9kHuHV~AjiekNsR85SlH1CSDZyVLtFPc70MSdgx~3fZ~GC8y8ZSyVQ0uPk0Efldleh1QteOchaq4RMCOhGpR1kpPPqggX8ToFC0x~-ovcYTF75w3ijN4iJnMAqhtg9UOqIDsypy9h-dj1~7dMpBxxjxnQFaSEQtO62GqY5ON6SUUWAMblwKIrwap4IsD8uztuFXDrQcu54fs6~spQOZLVOHUYt5cCoFC82QKhPmosZYx-777hA6r0YKJ2Rlbz05qYbId5dp6edliXYdDSOyg-TBqNn2Lqltw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Akron, OH ","date","2025-03-25T02:35:05.687Z","article","Akron officials told the Budget & Finance Committee that the city has assumed responsibility for ambulance transports previously handled by private contractors, and that billing revenues have increased substantially since that change.

Director Fricker and Fire Chief Henderson described a shift in which private ambulance contractors said their collection model (dependent on Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements and contracts with hospitals) was no longer viable. The city elected to staff and operate the transport function directly; Director Fricker said the city previously collected roughly $2 million annually from transports and now collects in excess of $6 million, with those revenues going into the EMS fund.

Chief Henderson credited the change with improved system performance: he said the department met staffing targets, handled roughly 47,000–48,000 calls annually, and showed improved response times and hospital turnaround times. The chief said the department has not needed outside agencies to perform transports and cited positive feedback from Summa Akron General Hospital on turnaround metrics.

Councilman Eric Garrett asked where the additional funds would be directed; Chief Henderson and Director Fricker said most revenue is retained in the EMS fund to cover staffing and operations, and that the department’s staffing increases had been a significant operational commitment. The chief also noted the department would receive recognition from the Red Cross for a major response earlier in the year.

Ending: Council members complimented the department’s performance and requested continued reporting on cost‑recovery and staffing benchmarks; staff said they will continue monitoring revenue, response times and hospital turnaround metrics.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Akron Council Committee Meetings - 3.24.25","oneSentenceSummary","Council members praised the fire department after officials said the city took over ambulance transports when private providers became unprofitable; annual transport revenue rose from roughly $2 million to more than $6 million and the department reported improved response and hospital turnaround times.","taxTitle","Akron, Summit County, Ohio","taxId",2666,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6110838,"Neighborhood assistance reports demolition progress; city outlines coordinated inspections for larger apartment buildings",0,2249000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2755876-d99d7bca6523e5275616b723ed399515&start=2249&end=2249","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2755876-d99d7bca6523e5275616b723ed399515/thumbnail_2249000.jpg","/articles/6110838/Akron/Summit-County/Ohio/Neighborhood-assistance-reports-demolition-progress-city-outlines-coordinated-inspections-for-larger-apartment-buildings","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6110838-a8fa2da86cae0405d6650169faaf922d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770501262&Signature=RtVVVaPx-ljcUDXgrD8kyXBBAFbixsR78FXaXUgouBhOKeOlWqZSZ3lsY2rISI66u3tAAfZMqdiMXm6T8WV0YPRtvUuRzeYm-JfaEwuS4SjcLQ5Zg6NajqXThEC9q0GTl0F8Iw57RNRSoIriCWE91~bDKCD6HyorNQc5zc33g0rwfK9vHl74iwmxO6h9nppumFrIz4fcgnAG0Q7zqIZ4WTE8D11G5UDtcK0PY7CGbCeFDtqTH52bj-vu89xFl2kiXcp7BgfpliTXf8HTCtghLsGkOV4~XmRq0n6A78dcAy-Yhacymyai4wBRTVriAnJN~7niM276qrJ7H4SKZ6oOUA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City of Akron’s Department of Neighborhood Assistance updated the Budget & Finance Committee on demolition activity, nuisance compliance and intensified inspections of larger apartment buildings, stressing cross‑agency coordination with fire and Summit County building officials.

The department said its demolition effort under a state grant began with 96 approved homes; 55 demolitions have been completed and the work is expected to finish by the end of April. Department staff said three demolition contractors are operating four crews daily to accelerate the backlog.

Nuisance compliance and mowing: staff told the committee that nuisance compliance budgeting and service contracts appear on page 183 of the budget manual and cover animal control, cleanup contracts and mowing. The transcript included discussion of prior year spending levels and current budgets but did not specify consistent dollar units for some figures mentioned in committee questions.

Inspection coordination: Fire Chief Henderson and housing‑compliance supervisors described expanded joint inspections that pair fire, building and county inspectors for high‑occupancy or structurally‑vulnerable properties. The fire chief and neighborhood staff cited the Ohio Fire Code and related state authorities as the legal basis for some inspection work. Dwayne Gregor, who oversees housing compliance activity, said the city is coordinating multi‑disciplinary inspections for troubled properties such as Summit Ridge, Woodbeth Arlington and Erickson and is using supervisor‑led teams to avoid pulling ward inspectors away from routine work. Gregor said staff recently met with Summit Ridge’s property manager to review outstanding repair items.

Equipment and contracts: Committee members asked about equipment purchased for inspectors; staff said last year the department replaced aging inspector vehicles and listed about $115,000 in equipment construction in the line items discussed. Council members asked about mowing and contracted maintenance; staff said the city uses a bid process for contractors, prioritizes residential complaints and also handles city lots under the same contracting arrangements.

Out‑of‑area landlords: Council members raised recurring enforcement challenges posed by owners based outside Akron. The mayor and staff said the city is reviewing ordinances used in other Ohio cities, including Cleveland, that require an in‑state representative for an out‑of‑area owner; staff said legal review of options is ongoing.

Ending: Committee members asked for follow‑up data, including counts of lots sold to neighbors (which may reduce mowing obligations) and more detail on nuisance compliance budgets. Staff agreed to provide requested figures within 24–48 hours.","Department of Neighborhood Assistance officials said they have completed 55 of 96 demolition projects under a state grant, are using four contractor crews, and are expanding joint inspections with fire and county building partners to address unsafe multi‑unit properties.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6110843,"Akron committee prioritizes business retention in economic development budget review",2220,34000,2254000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2755876-d99d7bca6523e5275616b723ed399515&start=34&end=2254","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2755876-d99d7bca6523e5275616b723ed399515/thumbnail_34000.jpg","/articles/6110843/Akron/Summit-County/Ohio/Akron-committee-prioritizes-business-retention-in-economic-development-budget-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6110843-e4428ac1d91af2e14e9e0d42e24a9298/orig.mp4?Expires=1770501262&Signature=QqQXAR2icFAX1-yCyafQhnoXWDc5VujdJmcTcQgWrVNuxLlM1P80RFWpaxE-w1rzQf0vEG3B9krsYUMHcK1ksezujRJqBoq98P9IMQVnQ3CMN4adOVLTUph2HHSXoK2BZ4BCKgqG6tPO7D1yfU5aBkgfAQruCnh485V4MdQ7g~sSEkG0BoTabja4Jz7LQdBiulohbQk6KR9cQrDCiIDPKIaNpIAvanEOwSoWm2VBS68kmQiUF7HSYXmbUjcoabXPxqmviDg20plVgbcyB2FbHEXXNnRPxU1b~VM3qe75owXjSR2WO2xRaF7CmlRwWwJOzJy5M4phr~Dhb8NVT9f-1w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Akron City Council Budget & Finance Committee on Monday reviewed the economic development portion of the city budget, with staff and council members emphasizing business retention, targeted grants and relationship-driven support for local firms.

Committee members were told the city has kept a $500,000 allocation on the capital side for business-retention and expansion (BRE) grants that appears on page 203 of the budget manual and that the city will prioritize outreach to top employers, scale-ups, mid-market firms and minority- and women-owned businesses. An economic development staff member said the city and partner organizations also aim to reach businesses outside downtown and the Great Streets geographies.

Why it matters: Committee members said retaining existing employers and strengthening neighborhood businesses will have more sustained impact than competing on large incentive packages. Council members pressed staff for detail about recent results and how the city will use staff capacity to sustain outreach.

Economic development staff told the committee that the city and its partners logged several hundred retention and expansion visits last year through the Elevate Greater Akron program and related outreach. The staff member said those visits “yielded over $13,000,000 of investment from those businesses and $24,000,000 in increased payroll.” The staff member added that grants are useful but “do not necessarily build a stronger business practice,” and described connecting owners to technical assistance, finance partners and nonprofit resources as the core of the BRE role.

Council President Margot Somerville asked what the city had accomplished in the past year; staff highlighted revitalization and facade grants under the Great Streets program and the Elevate portfolio’s focus areas, including the polymer industry cluster. The city is also budgeting an amount council authorized to support the polymer cluster and the university Polsky project over the next three years, staff said; the transcript did not specify the authorized total.

Staff said the BRE manager position (previously held by Brad Becker) is being refilled and that councilors should meet the new hire soon. Latanda Olatangi, Great Streets administrator, told council members that neighborhood business owners’ most common needs are training, technology access and soft skills: “we are finding that the challenges that some of our micro enterprise business owners are facing are professional development, technology, and soft skills.”

Committee members asked about incentive strategies. Staff described a cautious approach to tax grants, saying such incentives can trigger “anti‑poaching” or job‑preservation provisions with neighboring jurisdictions (referred to in discussion as agreements with Summit County communities). Staff said tax grants are possible in areas not covered by those agreements but should be used only when the city gains a clear net tax benefit.

Budgeted service contracts on page 203 increase to include a $125,000 pre‑K/childcare support item, ongoing support for the Black Chamber of Commerce, the downtown CDC and a multi‑year contribution to the Summit Medina Business Alliance (listed in the budget discussion as $75,000 this year). Staff also described funding for a site‑ready program and trade‑show participation for economic development employees.

Several council members requested more frequent reporting on outcomes, including quarterly updates on business visits, grants and vacancies in Great Streets districts. Staff said much of that data will be available on the city’s Great Streets pages on the city website.

Ending: The committee closed the economic development segment of the hearing and invited remaining questions to be sent to the chair and the administration prior to final passage of the budget.","The Budget & Finance Committee heard presentations on business-retention efforts, a $500,000 BRE grant line, support for the polymer cluster and neighborhood business programs, and contracts for local business partners; staff emphasized relationship-building over broad incentive packages.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Akron says city‑run ambulance transports now generate more revenue than prior private provider model

Neighborhood assistance reports demolition progress; city outlines coordinated inspections for larger apartment buildings

Akron committee prioritizes business retention in economic development budget review