City commissioners and members of the county fiscal court on Aug. 14, 2025, confirmed a decision to proceed with a package of EMS capital purchases — including three ambulances and a Stryker patient‑handling contract — after the fiscal court approved “option 2” and the city commission ratified that decision at its subsequent meeting.

The ratification matters because the purchases and contracts will be borne by the city for this fiscal year while both bodies work to clarify budgeting, procurement thresholds and interlocal responsibilities going forward. Committee members also agreed staff will present a proposed five‑year capital replacement plan and related budget materials to the joint committee in January.

At the meeting, Commissioner Toole moved to approve the meeting minutes and Mister Davis seconded; the motion carried. Mister Davis then updated the committee that the fiscal court had approved option 2 for splitting capital items between fiscal years 2025 and 2026 and that the city commission had ratified that choice. Committee members asked for clearer, earlier sharing of budget and asset information before votes on large purchases.

Several magistrates and committee members pressed for greater transparency and for adherence to procurement rules. One magistrate noted that under current practice the county treats purchases above $40,000 as subject to small‑purchase or bid requirements and asked whether interlocal agreements could bypass those procedures. City staff replied that the city follows the procurement code and that the budget approval gives the city authority to move forward within the amounts presented; staff said they will provide the committee and court members digital copies of the proposed January packet in advance for review.

Committee members also discussed operational steps: the chiefs for city and county EMS will meet with their staffs to draft interlocal and extrication agreements and bring them to the committee. The committee discussed meeting cadence, with proposals ranging from monthly to every other month, and agreed to seek a mid‑November meeting and a fuller presentation in January. Staff committed to circulating budget and asset lists in PDF before the committee's January meeting.

Two other items drew attention. A county member said the committee found during recent meetings that a Stryker investment constituted roughly a $1.5 million purchase for the combined partners, with the county’s share described in discussion as roughly $600,000; committee members asked that those figures be clarified in written materials. Separately, the committee received a notice from Reliant Transportation Services LLC — signed by Rocky D. Gillum, CEO — that the company filed a certificate of need under the Kentucky State Health Plan to establish class 1 and class 3 basic life support ambulance services for scheduled facility transports; the notice was placed in the meeting record.

The committee separated discussion from formal action: the fiscal court’s approval of option 2 and the city commission’s ratification are the meeting’s formal decisions; other items discussed — such as the possible placement of an ambulance in a rural part of the county in FY 2027, the timing and details of transfers, and operational extrication agreements — were recorded as discussion and subject to future staff work and committee review.

Next steps: staff will prepare and circulate a proposed five‑year capital replacement plan and accompanying budget details for review before the January meeting; the chiefs will meet to draft interlocal operational agreements; and the committee planned to invite a presenter referenced by staff to a mid‑November meeting if schedules permit.