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Advisory council adopts updated bylaws, expands voting membership and sets appointment rules
Summary
The council approved revised bylaws that add a written mission and purpose, increase voting members from seven to nine, change quorum requirements, add Nikki Conrad to a two-year initial term and require certain seats (Webster County supervisor and City of Fort Dodge representative) be filled by elected officials.
The Webster County EMS Advisory Council adopted revised bylaws that add mission and purpose language, expand voting membership from seven to nine, and change quorum requirements to five voting members. The council also approved adding Nikki Conrad to an initial two‑year term (expiring Dec. 31, 2026) and specified that the Webster County supervisor seat and the City of Fort Dodge representative seat must be filled by elected officials; other seats will be filled by stakeholders from their respective regions.
Council members said the changes were intended to ensure geographic representation across Webster County and clarify roles the council will perform, including oversight of the county EMS coordinator. The bylaws now state the advisory council shall "provide and assess EMS response system for Webster County and oversee Webster County EMS coordinator," language members said had been missing from the original bylaws.
The revisions removed non‑voting member classifications and converted previously non‑voting positions (for example, the medical director) into voting members; Dr. Rachel Sokol remains on the council as medical director and is included while she holds that position. The bylaws set initial staggered terms so roughly one-third of seats expire each year: the first group’s terms end Dec. 31, 2025; the second group’s terms end Dec. 31, 2026; and the third group’s terms end Dec. 31, 2027. Thereafter, regular terms are three years.
The council clarified the filling of vacancies: applications for open council positions will be reviewed by the advisory council and recommendations forwarded to the Board of Supervisors, which fills vacancies by majority vote under county policy.
Why this matters: The bylaw changes alter how the advisory council is structured and how it will interact with the Board of Supervisors, including explicit duties and an expanded voting membership that affects quorum and decision-making.
During debate members discussed whether certain seats should be reserved for elected officials versus stakeholders and agreed to require that the Webster County supervisor liaison and the City of Fort Dodge representative be elected officials while other regional seats be filled by stakeholders (either EMS providers or elected officials). The council voted to forward the revised bylaws — including the Nikki Conrad appointment and the elected-official stipulations — to the Board of Supervisors for final action.
Next steps: staff will incorporate the approved changes into the bylaws document and add the item to the supervisors’ packet for appointment and formal acceptance.
