Council approves up to $18,000 reimbursement to El Campo Memorial Hospital for ER dock extension to accommodate taller ambulances

The El Campo City Council approved an agreement on July 28 to reimburse El Campo Memorial Hospital up to $18,000 for costs related to a three-foot emergency-room loading-dock extension and a canopy to accommodate new, taller ambulances. City staff said recently purchased ambulances have boxes about four inches taller than previous units, and that crews have been lowering vehicle components to avoid scraping the ER canopy. The staff presentation said the modification would create approximately three additional feet of working room at the back of the ambulance and reduce stretcher-handling difficulty during patient transfers. "With the extra revenue we have this year, I approached the hospital to see if we could maybe make some modifications to the ER... That just, again, makes it to our crews come back up. It actually makes it easier to unload the stretchers at the back," a staff member said. Staff said the hospital solicited multiple quotes; some bids were as high as the mid-$60,000s, but the hospital identified a local contractor quoting about $13,000–$14,000 plus electrical work. The city structure for the agreement was set as a "not to exceed" $18,000 amount to cover construction and related electrical costs. Council approved Resolution R2025-41 to authorize the reimbursement and the city manager to execute the agreement. Why this matters: The modification is intended to keep patient transfers sheltered and safe and to reduce operational disruption when taller ambulances arrive. Staff said the city will fund the reimbursement from budget surplus (billing revenue) and that work could require brief adjustments to hospital access during construction. The council record shows the motion passed by voice vote; no roll-call tally was provided in the transcript.