Commissioners approve transport contract renewal with Topside Manor and transfer county van to facility

Sherman County commissioners approved a renewal of the county’s transport agreement with Topside Manor and later voted to transfer ownership of a county van to the facility.

The contract renewal covers non-emergency transports arranged directly with the ambulance service (not calls routed through 911), such as hospital discharges where Topside Manor needs the county ambulance to take residents back from higher-level care. County staff said the prior agreement dated from February 2018 and was essentially treated as an informal arrangement; the renewed agreement updates wording to reflect Topside Manor as the billed party and establishes a documented charge schedule.

County staff and a Topside Manor representative described the van as an important but intermittently available resource: the facility’s lift-equipped van—originally purchased during the COVID period—has had reliability issues tied to an out-of-business lift manufacturer, and the facility has explored replacement options. Commissioners discussed the facility’s recent van repairs and a plan to maintain a contract in case the facility’s vehicle becomes unavailable.

Commissioners approved the contract renewal by voice vote and later approved a separate motion to transfer the title of the county van to Topside Manor. The county clerk and staff confirmed that the contract is structured as a 12-month agreement that renews automatically unless terminated and that billing should be addressed to the facility at 210 Kansas, attention Daphne.

Topside Manor board and staff told commissioners the facility operated near capacity in 2024 and that maintaining transport options supports resident care and safe discharges from the hospital.

The county authorized a designated commissioner to sign the contract paperwork and the van title transfer was completed at the meeting.