Bonner County Ambulance District discusses TAN draw, staffing cuts and plans for separation from county services

Bonner County Ambulance Service District officials reviewed the district's cash position and recovery plan at a Feb. 3 standing meeting, including a planned partial repayment on a $2 million temporary advance note and contingencies for further draws to cover payroll through tax-collection cycles.

The discussion centered on the TAN the district drew against earlier in the fiscal year and on staffing and governance steps needed as the district separates day-to-day functions from county departments. Comptroller Jessica Stephanie presented updated cash figures and explained that the district drew $500,000 against a $2,000,000 TAN; about $1,500,000 of availability remained at the time of the discussion. She said interest accrued on the drawn portion was about $4,300 and recommended repaying $500,000 of principal so the TAN would remain open but not accrue further interest on additional principal drawn to date.

Why it matters: The Ambulance District is a separate taxing entity on paper, but decades of operating like a county department left ambiguity about which county offices provide payroll, auditing, HR and insurance support. That uncertainty affects whether the district must budget for services that county offices now provide or contract those services externally — a change with potential budget and operational effects on service levels.

District leaders and county staff emphasized short-term measures and longer-term structural work. Commissioners and staff agreed to continue current administrative support while the county and ambulance district negotiate memoranda of understanding (MOUs) that will define which services county departments will continue to perform and which the district will procure itself. County risk management and legal staff said some changes — surplus or transfer of titles for ambulances and station buildings, and clearer capital-account practices — will be necessary before an insurer or third-party provider could underwrite district assets as a standalone entity.

On staffing, Chief Lindsay said the district has lost three employees since Jan. 1 (two paramedics and one advanced EMT) and could lose up to three additional positions and still meet the district's minimum deployment: four ALS ambulances in service plus one paramedic chase vehicle in Sandpoint. Lindsay told the board that using attrition to reduce full-time headcount could reduce annual payroll by roughly $300,000 (figure described as an estimate based on current payroll averages), and that expanding a part-time roster — while managing PERSI and HR classifications — is a priority to lower overtime costs without cutting service tiers immediately.

Commissioner Doncke and other commissioners pressed for clear projections: worst-case staffing-cost scenarios for the summer recreation season, comparisons of part-time versus full-time cost models, and a timeline for the MOUs that would reassign or formalize county support functions. County staff said they have asked departments (auditing, payroll, HR, legal, risk, IT) to list services they provide to the district so the ambulance board can evaluate options in an apples-to-apples workshop.

Staff also reported projections and recent cash flow events: a Jan. 23 tax-levy deposit (reported roughly as $1.7 million) substantially improved near-term liquidity; the district's cash position on Feb. 3 was presented at about $2.19 million with the TAN interest accrual near $4,300; and district leadership said it expects there is a probability of another TAN draw in the October–January slump period in future years unless a durable reserve is built.

Quotes

"We would only pay off the $500,000 that we drew on the $2,000,000 availability," Comptroller Jessica Stephanie said, explaining the difference between principal drawn and undrawn availability.

Commissioner Doncke said a memorandum of understanding is needed so county staff and the district have clearly assigned responsibilities: "We definitely don't want to leave them hanging out there without the oversight or without the support that they need but at the same time we don't want to be overstepping and butting into things that we don't need to be involved in either."

Risk Manager Christian Gosselin recommended surplus or title transfers for equipment and buildings that the district paid for but that are titled to Bonner County, to avoid coverage gaps when seeking quotes from insurers.

Ending

The board directed staff to continue current administrative support while compiling a detailed inventory of county-provided services and a set of options (in-house county services with charges, contracted services such as ICRMP or a CPA/bookkeeper for payroll/AP, or a full district-run model) for workshop review. Staff said they will solicit insurance and service quotes and return to the board with those cost comparisons and a recommended timeline for MOUs and ordinance amendments.