Oshkosh council directs staff to end broad ambulance contract, negotiate 2026 service with contiguous towns

The Oshkosh Common Council on June 24 directed city staff to terminate the city—9s existing multi-municipality ambulance service agreement effective at the end of 2025 and to negotiate a 2026 contract limited to contiguous municipalities.

Council members framed the decision as driven primarily by a shortage of qualified emergency medical staff and by the operational impacts of long ambulance response trips outside city boundaries. The action instructs staff to renegotiate short-term service with contiguous towns (identified in the meeting as Algoma, Nakaimai and Black Wolf) for 2026 only, and to explore longer-term regional or joint-service options beyond 2026.

Why it matters: City officials said staffing shortages have prevented the department from reliably staffing an added fourth ambulance and have increased "downtime" when Oshkosh units travel to serve outlying areas. Councilors and the city manager said the city—9s primary obligation is to the safety and response needs of Oshkosh residents; the council directed staff to pursue short-term contracts with geographically contiguous jurisdictions while seeking regional solutions that could include joint fire/EMS districts and state innovation grants.

City manager's briefing and public comment: In remarks to the council, the city manager described an earlier plan to add a fourth ambulance, which would have required eight additional firefighter/paramedic positions. The city has struggled to recruit for those positions and does not expect to be able to staff an expanded service through the end of 2025. Frank Percetto, town chairman of Black Wolf and chairman of the Southern Winnebago Emergency Medical Service District, told the council the new district was formed to seek a more sustainable financial and operational structure and to continue a cooperative relationship with the City of Oshkosh.

Council discussion: Council members repeatedly characterized the problem as staffing, not simply cost. Council member Bulow cited the hiring difficulty and said continuing the current arrangement risks degrading service for Oshkosh residents. Council member Boulo (transcript name variations) and Deputy Mayor Stevenson said the city had historically subsidized service to surrounding towns; councilor Boulo quantified the prior disparity as roughly $3.11 per capita for outlying townships versus approximately $31 per capita for Oshkosh residents, describing that as a roughly 1,000% difference.

Direction given and next steps: The mayor asked for explicit direction and recorded a roll call in which all five present council members voted yes to (a) instruct staff to terminate the existing multi-jurisdiction ambulance contract effective Dec. 31, 2025; (b) negotiate a 2026 contract limited to contiguous municipalities (identified in the meeting as Algoma, Nakaimai and Black Wolf); and (c) pursue options for regional cooperation or joint-service structures beyond 2026, including seeking state innovation funding where applicable. The council indicated staff will return with a resolution implementing the termination and the short-term negotiation authority.

What was not decided: The council did not adopt a new long-term contract at the meeting. Staff and council emphasized that any arrangements beyond calendar year 2026 will require additional discussions and likely structural changes (for example, a formal joint fire/EMS district) before staff would recommend a final approach.

Context and constraints: The current contractual arrangement runs through 2026; the city manager noted a 90-day termination clause exists but described waiting 90 days as impractical in the face of immediate staffing shortages. Council members also flagged that any new arrangements will depend on the willingness of neighboring municipalities to renegotiate and on the city—9s ability to recruit paramedics.

Ending note: Council members said the decision prioritizes emergency service reliability for Oshkosh residents while allowing short-term continuity for nearby towns that are contiguous to city boundaries. Staff will return with implementing paperwork and proposed short-term agreements for council consideration.