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Solano supervisors introduce ordinance to move LEMSA authority to county amid procurement timing dispute
Summary
County staff introduced an ordinance to designate Public Health as the local emergency medical services agency (LEMSA) and return LEMSA authority to the county; the motion passed 3–2 after public providers warned the timing could require an EMSA addendum to an ongoing ambulance RFP.
Solano County staff presented a narrow ordinance to return local emergency medical services agency (LEMSA) authority to the county and designate the Health & Social Services Public Health division as the LEMSA. Staff described the proposed edits as limited to authority language, clarification of the medical director role, and a cleanup of prior department naming.
Helen Pearson and Michael Cohen of Medic Ambulance urged caution in public comment, saying the ordinance’s effective date could trigger an addendum to the ongoing ambulance services RFP and potentially disrupt procurement timing. Pearson recommended the board delay the ordinance becoming operative until the RFP process concluded so the procurement would not need to be resubmitted to the state. County staff and counsel said the state advised that the required action would be an addendum (a public notice) and that the RFP process would not be materially disrupted; staff offered the board an option to introduce the ordinance with a later effective date if the board preferred.
Supervisor Williams moved an alternate to introduce but delay the ordinance’s operative date until the RFP concluded; that amendment failed. The board then voted to introduce the ordinance as recommended by staff; the motion passed on a 3–2 vote. Staff said the ordinance would be brought back for adoption at a later meeting and would be effective 30 days after adoption. The county’s purchasing staff and EMS administrator said that if the ordinance takes effect during the RFP, the county would post an addendum and, in the case of a post‑award change, submit an amendment and executed contract to EMSA.
No change to service levels or substantive RFP terms was presented at this meeting; several providers recommended future language clarifications (for example, to explicitly include BLS and critical care levels in written agreements). The board directed staff to proceed with the standard introduction; staff will return with final adoption paperwork.
