Reno County commissioners voted to allow Reno County EMS and staff to move forward with full design and bidding for a new Arlington ambulance station, approving a not-to-exceed cost cap of $750,000.

County staff said earlier estimates and a county-approved cap had been set at $610,000, but architectural and site work returned higher figures. Dave Johnson, Reno County EMS chief, told commissioners the Landmark Architects estimate was about $715,000 and that an additional $10,000–$15,000 could cover land costs. Johnson said the hospital, which operates county EMS under agreement, will continue to manage staffing and operations; because the facility will be off-site, the county will hold title and be responsible for building maintenance.

Randy (county staff) told the commission that roughly $583,000 of federal funds — including $483,000 identified as ARPA funding and about $100,000 in tribal assistance funds — are available for the project. He said the county's CIP reserve would supply any additional dollars needed to stay under the $750,000 cap.

Commissioners asked for assurances on coverage and responded to operational data that Johnson provided: 67 responses in the Arlington area in the recent reporting period and an average response time of 3.7 minutes, an improvement from about 6 minutes the prior year. Johnson said the project would place one staffed unit and disaster equipment at the Arlington site and that bids would be solicited once the cap was authorized.

A motion to authorize the design and bidding with a not-to-exceed $750,000 passed on a 4-0 roll call.

The commission requested that staff return final plans for review before final selection of interior finishes and systems. Johnson said he would schedule follow-up meetings as bids and plans become available.