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Good Fellowship seeks contract update as West Chester University agrees to cover recent fees
Summary
Good Fellowship Ambulance proposed a new contract that increases municipal cost share and removes a prior 50/50 deficit split; presenters said West Chester University has agreed to pay recently billed fees and the borough asked staff to explore an MOU to avoid future 'one‑and‑done' payments.
An executive director representing Good Fellowship Ambulance and EMS Training Institute described a proposed replacement contract for West Chester Borough on Dec. 10, explaining changes to the funding construct and operational language. The director said the prior contract (entered 2022 for a 2023 start) included language requiring Good Fellowship to split deficits 50/50 with municipalities; because fundraising capacity has not met prior expectations, the new draft removes the 50/50 deficit allocation and asks municipalities to fund about 57% of the service cost going into 2026.
Committee members asked whether West Chester University had paid fees incurred during the year. The executive director said the university had not paid Good Fellowship directly but that the university indicated it would pay the borough directly to cover its fair share; the committee discussed amounts between $25,000 and $31,000 and sought confirmation of received checks. Former finance committee chair Bernie Flynn urged a standing memorandum of understanding with the university so payments are memorialized rather than verbal commitments that risk being 'one‑and‑done.'
The Good Fellowship presenter summarized contract changes: section 4 updated the contract dollar amount and removed the deficit split; section 5 remains unchanged to preserve the clause that would reduce municipal assessments if university contributions are made; section 13 adds technical authority language to reflect emergency services resolution processes and Chester County’s dispatch practices; section 17 indemnification language was updated with counsel input. The presenter noted Appendix B will provide annual call‑volume calculations and that the university will receive an annual fair‑share cost by Sept. 1 each year.
Council offered no objections to placing the contract on consent once clarifications are resolved; members asked staff to pursue a more formal MOU with the university to provide predictable funding for future years.
