Commission advances ambulance interlocal, grants for cardiac monitors and water-infrastructure rehab

County committees on Oct. 22 advanced a group of public-works and public-safety items including a first-reading interlocal ordinance allowing Shelby County Fire to provide emergency ambulance services to Millington, Lakeland and Arlington; two grant-funded purchases of ZOLL cardiac monitors (each $50,000 with a required 15% match of $7,500 from the Fire Enterprise Fund); a $125,000 training agreement with Dyersburg State Community College for EMS education; and a $417,307 contract with Landmark Construction to rehabilitate the E.E. Jeter wastewater treatment plant using State ARPA and roads-and-bridges special revenue funds.

Chief Benson told the committee the ambulance interlocal ordinance "refreshes" the county’s existing agreements, with the primary changes being updates to dollar amounts and shares; he said the changes "bring it up to date." On the cardiac monitor grants, Chief Benson described them as gifts from generous agencies to offset equipment costs. Darren Sanders, county engineer, described the wastewater project scope: replacement of the ultraviolet disinfection system and pumps that oxygenate water for biological treatment; Landmark Construction submitted the sole bid and administration recommended award.

All items were moved and received favorable committee recommendations to go to the full commission; the parking contract for downtown employee parking was also advanced, with one commissioner recorded as abstaining on that vote.