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Corinne Council weighs options as Brigham City moves to charge for responses
Summary
Council members spent the bulk of the meeting examining options after Brigham City signaled it would begin charging for out-of-area ambulance responses; they asked staff to compile Corinne-specific call counts, cost-per-response and timeline implications (licensing, boundaries, and House Bill 369) before deciding on taxation or staffing.
Corinne City Council devoted extended discussion to changes signaled by Brigham City that would affect mutual-aid ambulance and transport arrangements. The council’s presiding officer said Brigham planned to change its mutual-aid policy and fee schedule and that Corinne needs precise, Corinne-only data to evaluate options ranging from contracting with Brigham, hiring local transport-capable staff, to creating a separate district.
The mayor (unnamed) told the council Brigham’s packet included items Corinne citizens would be expected to pay, including a $600,000 maintenance item the mayor said Corinne residents did not choose to build or own. "Nobody in Corinne chose to build that building, so why should I pay for the maintenance on it?" the mayor asked. Councilmembers and fire/EMS staff said Brigham currently receives patient-insurance payments for transports outside Corinne; staff confirmed Corinne’s rigs are currently licensed as QRU/first-responder units and would need additional state inspection, equipment updates and fees to move to Basic Life Support (BLS) transport status. Staff estimated the licensing/switch timeline could take roughly six months if pursued.
Council members requested Corinne-only counts and cost allocations for calls currently responded to by Brigham so any tax or staffing proposal could be based on Corinne’s actual usage and costs rather than broader county totals. Members questioned a figure Brigham reported ("60" calls), saying that number appeared to include countywide totals; staff said a more relevant breakdown would probably show roughly 30 Corinne medical calls when categories other than medical are excluded. The mayor said preliminary staff estimates for two full-time hires (at a $25 hourly base wage each with benefits) would translate to approximately $93,000 per employee per year, but councilors asked staff to produce a full cost breakdown (wages, benefits, vehicle and facility overhead, supplies, and insurance revenue assumptions).
The council also asked staff to research the implications of House Bill 369 (2024) — cited by the mayor — on municipal authority to bill or require contracts, and advised caution about pursuing legal remedies against larger agencies without confirming the statute’s scope. Several members said any proposal that would increase city taxes should be public and educational to the community before adoption.
The council directed staff (including references to Bon Bon, Derek and Dan Camp during discussion) to gather localized call and cost data, clarify boundary and licensing timelines, and return with options and budget implications during the budget-planning season. No formal vote or new contract was approved during the meeting; the council did not adopt a tax increase and left options open pending receipt of the requested data.
