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Council negotiates ambulance lease and service terms, explores taxing district for long‑term support
Summary
With North Memorial providing strong response times, councilors directed staff to revise the ambulance-facility lease (shorter lease term, capped utility contribution) and to research formation of an ambulance taxing district to ensure long-term service sustainability.
The New Prague City Council discussed terms of the ambulance-service lease and directed staff to continue negotiations with North Memorial, including adjusting lease duration and utility-contribution language and exploring an ambulance taxing district for long-term subsidy.
Staff reported outreach to neighboring cities and said North Memorial currently provides favorable response times for the community. The city’s existing contract included a contribution for utilities of up to $5,000 per year and a longer lease term; councilors signaled a preference for a three‑year lease term with a separate service agreement of longer duration, and suggested maintaining an "up to" utilities cap rather than a fixed rent while staff refines the numbers for the new building.
Council members emphasized the value of short emergency response times and said they want the service to remain locally based. "You don't appreciate it until you need it or your family needs it," one councilor said, urging caution about actions that might increase response times. Councilors also discussed the risk that ambulance providers could change business models and park rigs off-site; they asked for amendment language allowing the parties to revisit and amend the lease if operational arrangements change.
Staff said the city had asked its county attorney to research ambulance taxing districts, which could create a property-based funding mechanism similar to rural fire districts; the attorney is compiling options so the city could create a district if funding shortfalls later require a stable revenue source. Council asked staff to return with a revised lease and supporting financial detail for discussion at the next meeting.
Next steps: Staff will prepare a revised lease reflecting a three-year lease term, clarify the "up to $5,000" utilities contribution approach, include amendment language to permit renegotiation if operations change, and provide additional legal research and financial figures on forming an ambulance taxing district.
