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Committee backs protective EMS contract language and discusses contingency plan if neighboring towns don't sign
Summary
The Committee reviewed a final EMS contract draft that limits automatic five-year increases, preserves notification and authority protections, and debated a contingent strategy to withdraw if neighboring towns do not approve by July 1.
A Committee member said the final draft of an EMS service agreement meets the Committee’s goals for authority, transparency and financial protection and will be presented to the Village Board on Monday.
The draft retains protections on cost increases (year-to-year increases at CPI plus 2%; up to 10% every five years subject to board approval). The presenter described those terms as "protection" and said the language would require the EMS agency to bring major cost jumps back before the member boards.
Committee members discussed what to do if neighboring towns refuse to sign the new agreement. One Committee member outlined a contingency: give notice of withdrawal by the July 1 deadline to preserve leverage and offer to rejoin if the towns approve a new agreement by August 1. The presenter said this approach would "make it so much cleaner" and avoid indefinite carryover of an old agreement that some towns interpret as continuing automatically.
Why this matters: Committee members said the contract clarifies accountability and reduces the risk of unexpected cost spikes for Village taxpayers. Members also flagged the practical risk of labor demand as EMS services expand operations, noting new transport services and certification steps would increase labor needs.
Next steps: The Committee will present the draft contract to the Village Board on the 11th and to the district board on the 13th; committee members plan to track neighboring towns’ decisions and may use the withdrawal deadline tactically to protect the Village’s leverage. The Committee did not take a final vote on withdrawal but endorsed forwarding the draft contract to the Village Board for consideration.
