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Commission approves amended articles for regional ambulance service
Summary
The Buchanan commission approved Resolution 2024.08/23 to amend Southwestern Michigan Community Ambulance Services' articles of incorporation, updating governance and funding provisions and allowing contracting with outside agencies; commissioners discussed funding allocation, reporting and a temporary agreement with Cass County.
The Buchanan City Commission voted to approve Resolution 2024.08/23, which adopts amended articles of incorporation for Southwestern Michigan Community Ambulance Services (SMCAS). Brian (speaker 11), identified in the meeting as representing SMCAS, described the changes as updates to a 1976 charter to clarify functions, allow contracting with outside agencies and permit adding or removing municipal owners.
Brian said the service has shifted to a funding formula that allocates subsidy responsibility by percentage of population using U.S. Census figures. "We do a percentage of that, and that's the percentage of the subsidy that we require, which is approved by our budget," Brian said, describing efforts to keep the subsidy flat this year and noting work to pursue additional state funding and Medicare/Medicaid reimbursements.
Commissioners asked about reporting and transparency for owner municipalities. One commissioner said they had not seen routine reports from the SMCAS board; Brian offered to distribute board reports directly to the commission and said he and staff would provide a subsidy number earlier in the year so owners could review and prepare.
The commission also discussed SMCAS's temporary arrangement with Cass County and the possibility of a permanent agreement. Brian said a permanent agreement is being negotiated and that, while the county currently pays a higher rate to cover two trucks and larger territory, SMCAS is not planning to give Cass County an ownership seat at this time.
After discussion the commission made a motion to adopt the resolution; the motion was seconded and carried by roll call.
