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Council hears plan for in‑house ambulance transport; staff favors internal financing
Summary
Fire Battalion Chief Jeremy Day outlined a phased plan for a city‑run ambulance transport service and estimated startup funding needs "in the range of approximately $6 million to $6.5 million" phased across two fiscal years; staff recommended an internal financing model and the council gave direction to return in August with a full funding package for possible enterprise account financing.
City staff presented a plan to develop an in‑house ground emergency medical transport program and asked the council for direction on funding strategy.
Fire Battalion Chief Jeremy Day described a phased approach to standing up an ambulance transport service, saying Phase 1 and Phase 2 focus on planning and organizational readiness and later phases address procurement and activation. He summarized staffing steps (classifications for EMTs, paramedics and an assistant EMS coordinator) and said those classifications would go to the civil service commission before returning to council for approval.
On costs, Day provided preliminary startup estimates "projected in the range of approximately $6 million to $6.5 million, phased across two fiscal years," and said staff had engaged two financial institutions and evaluated internal loan options and grant opportunities (including approximately $370,000 in awarded CDBG funds that could support eligible costs). Day said external bank borrowing would likely increase interest costs and repayment constraints, whereas an internal financing structure (an internal loan and an enterprise account) would be more flexible and administratively efficient.
"Based on our evaluation, staff believes full internal financing is the most efficient and sustainable option," Day said. Council members asked clarifying questions about how the enterprise account would work and whether the plan would draw on general fund dollars. Day said the program is designed to operate out of an enterprise account so that ongoing personnel and operational expenses would be outside the general fund, though he noted that interim arrangements or reimbursements could be part of an implementation plan.
Council members expressed broad support for the internal‑financing approach and thanked staff for the analysis; several members said they preferred staff to return in August with a resolution identifying the full funding package and the proposed repayment schedule. No formal funding commitment was made at this meeting.
What to expect next: Staff intends to return in August with a detailed funding resolution that would identify the internal funding source(s), repayment schedule and any grant or external financing elements. Implementation would proceed only after council authorization of the funding package and subsequent personnel and procurement approvals.
