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Board narrowly approves introduction of ordinance transferring LEMSA authority to county amid RFP timing dispute
Summary
Solano County staff introduced an ordinance to designate the county’s Public Health division as the local EMS authority and the board voted 3–2 to introduce it after debate about whether the change should wait until an ongoing ambulance services RFP process is complete.
County staff asked the Board of Supervisors to introduce an ordinance amending Chapter 7.1 of the Solano County Code to designate the Health & Social Services Public Health Division as the Local Emergency Medical Services Authority (LEMSA) and to clarify medical director authority.
Benjamin Gammon, Solano County EMS administrator, and county counsel summarized the draft as a limited, largely clerical update to the existing chapter. They said the change would not alter the procurement’s principal terms and could be reflected in the ongoing RFP either via an addendum (if changed during the solicitation) or by an amendment after contract award.
Representatives of Medic Ambulance urged caution. Helen Pearson, owner and CEO of Medic Ambulance, told the board that making the ordinance operative before the ambulance services RFP concludes would require the county to issue an addendum to the RFP and could introduce procedural risk and schedule disruption. ‘‘We strongly recommend ensuring that the ordinance does not take effect before the RFP process is concluded,’’ Pearson said.
County staff responded that the state EMS authority would accept an addendum as a notice of the change and that an addendum is a public notice, not a substantive change to the solicitation. Staff also offered an alternative procedural option: introduce the ordinance by title at the meeting and set a later effective date if the board wanted to avoid any appearance of disruption.
Supervisor Williams offered an alternate motion to introduce with a delayed operative date — effectively waiting until the RFP concluded — but that motion failed. The original motion to introduce staff’s ordinance passed on a 3–2 vote.
Staff said, if the board moves forward, they will return to the board on the stated future date for final adoption; if the ordinance becomes operative during the RFP process the county will post an addendum and submit the addendum to the state as required.
The board’s action at this meeting was to introduce the ordinance; final adoption and the ordinance’s operative date will be scheduled in a subsequent meeting.
