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Spring Grove council continues study on bringing ambulance service under city control
Summary
The Spring Grove City Council discussed transitioning the local ambulance service to city operation on June 4; city staff outlined legal, billing and funding implications and the council voted to gather additional insurance, financial and timeline information before deciding.
Jana Elton, the city clerk/administrator, summarized legal and financial information on June 4 about potentially moving the Spring Grove ambulance service into city operation, and the council voted to gather additional information before taking further action.
Elton reported guidance from Assistant City Attorney Corrine Haugen that the city could bill a per-capita base fee to local townships and would need to add ambulance fees to the municipal fee schedule. She said an ordinance would be required to outline the service structure, director responsibilities and retirement provisions and noted that participation in PERA would be available for city employees if the service became municipal.
Elton told the Ambulance Board and Ambulance Director Dan Albert that additional revenue avenues may include assessments against property owners to recover amounts not captured by the billing company. She also identified potential grant sources, including USDA and disaster-related funding, and said insurance costs for a city-operated service were expected to be lower than those currently paid by the private provider.
Elton flagged governance trade-offs: the ambulance service would cede final decision-making authority to the City Council, though the council could establish an advisory board to make recommendations on operations. Board Member Todd Passig and Ambulance Director Dan Albert told the council that the formal transfer process could take up to one year.
On financial details, Elton proposed creating a separate ambulance fund—modeled on the Fire Department fund—to accept donations and reserve money for future capital needs such as vehicle replacement. Council Member Trent Turner noted the ambulance service’s insurance premium is due in April and suggested the timing of any transfer should account for that payment. Albert said industry practice calls for replacing an ambulance every five years, though the current schedule has been extended to seven years.
Elton presented proposed additions to the fire hall that would include ambulance offices and a drive-through vehicle bay; project architect Andy Towner of Weiser Brothers will separate construction costs between the fire and ambulance portions to ensure grant compliance. Elton said she will verify insurance coverage details—including protections for work-related accidents—and work with the city’s financial advisor once architect cost estimates are available.
Council Member Turner moved to continue gathering the information needed for the city to consider taking on ambulance operations; Council Member Michael Hagen seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. The clerk noted that a follow-up meeting can be scheduled once both the city and the ambulance board have collected the requested details. The council’s next regular meeting is set for June 16, 2026, at 6:00 p.m.
