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Finance update: $1M in delinquent collections; ambulance call distribution raises cost concerns
Summary
Staff reported more than $1 million recovered through the Portnoff Law Associates collections program and presented May sanitation and ambulance statistics; staff said Narberth Ambulance handled 357 calls in May (168 within Lower Merion), and noted roughly $650,000/year ALS costs with about $240,000 used to serve five towns that do not reimburse, prompting staff to seek meetings with those municipalities.
Township staff reported a series of finance, sanitation and public-safety items at the Dec. 24 meeting.
On collections, staff said the township's program with Portnoff Law Associates, initiated in 2023 to pursue delinquent township taxes, trash and sewer charges, has recovered more than $1,000,000 in arrears; those collection fees and charges are billed to property owners through the collection process, staff said.
In the May ambulance report, staff said the township's agreement with Narberth Ambulance provides advanced life support (ALS) services at a cost of roughly $60,000 per month. In May Narberth responded to 357 calls, 168 of which were for Lower Merion Township; staff noted that 43% of calls were from municipalities outside Lower Merion Township that do not provide ALS and do not reimburse, and staff estimated the annual ALS cost at about $650,000 with $240,000 spent serving five nonreimbursing towns. The township manager said they have reached out to those towns to set meetings to discuss cost-sharing or reimbursement.
Sanitation figures for May were presented: 1,289.54 tons of trash disposed at a monthly cost of $121,995.24 and 143.16 tons of recycling at a cost of $7,858.02; electronics counts for May included six TVs and 12 monitors. The finance committee also presented a set of small capital approvals — McKeith Boulevard ($850), Green Lake Road signal upgrades ($4,360) and signal-protection work ($40,361.14) — and a loans list (to be subject to controller review); motions on those items were made and approved by voice vote.
The meeting record shows that staff and committee presenters made these reports and the board approved the motions by voice vote; the transcript does not contain detailed roll-call tallies or long-form discussion of alternatives on these items.
