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Resident urges Troy to impose 'bed fee' on nursing homes, citing heavy EMS use
Summary
During public comment, Jeff Beler urged the city to impose a state-authorized bed fee on nursing homes and colleges and to enforce nuisance-alarm penalties, arguing facilities are overusing EMS and straining personnel; officials said impact fees are possible but require further legal and planning work.
At the end of the March 12 meeting the committee heard public comment from Jeff Beler, who urged the city to adopt a so-called "bed fee" on nursing homes, colleges and other institutional facilities to offset repeated EMS calls and reduce avoidable dispatches.
"We should be looking back at the pilots ... if they're not holding up to their end of the bargain that pilot revoke it," Beler said, arguing that certain facilities were repeatedly calling 911 for lift assists and other non-emergent needs and that a financial disincentive would curb misuse of municipal EMS resources.
Beler cited examples from the report and his own observation and raised several related proposals: nuisance-alarm fines, stronger enforcement against repeat facility calls, and short-term measurable goals for the task force (30/60/90-day milestones). He also raised retention and pay comparisons with nearby services and urged wider public distribution of the full consultant report.
Mayor Carmela Mantella and the consultant responded that impact or public-safety fees are legally and administratively feasible in some forms but require additional studies and processes — for example, a citywide GEIS (general environmental impact statement) before an impact fee could be implemented. The administration said it is already increasing department engagement with planning reviews and exploring revenue and contractual approaches, but emphasized the work would take months and require legal and policy steps before implementation.
The committee did not adopt any ordinance or fee at the meeting; city officials said the task force and further staff work would examine revenue options and the legal steps necessary to pursue them.
