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Dell Rapids council approves $100,000 for ambulance service after director cites rising calls
Summary
After hearing the Del Rapids Community Ambulance Service respond to more than 600 calls last year and nearly 700 so far this year, the City Council approved a $100,000 contribution to offset the cost of a recently purchased ambulance and ongoing operating expenses.
The Dell Rapids City Council voted to provide $100,000 to the Del Rapids Community Ambulance Service after director Ryan Sinek outlined rising call volumes and vehicle costs.
Sinek told the council the service responded to “more than 600 calls” last year and is pacing “probably just shy of 700” this year. He said the department recently purchased a new four-wheel-drive ambulance that cost approximately $275,000 after discounts and that the agency financed the vehicle with a goal of paying off the loan within three years. “Every extra dollar that we can apply toward the loan reduces interest costs and strengthens our financial position,” Sinek said.
Council members discussed the request in the context of competing budget priorities. Several members described fire and ambulance services as part of the city’s essential “meat and potatoes” responsibilities, and the motion to fund the ambulance passed on a voice vote. The council’s approval allows the ambulance service to apply the city contribution toward the vehicle loan and operational expenses; Sinek said the funding would also help the service begin saving toward a future replacement.
The decision came as part of a broader review of outside-agency requests for the 2027 budget. Finance staff said the council’s guidance will be used to place amounts into the draft budget ahead of the special budget meeting in August. The council approved the motion at the July 6 meeting and recorded the vote as carried.
