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Purchase of two ambulances prompts heated council exchange over communications and policy
Summary
Council and staff clashed over a time‑sensitive purchase of two ambulances using restricted EMS funds; staff said funds were available and the purchase saved money, while some council members said they were not properly informed and asked for a workshop and full plan.
A dispute over the city's purchase of two ambulances dominated the meeting. Staff described an opportunity to buy two vehicles immediately and said the acquisition used previously restricted funds earmarked for EMS. "This money, $500,000 from a water sale, is restricted specifically EMS purchases so..." a staff member told the council, explaining the source of the funds and that staff believed the purchase fit the previously directed policy.
Several council members said they first learned of the purchases when other council members told them or when materials circulated; they objected to the lack of full council briefings and asked for a presentation on costs, staffing and licensure before proceeding further. Staff and advocates defended the procurement as time‑sensitive and a net savings: one official said the effort had "saved the town $2,200,000 in ambulance purchases," citing auction‑sourced pricing and prior executive‑session approvals. The council agreed to schedule a public workshop (proposed for June 1) for staff to present the EMS plan, the applicant pool for staffing/licensure, and the full cost and staffing implications; council also discussed options to ratify, retain, or sell the vehicles depending on workshop outcomes.
The exchange included repeated requests for documentation, clearer staff‑to‑council communications, and an insistence from multiple council members that future acquisitions tied to policy direction be presented to the full council in advance.
