PEA RIDGE — City housekeeping was the order of the regular April City Council meeting as council members approved changes to the Fire and Ambulance Department, authorized expenditures for the Water/Wastewater Department and heard a report about repairing city streets.
The Pea Ridge Fire and Ambulance departments were officially merged, although they’ve been operating as one department for some time now. Approval of an ordinance transferring the ambulance service to the fire department was approved without dissension. Council members also approved a resolution setting rates and charges for the ambulance service and an ordinance increasing compensation for firefighters.
A chart enumerating ambulance rates was presented with a basic life service ambulance nonemergency run charged at $375 and an emergency run at $400, including $8 per mile transporting the patient.
The compensation for volunteer firefighters was increased from $5 per run and meeting to $7 per run, meeting and training exercise. Special projects designated by the fire chief will earn $50 and day shift services will be $100. Those rates were approved retroactive to Dec. 1, 2009. The monthly salary of $25 per month for the fire chief and designated officers was not increased.
“We’ve updated from a very basic rate schedule in place for a number of years to one that is standard - Medicare approved.
We’ve learned a lot in the last several months and we’re trying to recoup some expenses on actually operating costs, plus supplies,” Fire Chief Frank Rizziotold the council.
Council member Bob Cottingham asked how often an upgrade is needed.
“It needs to be monitored continuously. We’ve kind of lagged behind,” Rizzio said, adding that he is in discussion with other fire chiefs in the area discussing advanced life support ambulance service. “We do have guys who work with us who are paramedics, but they’re not allowed to perform paramedic duties on a BLS squad.”
Another change for the rate structure was the addition of charging patients for calls in which there is no transport.
“We’re paying for the equipment, the capital cost. Its standard here. It’s to kind of cover operating expense,” Rizzio said.
Rizzio, answering a question from council member Nadine Telgemeier, said special projects include projects like hose testing. “It’s a lot of work,” he said.
“We’re the biggest department and have the smallest budget,” Rizzio said.
Painting the interior of the city’s water tower was approved.
Ken Hayes, Water/Wastewater Department supervisor, told the Council that a 2001 inspection revealed the need to paint the interior of the tower, but the task was delayed because the tank had to be empty for 30 days. With a new, third water tower on line, the tank can be emptied for the project.
Hayes said the funds would come from $70,000 left over from the RDA project.
Impact fees designated for streets will be used to rehabilitate several streets in town. M.J.
Hensley, retired engineer and a member of the city’s PlanningCommission, volunteered his time and expertise to assist with the project.
“We want to thank M.J.
who has put in a lot of time on this,” Mayor Jackie Crabtree said.
Hensley, in explaining his recommendations, said he began six years ago examining streets and planning which streets would be most impacted by new subdivisions being built.
“We got the traffic counts and made present condition ratings on those streets. There is a decay curve on the life cycle of streets,” Hensley explained load associated and nonload associated decay to streets. “Ninety-nine percent is non-load associated. If we could fix a good street, it would last forever except for the drainage.”
“My service is not costing you anything,” Hensley said. “Ken (Hayes) will have to raise a bunch of manholes. Working around those manholes is a problem. We’ll be out there every day looking at it.
“All we’re trying to do is get us into the 21st Century,” Hensley continued, saying the projects should cost about $500,000. “With any luck at all, we’ll come in under the bids.”
In other business, the Council:
◊Accepted the final plat of the L&F Estates Subdivision as recommended by the Planning Commission;
◊Approved an ordinance revising the zoning regulations and procedures;
◊Approved an impact fee waiver request from Martha Becker, Hazelton Road; and
◊Tabled the impact fee transfer for bathrooms for the Parks Commission.
The next regularly scheduled City Council meeting will be at 7 p.m.
Tuesday, May 18, in City Hall.
News, Pages 1 on 05/05/2010