VAS and Hurd differ on future of building

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

— Community members are reaching out to aid VAS Ambulance Corporation.

Cris Henry, VAS board member, told the board of directors at the regular meeting Tuesday, April 13, he was approached by a group wanting to host a golf tournament fundraiser later this summer.

“It stemmed from ‘we’re broke’ going around town. We’re not broke, we’re totally fine, we’re financially sound,” Henry said.

The group discussed the meeting with the Northeast Benton County Fire Department about merging the two companies.

Benton County officials met Tuesday, April 13, and the Committee of 13 voted in favor of allowing the county attorney George Spence to help the two companies merge. Justice of the Peace Tawnya Lewis said she brought complaints from constituents to the attention of Spence when she began receiving phone calls.

Spence said he believed theproposed merger between VAS and NEBCO will solve some of the problems the northeast portion of Benton County is facing with ambulance service.

“I hope it turns over in the next month,” VAS treasurer Sharon Barnett said. “We’re not going broke, but if we don’t turn over soon....”

According to VAS financial records as of March 2010, the balance was a little less than negative $30,000.

VAS will hold the annual pancake breakfast fundraiser from 7 to 10 a.m. Saturday, May 29 at the Community Room in Garfield.

The next meeting with NEBCO concerning the possible merger is set for May 4.

A special committee consisting of board members Richard Funk and David Grocock was formed to address the building on Richard Hurd’s land in Gateway.

Hurd has asked for VAS to vacate the building constructed on his land by the Volunteer Ambulance Service of Northeast Benton County, the fore-runnerof the current corporation.

He said since VAS is no longer a volunteer service, the building should be relinquished to him.

Current VAS board members said the only written documentation that can be found on the building reflects $15,000 of public money spent to construct the building and it can not be given to a private individual.

The two-member committee - Grocock being added to the board to replace former member A.J. See - met Tuesday with Hurd and Rob Hey to discuss the outcome of the building on Hurd’s land that has been a topic of controversy for manymonths.

“We set up a meeting, we’ll sit down and discuss where we are,” said Funk.

“There are obviously two polarized sides; like any negotiation we will startwith the farthest away and work our way in. Hopefully we can come to some sort of gentlemen’s agreement.”

In March, an eviction notice was taped to the door of the building.

“(It was) a letter from an attorney,” board member Cris Henry said. “It gave a day or two to vacate. I contacted (VAS attorney) Howard Slinkard ... he contacted their attorney.

It’s simply to get us to do something.”

“(Hurd) is still adamant we give (the building) to him, but that’s not going to happen,” Henry said.

In other business, the board addressed a worker’s compensation issue involving Richard Wynne, president of VAS, but made no action. They also passed two policies on sick leave and paid time off, unanimously, as presented at the March meeting.

News, Pages 1 on 04/21/2010