“I’m getting frustrated that we don’t make hard decisions as a board,” Commissioner Mary Thoman said during Tuesday’s meeting. “We have got to start looking down the road and not kicking the can down the road. We’ve got to look at the big picture.”
The question of finding solutions for big picture problems in the county, and the need for short-term solutions in the meantime, came up several times during this week’s Sweetwater County Commissioners meeting, particularly in regards to ambulance and fire services.
The conversation began with a discussion of restaffing two vacant engine boss positions in the Sweetwater County Fire Department.
Commissioner Roy Lloyd questioned the necessity of the positions and the size of the fire department required to meet Sweetwater County’s needs. Thoman also said the commission should reevaluate ways the county’s fire service can be more streamlined and efficient.
“This is not going to be popular, but we have to start making hard decisions,” Thoman said, recommending the commission hold off on hiring more positions until discussions could be had to see what positions are necessary.
County Fire Warden Mike Bournazian told the commission he believes the engine boss positions are necessary in order for the department to stay staffed 24/7 and respond to fire calls, particularly in circumstances when the department has to reply to more than one fire at a time.
“It takes all of us to respond to a fire, there’s really no doubt about that,” Bournazian said, referring to all of Sweetwater County’s fire departments that work together. “None of our departments can single-handedly fight a fire.”
Bournazian said he is open to having discussions about the department’s size, but the two permanent engine boss positions are a priority, and having to wait to try to restaff them would greatly diminish the department’s opportunities to find candidates.
Chairman Randy Wendling agreed that discussions should happen, but stressed the county shouldn’t be left without solutions until then.
“We have no plan B at this point in time,” Wendling said. “Until we see a Plan B and we can implement it, I don’t see how we can step back and take the risk of not providing public safety for our residents in the county, so I don’t agree with tabling or pausing.”
Lloyd agreed, but stressed plans need to be made for discussions so permanent solutions can be worked toward.
“I have been an advocate since I came here that this county as a whole needs a collective fire service,” Bournazian said. “I am 110% committed to having that discussion.”
Bournazian added that consolidating fire services could have challenges because of established fire districts, but said he has been open to the discussion and no one has approached him about it.
With the understanding discussions will be had to evaluate fire services in Sweetwater County, all commissioners present voted to approve the restaffing of the engine boss positions.
“We did learn a large lesson with the ambulance when we just cut high and dry and didn’t have a Plan B,” Lloyd said during the meeting.
Later in the meeting, the question of ambulance services in Sweetwater County resurfaced when both Castle Rock Ambulance District and Sweetwater Medics presented concerns to the commissioners.
Sweetwater Medics appeared on the agenda to ratify the contract discussed during the Nov. 16 commission meeting, when the commissioners agreed to give the ambulance service an additional $235,000 in order to get them through the end of the year.
Initially, Castle Rock was schedule to present after Sweetwater Medics, but Commissioner Jeffrey Smith requested the commissioners amend the agenda to change the order and hear from Castle Rock first.
Bailie Dockter, the director of the Castle Rock Hospital District, and the district’s Chief Financial Officer Todd Toolson both presented to the commissioners.
Castle Rock Ambulance Service questioned the commissioners on their decision to give additional funds to Sweetwater Medics, expressing the belief the subsidy will pay Sweetwater Medics for work Castle Rock will be doing since they acquired ground transports. Dockter and Toolson also said granting the subsidy funnels Green River taxpayer’s dollars into Rock Springs.
“For years we’ve been under-reimbursed compared to Sweetwater Medics,” Toolson said. “We’re just asking for fairness for the communities.”
Toolson also said Sweetwater Medic’s costs are always higher, but Castle Rock was more forthcoming about their expenses, and they did what they could to cut costs when possible.
He claimed the commission was subsidizing Sweetwater Medic’s inefficiencies and asked “why are we being penalized for being more efficient?”
Wendling asked Dockter if Castle Rock would be willing and able to take over ambulance services in Rock Springs as well. Dockter said that was a question for Castle Rock’s Board of Trustees, but she believed they were open to the idea, and they would discuss it at the board meeting that evening.
Dockter remained present during the discussion over approving the contract with Sweetwater Medics, when the commissioners asked Director Ron Gatti if he would be willing to work with Castle Rock on the concept of combining and consolidating ambulance services in Sweetwater County.
Gatti expressed his willingness and desire to discuss different options for ambulance service, but reiterated the need for the subsidy in order for Sweetwater Medics to continue operating in the short-term future.
The commissioners all voted to ratify the contract giving additional funds to Sweetwater Medics, but changed the contract to specify the funds would be paid on a month-by-month basis while Sweetwater Medics and Castle Rock discuss options.
Wendling pointed out the meeting was the first time in six years the commissioners and representatives from both Castle Rock and Sweetwater Medics were all in the same room and discussing options.
“We’re further ahead,” Wendling said. “Great strides from where we were.”
“Way farther than I thought we’d be at 1:30 today,” Lloyd agreed.
“We only got that way because we brought together two good leaders that understood what was important, what needed to be done, to not only help the people of Sweetwater County but also to bear in mind that funding needs are at a strain as well,” Wendling said.
Other business:
Commissioners authorized the issuance of $27.5 million series 2021 revenue bonds for Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County. The hospital decided to refinance its outstanding debts. This process will lower the hospital’s insurance rates from 5% to under 3% and save the hospital approximately $275,000 a year.
The Sweetwater County Fire Department was awarded the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance to firefighters grant for the purchase of a fire truck. This grant will go toward the purchase of a wildland urban fire truck to respond to wildfires, which will replace an old, out of commission truck. County Grants Manager Krisena Marchal explained the total budget for the project is $518,000, and the grant covers 95% of it, so the county match is 5%, meaning the county portion will be a little over $24,600. After discussing the grant requirement, available bids from fire truck companies, and the requirements for the truck, commissioners approved the truck Bournazian recommended. Lloyd was the only commissioner to vote “no.” He expressed concerns over the grant requirements and bid process.
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