By all reports the cooperative agreement between the towns of Tofte and Schroeder for Rescue Squad services has worked well in emergency medical situations for 13 years. However, how the service was funded was deliberated at length when the joint emergency effort began. It is now time to renew the contract between the townships and at the November 12, 2009, it was decided to fine-tune the arrangement.
Fire Chief Rich Nelson said the number of calls between towns is about even. EMS Director Louise Trachta agreed, adding that some years calls may be more in one township or the other but said, “It pretty much balances out.”
Town Clerk Barb Gervais said the last contract, which was for three years, was increased from $4,500 to $5,000 per year. “They have a pretty good rescue squad for $5,000 a year,” said Nelson.
Supervisor Paul James noted that the township’s fire hall insurance costs had gone up. “What else should be reflected in the contract for emergency services?” he asked. “We’ve always based the contract on immediate costs—not building costs like that, or heat. We’ve never adjusted it.”
Trachta said there are additional costs for training, as well. Nelson said also not calculated has been vehicle replacement costs.
James said it shouldn’t be hard to calculate a basic cost, looking at local storage facility rates. He said the current cost for storage is $65 for an unheated building. Nelson said the fire hall is 1,000 square feet. Clerk Gervais said the township can break down costs, calculating medical supplies, gasoline, auto repair costs, building expenses, electricity, and so on.
“A good way to do this would be to figure out exactly what all this costs and divide it in half,” said Supervisor Allan “D.C.” Olsen. “If it costs $20,000 to operate the rescue squad, they should pay half.”
However, Olsen said it would not be fair to hit the neighboring town with a major increase all at once. Supervisor James agreed, “I think a 10% increase would be reasonable. That would be $6,000, only $500 a month. I think Schroeder will understand that costs are going up.”
Theboard agreed to seek the 10% increase with a contract for services of $6,000 for one year. “We can also tell them we are assessing long-term costs,” said James.
“Once we calculate the costs, we can see if we can establish a threeyear contract,” said Olsen.
In other business:
The board reviewed a statement from its insurance carrier that includes a $3,000 increase. The board questioned the high amount on the community center and what could be too low an amount on the contents of the fire hall. Town clerk Barb Gervais pointed out that there was only $25,000 of coverage on the contents. Fire Chief Rich Nelson said that is too low. “We’ve got $20,000 just in turn-out gear,” and EMS Chief Louise Trachta added, “We have $70,000 in self-contained breathing apparatus.”
The board agreed to set up a meeting to talk with its agent to see if adjustments can be made.
Fire Chief Nelson said the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has made a request to store its emergency rescue boat at the joint storage facility shared by the fire department and the snowmobile club. Nelson said the boat takes up a great deal of space and he questioned if that was the township’s intention when it built the storage structure. “First it was just summer. Now it’s been two summers and through the winter?” said Nelson.
Supervisors agreed with him and also agreed not to leave the DNR without storage for the winter. Nelson will contact the DNR to see if different arrangements can be made for the boat in the future.
EMS Director Louise Trachta reported that the Rescue Squad has been quite busy. She said a recent call to assist a woman choking at Bluefin Bay Resort was difficult. She said she was very proud of how her emergency responders handled the call.
Commissioner Bruce Martinson updated the board on a possible exchange of county land within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) for US Forest Service land within the township of Schroeder. The board discussed possible uses of the land and passed a unanimous motion of support for the county to pursue the exchange of two Forest Service parcels of 120 acres and 150 acres.
The board discussed a request from the Tofte-Schroeder Sanitary Sewer District (TSSSD) to send a letter of support for the county’s proposed septic system ordinance. Supervisor Olsen, who also serves on the Cook County Planning & Zoning Commission, said although there was an upcoming hearing on the proposed ordinance, he didn’t believe the planning would end that night. He said he believed the township would have time to discuss it at a later time. The board tabled discussion on the proposed ordinance.
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