October 2, 2023 |
Photo – SCWEMS Ambulance Barn – Bigfoot99 file photo
SCWEMS is rewriting its nearly 15-year-old contract to clarify how money is collected and distributed. Every town must sign off on the changes, but at least one is holding out.
The South-Central Wyoming Emergency Medical Services joint powers board has been in the process of updating the agreement between the towns of Carbon County and itself. It seems likely that the new contract will pass, if SCWEMS representatives can convince Hanna to support the service financially as other communities do.
Speaking at the September 5th Board of Carbon County Commissioners Meeting, SCWEMS board member Irene Archibald said the original joint powers board agreement to establish the ambulance service was written in 2009, updated in 2016, and amended in 2018. Archibald said the SCWEMS joint powers board is having their attorney condense the three versions of the agreement into a single document.
While the attorney is working on the agreement, Archibald said the joint powers board asked to add and clarify some items. For one, Archibald said the current contract doesn’t clearly state what it takes for a municipality to opt out of the SCWEMS membership. The SCWEMS board member said the updated agreement outlines the process for leaving the organization.
Archibald said the joint powers board agreement will now allow SCWEMS to seek out and apply for grants without approval from municipalities or the county. However, the SCWEMS board member said grants over a certain amount of money and grants that directly affect a town must still be preapproved.
Archibald said the existing agreement lacked a way for SCWEMS to compel towns to pay their share to the medical transport service. Archibald said the update contract fixes that oversight.
Archibald said if SCWEMS is dissolved for any reason, the organization’s finances will be split between the member towns, but not the county. Archibald said she didn’t understand why the original agreement failed to include the county in the financial distribution. Commission Chairwoman Sue Jones said the county didn’t contribute to the formation of SCWEMS.
The new agreement will require SCWEMS to provide the county and all member towns with the yearly budget one month before it is finalized. Archibald said the revision is to give towns a chance to weigh in on possible funding changes before the budget is passed.
Archibald said the SCWEMS joint powers board was still working out the details of the updated agreement. The SCWEMS board member said every town must agree to the changes before the new contract is put into effect.
At the county commissioners meeting on September 19th, Archibald returned with additional revisions to the SCWEMS agreement. County Attorney Ashley Davis explained that in the event of SCWEMS disbanding, the county will receive a percentage of the organization’s finances based on the most recent census population count. Attorney Davis said she approved of the change.
Commissioner John Johnson asked Archibald if the municipalities seemed receptive to the updated joint powers board agreement. Archibald said the towns in the southern part of Carbon County appear ready to sign, but Hanna and Medicine Bow may object.
Archibald said Hanna officials are having the town’s attorney review the contract before agreeing to sign.
Commission Chairwoman Jones said SCWEMS is the only medical transport service available to most of Carbon County. Chairwoman Jones said she is counting on every town to uphold their end of the agreement.
The board voted to approve the updated SCWEMS agreement on the condition that every other town does the same. Archibald said she will bring the finished, and signed, contract to a future board meeting for the commissioners’ signatures.
