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Clear skies. Low 68F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.
Director of Operations Woodward County EMS, Chad Campbell spoke to Woodward County Commissioners Monday morning regarding the use of ARPA Funds. (Photo by Ashley Berends)
Director of Operations Woodward County EMS, Chad Campbell spoke to Woodward County Commissioners Monday morning regarding the use of ARPA Funds. (Photo by Ashley Berends)
The Woodward County Commissioners heard a request from Woodward County EMS for APRA funds during their meeting Monday in the courthouse.
Pebbles Luddington and Chad Campbell with EMS visited with the commissioners about the available Covid-19 funds. Tranferring patients with Covid long distances along with the wear and tear of the ambulances, lack of oxygen available and rising costs were some of their key talking points.
“Covid significantly impacted Woodward County EMS, not only for our employees physically and mentally, but also the service, physical assets and financial stability,” Campbell said. “Our expenses increase significantly and our income did not increase due how it is structured with Medicare and the Federal Government’s regulations. Overtime employee wages increased by 30%, when fuel was cheaper, it increased by 26%, oxygen consumption increased by 71% and mileage increased by 32%,
“With Covid a lot of this was due to full hospitals, patients needing more care and transferred to other hospitals. We did 20% more transfers than what we normally did and at further distances. Some locations were in St. Louis, Denver, Dallas, Wichita. We averaged about 30,000 more miles than we had in the years before that.”
Campbell spoke about the need to start the process of purchasing a new type 2 ambulance at $119,790 to handle the increase of long-distance transfers which will be more comfortable for patients especially ones with broken hips. Also requested was a new type 1 ambulance at $243,485 and a medical Oxygen Generating System at $40,000 along with reimbursement of two Hamilton Ventilators totaling $50,742.11.
Currently the turn \around from when placing an order for an ambulance to the date that it is delivered is 18 months. “By the time we receive the new ambulances, our current vehicles will have reached over 150,000 miles with a majority of them between 200,000 to 250,000 miles,” Campbell said.
High flow, humidified oxygen was needed for Covid patients at hospitals and for during transportation. Two ventilators were bought for patient care. During this time, they would buy their supplier out of oxygen and it still wasn’t enough to fulfill their order of what was needed.
“With purchasing of the Oxygen Generator, we will be able to fill up our own oxygen tanks, for firemen and not have to rely on getting it from a supplier. It will allieviate that cost in the long run and the danger of possibly running out of oxygen when patients are in dire need. Expectancy for this is over 20 years with regular maintaining,” Campbell said.
The commissioners had many questions and will look over all the details before making a decision.
Kim Salisbury and Todd Moss with Rural Water for District #3 were also in attendance to discuss the use of ARPA funds.
“It would greatly help with the 350 miles of waterlines and a 50 year old water system. Currently it is for small water body and if there is an earthquake, it will break. There is a bid for a $50,000 generator that will run for 12 hours straight so we can make sure that the Fire Departments are able to fight fires. We would be able to keep towers open,” Moss said.
Commissioner Clint White suggested, “I would encourage you to reach out to the town of Mutual, because they received ARPA funds as well. They could sub allocate that money to your organizations since the town of Mutual doesn’t have their own city sewer and water system. This program would be a direct benefit to their town.”
He continued, “The state also had extra ARPA money for Organizations, check with them to see when the grant applications are due.”
“Money is short everywhere, but I also have a limited amount of the ARPA funds and it's our responsibility to do the most we absolutely can with with the funding that we have. Because once it's gone, it's gone and we want it to benefit the absolute most amount of citizens in our County, ” Commissioner Troy White said. “We appreciate the information that you put together. It was very informative. We wanted to listen to what your organizations had to say on your needs. We are waiting on clarification from the auditor’s office on how to proceed with the disbursement of any funds.”
Emergency Management Director Lehenbauer handed out a packet to the Commissioners on the drought conditions and said, “we are still under extreme but it has been reduced from exceptional drought. We don’t see any rain the forecast but expect them to start gearing up here within the next two weeks. Typicallly by the middle of April we start seeing green and the dry fuels will start to go away.”
Clint White made a motion to approve the burn ban for one week and revisit it weekly.
White said, “we really want to be in a position to get out of this burn ban, but we also got to take the concerns that Matt (Lehenbauer) addressed very seriously.”
The Commissioners agreed to extend the burn ban until April 11th with revisiting the ban weekly. Also Lehenbauer stated that they are working on the sirens in Sharon. “The sirens work but the two are having to be turned on two separate ways and we are working to get those going the same way, either at the station or by radio.”
Ronda Custer with Stock Exchange was there to discuss the 2022 Mulcher 60” & Vibratory Roller 84” purchase from Sourewell for District #3. “Previously approved was about $137,000 for the Kubota and several attachments. The Kubota is not ready at this time, but these are two of the attachements available. I will go ahead and split it for $52,392 on 48 monthly payments,” Custer said. The Commissioners approved the lease purchase agreement with Stock Exchange Bank.
The Craighead Ranch LLC lease agreement with County Commissioners was approved regarding the 300 ft. radio transmitting and receiving tower. The lease is for five years with each succeeding year to be renewed each year for all three districts.
Commissioners approved the Interlocal Agreement with Ft. Supply School.
The Public Service Permit for Pioneer Telephone Coop Inc. installation is direct buried, trenching & directional boring for fiber optics network in carious sections of 22N 20 W & 22N 21W was approved.
Routine monthly approvals were approved along with the transfer of appropriations out of the General Use Tax into Jail Use Tax of $4,000. The Transfer of Appropriations out of Election Board Part-Time into Election Board personal services.
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