October 30, 2024
Today, I thought I would bring folks up-to-date on where things are at with the fire department changes. A July 24 meeting of the fire department task-force was held. This meeting followed the submission of a 28E agreement prepared by our attorney and sent to the attorney for the rural trustees on July 12, 2024, twelve days before the meeting.
Another meeting of the task-force was scheduled for August 19, 2024. You may remember that my position is that the fire department needs to be transferred to the separate entity before emergency medical services are transferred. The Rural Fire District indicated their position was the opposite and that it would not change. I still believe the new agency needs to be in place and be able to fund, staff, and collect Medicare, Medicaid, and other insurances before a transfer of these services can occur. My position has not and will not change. While I support such a 28E agreement, I do not feel bound to any previously negotiated agreements which were never signed.
The members of the task-force were advised that my position had not changed. The August 19, 2024 meeting was canceled when one of the task-force members advised that he was “mad enough to spit” and said, “see you in court.” After the cancellation of the August 19 meeting, the attorney representing the rural trustees advised that they were prepared to proceed with discovery in the litigation filed by the West Liberty Rural Fire District signaling their intention to move forward with the litigation.
It is not my intention to make people angry. It is my intention to make these decisions based on what is best for quality emergency medical services provided to the good hard-working people of this community. Those are decisions based on logic, not emotions.
As of the date of this column, the City has not received any written draft counter proposal agreement from the Rural Fire District. At this point, I believe the only resolution is to have this matter reviewed by the court. I welcome the court’s decision.
Also, during this time, the emergency medical providers obtained copies of a sample 28E for emergency medical services in the rural areas of Muscatine County. This sample agreement had the City of Wilton managing the finances of such an entity and this draft was developed without my knowledge, participation, or review before our staff obtained a copy. At the September 9, 2024 Muscatine County Board of Supervisors’ meeting, I voiced by dissent from the unveiling of this proposal, the timing, and the content.
Provision of a county system of emergency medical services is a long way off. Several steps must be completed and approvals granted before such a system could be implemented. Resolution of the way emergency medical services are provided in West Liberty and the surrounding area still need to be resolved instead of waiting on a county emergency medical services method.
Mark Smith is Mayor of West Liberty and can be reached at 641-750-9278 or by email to mayorsmith@CityofWestLibertyIA.org