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The Ely Area Ambulance Service will get a shot in the arm from local governments, and a bit extra by way of Fall Lake Township.
At Tuesday’s ambulance joint powers board meeting, the group’s first session in more than six months, members approved the second half of a 2024 subsidy of $20.20 per capita.
That amounts to just over $32,000 from the city of Ely, $11,750 from the town of Morse and $1,670 from the city of Winton.
Fall Lake is set to contribute $6,400, but its portion is covered by an appropriation from Lake County, in the amount of a whopping $35,000.
The meeting at the Winton Community Center included some haggling over logistics, including a request that the EAAS refund the Lake County contribution to Fall Lake, and that it then be resubmitted to the joint powers board and subsequently the ambulance service.
Harold Langowski, who is Ely’s city clerk, said the move was necessary because of accounting procedures and previous agreements that payments be directed through the joint powers.
“When we reinvigorated the joint powers to a legitimate standard, having a budget, having bills be approved and following accounting processes, we agreed to this,” said Langowski. “I am not saying if (the Lake County payment) is proper or improper, but when the city became the fiscal agent, this was going to be the way.”
Langowski added “we will invoice the townships and cities (for the per capita payments) and then it’s accounted for. We have spent a tremendous amount of time with our auditor putting together this account. If somebody else wants (to take over) we’ll transfer it to another entity that wants it.”
Winton Mayor Marlene Zorman supported Langowski’s contention and pointed back to meeting minutes from October, 2022 related to finances and that the city of Ely would serve as the fiscal agent.
At issue was the windfall from Lake County, which was secured by county commissioner Joe Baltich, who also chairs the board of directors for the EAAS.
“Right now Lake County puts $35,000 for the Ely ambulance service,” said Baltich.
“We’re paying it out of our taxes,” added Sheila Gruba, a Fall Lake Township supervisor.
Contributions from the government entities to the EAAS have been at issue the last two years, particularly when the governments needed to provide emergency infusions of cash to help the service stay afloat.
In late-2023, the entities agreed to provide the first half of the 2024 per capita payment in advance.
The remaining half was approved Tuesday and EAAS officials say the entity’s fortunes have improved greatly, in part due to changes made in billing.
The EAAS will also receive about $290,000 thanks to action last year in the Minnesota Legislature aimed at aiding rural ambulance services.
Baltich also addressed other items during the meeting, including an EAAS goal to improve on what is now an 89 percent response rate for interfacility transports.
That number came into focus last year during discussions related to a consultant's recommendation that Ely-Bloomeson Community Hospital take over the ambulance operations in Ely, Babbitt and Tower.
“We’re very much willing to improve on that,” said Baltich.
Baltich added that “my point is we’re not giving up the ambulance service,” pointing to data that showed the EAAS made roughly 700 calls last year.
EAAS board member Scott Kellerman also made an invitation to elected officials to come and look at the non-profit’s books.
“I will sit down with you and go through any number of checking statements you want and answer any questions you have,” said Kellerman.
Kellerman took issue with “rumors going around” about the EAAS and that it “really bothers me and makes it look like there’s shenanigans going on.”
